End Of Season: Sky Bet League One.

The Premiership title has been won by Chelsea this past Sunday but fans of teams at the bottom of the league still have a couple of weeks to see their sides fate. In the lower Leagues though the regular season has come to a close with relegated and automatically promoted sides sorted. Only the final position of promotion in each division is yet to be decided. Starting Sunday with the Vanarama Conference, and taking a League each day, I will sum up the ups and downs and look forward to the playoffs. Today I look at the SkyBet League One.




Champions: Bristol City.

Bristol City were promoted as Champions and will be playing in the Championship next season. While their City rivals, Bristol Rovers, still have to negotiate a date with Grimsby at Wembley in order to get back into League football, the Robins are flying high. Manager Steve Cotterill will be hoping for a similar stay in the Championship as the last time they were here. Four good seasons above mid table before a slide and then relegation in the 2012-13 season, ending their six year stay.

Also promoted automatically are the MK Dons. The result of Wimbledon FC’s relocation to Milton Keynes the side were founded in 2004. This promotion marks the highest level the side would have played under the new name although as Wimbledon they were a top flight regular in the 1990's.


Playoffs:

Chesterfield v Preston.

Chesterfield will host the first leg of their play off game against Preston at the Proact Stadium on Thursday 7th May before the return leg at Deepdale three days later. In the forty eight times these sides have met in League competition Preston have the advantage, losing only thirteen times and outscoring their opponents by eighteen goals. In fact you have to go all the way back to 1999 for the last Chesterfield win. With that in mind I can only see Preston going through.


Sheffield United v Swindon.

Unlike the Sky Bet Division Two play offs, the Division One playoffs will take place on the same days as each other. Bramell Lane will host the first leg before the County Ground takes over to complete the tie. Again, as with the other tie, one side has a distinct advantage. In the thirty League games between the two, Swindon have won less than a third. This season though they did turn over United 5-2 in November, but then lost 2-0 in the return fixture this past January. Sheffield United will no doubt go through over the two legs.

That means I think the Final will pit Preston against Sheffield United. Going by the head to head statistics it will be a tough one to call but I think Sheffield United will just edge it on the day and be playing Championship football when the season starts up again.


Relegated:

Notts County: The oldest football side to still play professionally. Formed in 1863 their 153rd year in existence sees the Magpies descend into the Sky Bet League Two. Things looked bright for the side in 2009 when Middle Eastern money came into the club but the promise of investment and a re-invention of the club failed to materialize.

Crawley: For the last three seasons Crawley have played at the highest level in their history, and earlier, had taken on Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round. The majority of their history has been in non league football and so you had to expect this would only be a matter of time before they return to that level.

Leyton Orient: A similar story to Crawley Town. This side has recently played at its highest level and only missed out on promotion via the playoffs last season. They defeated Peterborough in the Playoff before losing to Rotherham on penalty kicks in the Wembley Final. A lot of rebuilding has to be expected, and questions asked, of a side which dropped twenty League positions in forty six games.

Yeovil: Bottom of the League this season by some way they followed their drop out of the Championship last season in similar style. Paul Sturrock replaced Gary Johnson but couldn’t stop the rot. In charge of the side for month now the side were all but relegated when he took the hot seat. His job now is to look at his staff and players and see who needs to come in and who should head out.

Jason is a Freelance Soccer Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @PACityboy and www.facebook.com/jasonbardwell1979