Shrewsbury, Chester, Bradford, Luton....who's next?

By theimps.tk
July 13 2009

It's coming up to the time where pre-season predictions can be expected to made and I often offend fans of many other clubs for various reasons. Some don't like that I predict them to go down, others I have called bland and one because I dared suggest they wouldn't go up, but let's look in depth at the history of me offending.

Despite my reputation of apparantly not knowing a lot about football, I have a remarkable nack of doing well with pre-season predictions. In 2006/7 I correctly predicted which seven sides would finish in the top seven places, I have also always correctly predicted at least one of the two sides to go down and I have always offended.

The offence started in 2005 when, after a miserable return to the Football League, I predicted Shrewsbury Town to get relegated. I stated how their manager had failed miserably in his recent years as a Football League manager, failing to save Exeter City from the drop in 2003, whereas almost guiding Shrewsbury back at the first attempt in 2004/5.

I trundled off to work the next day to come back and find the entire message board had been invaded by Shrewsbury Town fans. This was back in the days when the message board was completely dead, a message only being posted once every three or so days being considered busy. A Kidderminster fan called Scott was the next to bring the argument to a head as he stuck up for myself, only for him to be shot down as well.

Shrewsbury's near neighbours Chester were the next on the offensive after I described everything about their club as bland. A small, unimaginative ground with nothing around, filled every other Saturday with fans who don't chant, watching boring matches with few goals. They surprisingly showed emotion after this and although they didn't find their way on here, their message boards were full of hatred towards me.

Then we look at twelve months ago and the team I predicted to finish 24th. Luton Town had just been deducted 30 points and I said that I hoped they did well, but couldn't see them ever getting off of bottom place and surviving. I was quickly informed via numerous posts on this and their boards that not only was I wrong, that I was a fool to suggest they wouldn't catch up. Luton not only got relegated, they never moved off of bottom place and never looked like catching up.

Finally, we look at Bradford City. I questioned that McCall wasn't necessarily a good manager as he had no proven experience. He started reasonably but Bradford never looked like a team good enough for promotion and did start falling away. McCall stated that if Bradford didn't make the Playoffs then he would leave.....skip forward a month and Bradford failed to make the Playoffs and McCall showed he had little or no integrity by staying as their manager and breaking his promise.

So moving into this season's predictions and I'm asking myself, who will be offended this year? Will I continue my perfect record with prediction at least one of the sides to go down, or will I not even get close to anything.