Summer Changes

 Maybe the sun is getting to me but I have relaxed a few of my own rules during the course of this blog. It was supposed to be a single team from every level of the footballing pyramid but as I pick up and follow teams there are some I just cannot let go of for a variety of reasons.

Brentford are now firmly established as one of my teams in the Premier League although having been an avid supported of Arsenal all my life I cannot simply drop them. I probably would at a push as Brentford invoke more passion and excitement at the moment but Arsenal are on the verge of winning things. Both teams will, therefore, continue to be followed in this blog.

Southampton gained promotion back to the Premier League following that Wembley playoff win and I cannot have three teams on my Premier League list. I only supported them following a passioned plea from Lewis who was doing some rendering at my property last summer. I am glad that he got the final result that he would have wanted, but they have now dropped off my radar.

I was going to pick Bristol City for the new Championship season but with Wayne Rooney taking over at Plymouth Argyle I now want to follow them although I do not expect to visit them at all this season. The interest around Wayne should mean a lot more coverage as time goes on.

My biggest problem was in League One. Exeter City are my local top team but I was following Wrexham in League Two and they gained promotion so I had an UM and an AH and plumped for Wrexham thus dropping my local side. When the pre-season fixture list came out, though, I added Exeter back as I will get good coverage in the local papers and that will make my life easier so I will now have two teams in League One as well as in the Premier League. It's my blog and I'll blog what I want to!

League Two proved tricky as there were no obvious choices. Maybe newly promoted Bromley, or that town with the twisted spire Chesterfield. I once stayed in Fleetwood for a wedding. Newport is a place that I used to visit for Speedway meetings. I eventually plumped for Salford and I wish they would get the television cameras back as that is a big attraction with Wrexham.

That covers the Premier League and the Football League. I have picked more but I will cover that in another post as my granddaughter is screaming loudly in the garden and I don't want to miss a minute of her growing up. She used my proper name for the first time yesterday.

National League South

 I have just watched a great game on TNT Sports.

The game swung both ways and there were some fantastic goals but ultimately the result was:

WORTHING 3

BRAINTREE 4

Whilst supporting Worthing I have to acknowledge the performance of Braintree Town who had to come through three games as opposed to the two that Worthing played.

So Braintree go back up to the National League while Worthing have to go again in the National League South. Go and consolidate George Dowell. Take a little longer to get there and your performances will be a season or two better.

This league is at level 6.

Exeter City Women drew 1-1 with Bournemouth to assure promotion to the National League South.

In the women's league the National League North and South site directly below the Championship.

This means that Exeter Women are now up to level 3.

Arsenal & Brentford = Premier League

 Arsenal are top of the table and can still win the league. Brentford are safe for another season barring a mathematical miracle and all results going against them.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Arsenal (Q)	35	25	5	5	85	28	+57	80	Qualification for the Champions League league phase
2	Manchester City (Q)	34	24	7	3	82	32	+50	79
3	Liverpool (Q)	35	22	9	4	77	36	+41	75
4	Aston Villa (X)	35	20	7	8	73	52	+21	67
5	Tottenham Hotspur	34	18	6	10	67	54	+13	60	Qualification for the Europa League league phase[a]
6	Manchester United	34	16	6	12	52	51	+1	54	Qualification for the Conference League play-off round[b]
7	Newcastle United	34	16	5	13	74	55	+19	53
8	Chelsea	34	14	9	11	65	59	+6	51
9	West Ham United	35	13	10	12	56	65	−9	49
10	Bournemouth	35	13	9	13	52	60	−8	48
11	Wolverhampton Wanderers	35	13	7	15	48	55	−7	46
12	Brighton & Hove Albion	34	11	11	12	52	57	−5	44
13	Fulham	35	12	7	16	51	55	−4	43
14	Crystal Palace	35	10	10	15	45	57	−12	40
15	Everton	35	12	8	15	37	48	−11	36[c]
16	Brentford	35	9	8	18	52	60	−8	35
17	Nottingham Forest	35	7	9	19	42	62	−20	26[d]
18	Luton Town	35	6	7	22	48	77	−29	25	Relegation to EFL Championship
19	Burnley	35	5	9	21	38	70	−32	24
20	Sheffield United (R)	35	3	7	25	34	97	−63	16

Updated to match(es) played on 2 May 2024. Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) If the champions, relegated teams or qualified teams for UEFA competitions cannot be determined by rules 1 to 3, rules 4.1 to 4.3 are applied – 4.1) Points gained in head-to-head record between such teams; 4.2) Away goals scored in head-to-head record between such teams; 4.3) Play-offs^[28]
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated; (X) Assured of at least Europa League league stage
Notes:

1. ^ The winners of the 2023–24 FA Cup (Manchester City or Manchester United) also qualify for the Europa League league stage. If the cup winners qualify for the Champions League or Europa League via league position, the spot reserved for the cup winners will pass to the sixth-placed team.
2. ^ As the winners of the 2023–24 EFL Cup, Liverpool have qualified for the Champions League league phase via league position, the spot given to the League Cup winners (Conference League play-off round) passes to the highest-placed team not already qualified for European competition.
3. ^ Everton were deducted eight points for breaching profitability and sustainability rules. They were originally deducted 10 points but this was reduced to six after an appeal. The club were then deducted an additional two points for further PSR breaches.^[8][9][10] The second deduction is currently under appeal.^[11]
4. ^ Nottingham Forest were deducted four points for breaching profitability and sustainability rules.^[23] The decision is currently under appeal.^[24]

Southampton = Championship

 Southampton have finished in fourth place whatever happens and will be in the playoffs.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Leicester City (C, P)	45	31	4	10	89	39	+50	97	Promotion to the Premier League
2	Ipswich Town (X)	45	27	12	6	90	57	+33	93
3	Leeds United (X)	45	27	9	9	80	41	+39	90	Qualification for the Championship play-offs
4	Southampton (Q)	45	25	9	11	85	62	+23	84
5	Norwich City (Y)	45	21	10	14	79	63	+16	73
6	West Bromwich Albion (Y)	45	20	12	13	67	47	+20	72
7	Hull City (Y)	45	19	13	13	68	59	+9	70
8	Middlesbrough	45	19	9	17	68	61	+7	66
9	Coventry City	45	17	13	15	69	57	+12	64
10	Preston North End	45	18	9	18	56	64	−8	63
11	Bristol City	45	17	11	17	53	47	+6	62
12	Cardiff City	45	19	5	21	51	65	−14	62
13	Swansea City	45	15	12	18	59	64	−5	57
14	Watford	45	13	17	15	60	58	+2	56
15	Sunderland	45	16	8	21	52	52	0	56
16	Millwall	45	15	11	19	44	55	−11	56
17	Queens Park Rangers	45	14	11	20	45	57	−12	53
18	Stoke City	45	14	11	20	45	60	−15	53
19	Blackburn Rovers	45	13	11	21	58	74	−16	50
20	Sheffield Wednesday	45	14	8	23	42	68	−26	50
21	Plymouth Argyle	45	12	12	21	58	70	−12	48
22	Birmingham City	45	12	11	22	49	65	−16	47	Relegation to EFL League One
23	Huddersfield Town	45	9	18	18	48	75	−27	45
24	Rotherham United (R)	45	4	12	29	32	87	−55	24

Updated to match(es) played on 30 April 2024. Source: EFL official website
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) Number of 12-point sending off offences; 9) Play-off (only if needed to determine promotion/relegation)^[87]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated; (X) Assured of at least a play-off place, but may yet be promoted automatically; (Y) May yet qualify for the play-offs, but cannot be promoted automatically.

Exeter City = League One

 Exeter City have finished solidly in the middle of the table after a varied season.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Portsmouth (C, P)	46	28	13	5	78	41	+37	97	Promoted to EFL Championship
2	Derby County (P)	46	28	8	10	78	37	+41	92
3	Bolton Wanderers	46	25	12	9	86	51	+35	87	Qualified for League One play-offs
4	Peterborough United	46	25	9	12	89	61	+28	84
5	Oxford United	46	22	11	13	79	56	+23	77
6	Barnsley	46	21	13	12	82	64	+18	76
7	Lincoln City	46	20	14	12	65	40	+25	74
8	Blackpool	46	21	10	15	65	48	+17	73
9	Stevenage	46	19	14	13	57	46	+11	71
10	Wycombe Wanderers	46	17	14	15	60	55	+5	65
11	Leyton Orient	46	18	11	17	53	55	−2	65
12	Wigan Athletic	46	20	10	16	63	56	+7	62[a]
13	Exeter City	46	17	10	19	46	61	−15	61
14	Northampton Town	46	17	9	20	57	66	−9	60
15	Bristol Rovers	46	16	9	21	52	68	−16	57
16	Charlton Athletic	46	11	20	15	64	65	−1	53
17	Reading	46	16	11	19	68	70	−2	53[b]
18	Cambridge United	46	12	12	22	39	61	−22	48
19	Shrewsbury Town	46	13	9	24	35	67	−32	48
20	Burton Albion	46	12	10	24	39	67	−28	46
21	Cheltenham Town (R)	46	12	8	26	41	65	−24	44	Relegated to EFL League Two
22	Fleetwood Town (R)	46	10	13	23	49	72	−23	43
23	Port Vale (R)	46	10	11	25	41	74	−33	41
24	Carlisle United (R)	46	7	9	30	41	81	−40	30