You may not remember this promised batsu game, but here it is:
At the end of the 2015-16 English football season, Aston Villa were relegated to the English League Championship, which Sheffield Wednesday failed to win promotion from (losing in the playoff final to Hull City). Mike - who follows both clubs - vowed to take a batsu game if BOTH clubs did not win promotion to the Premier League in 2016-17.
The Championship season ends today.
The top two finishers - who won automatic promotion - were Newcastle United (who, like Villa, were relegated last year) and Brighton and Hove Albion (who will be playing their first year of top-flight football in the Premier League era).
The playoffs (spots 3 through 6): Reading, Wednesday, Huddersfield Town (the team of choice for one Sir Patrick Stewart), and Fulham (which gets a lot of grief on this podcast due to their being co-owned with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the lack of success for both). Wednesday still have a 1-in-4 shot at promotion.
Villa finished 13th in the 24 team league. Not only is that outside of the possibility for promotion, it's 2 spots lower than "Everyone's favorite high school team" Preston North End, 6 spots above their fiercest rivals Birmingham City, 8 spots above fellow past European Cup winners Nottingham Forest, and 9 above relegated former Premier League champion Blackburn Rovers.
Joining Blackburn in League 1 next year will be Wigan and Rotherham.
So, Mike takes another BATSU GAME!!! - which now makes 4 to be assigned.
Other English pro/rel news:
- The Great Blue Satans of West London are in position to win the Premier League this year, a full 4 points better than North London's Shite Half. Arsenal are presently 6th (there that whole Senor Stan's teams not competing on the field again), behind the aforementioned Chelski, Tottenham, City, Liverpool, and the Great Red Satans of English Football. Defending champions Leicester City are currently 9th.
- Guaranteed relegation from the Premier League is a club Mike has little love for, especially the way they "handle" matters "internally": Sunderland. Currently in the relegation zone: the aforementioned Hull City and Middlesbrough.
- League 1 promotions: Sheffield United and Notlob - I mean Bolton - won automatic promotion; the playoff will be Scunthorpe United, Fleetwood Town, Bradford City, and Millwall (better known for its infamous hooligans than its on-the-pitch product). Relegated to League 2: Port Vale, Swindon Town, Coventry City ("It is after all a trick question; Coventry City have never won the FA Cup."), and Chesterfield.
- Speaking of League 1, AFC Wimbledon finished their first season of third-tier football in 15th, 3 spots behind their "franchise" rivals MK Dons and 1 spot above Shaq's Northampton Town.
- League 2 promotions: Portsmouth (now fan-owned), Plymouth Argyle, and Doncaster Rovers (whose biggest fan is that One Direction guy whom Villa's Gabby Agbonlahor tackled so hard in a charity match that he threw up on the pitch).
Playoff spots: Luton Town, Exeter City, Carlisle United, and Blackpool (they of the crappy ownership that allowed this club to fall this far).
- Being relegated from this league to non-league football: Hartlepool United (as an American I look at this word and think "hart-uhl-pool" and don't get where the English come up with their pronunciation) and Leyton Orient (which said time and again they felt threatened by West Ham moving into the Olympic Stadium due to geography).
- Promoted to the League from the non-league: Lincoln City (who had a good FA Cup run this year). The second promotion spot will be one of the following via playoff: Tranmere Rovers, Forest Green Rovers, or Dagenham and Redbridge.
- It's been recorded but not yet edited, but Mike's pick for the FA Cup Final: Arsenal over Chelski (because duh!).
Look for that podcast within the week.
