After the week-end's matches, here's the way things are standing.
England Division I: Chelsea will finish in the top two, Manchester B and Liverpool in the top three. Sunderland are relegated. Tottenham head Arsenal by four for fourth; Blackburn are sixth. West Brom and Birmingham occupy the other relegation spots.
Division II: Reading are champions, Sheffield United also promoted. Watford, Leeds, Preston, and Crystal Palace will feature in the play-offs. Millwall, Crewe, and Brighton look set to go down. This division will probably be all over after to-day's matches.
Division III: Southend are certain of the play-offs, and should gain automatic promotion. Brentford head Colchester and Huddersfield by one point for the other automatic slot. Swansea and Barnsley are holding the other play-off spots, with Notts Forest and Oldham also in the hunt. Franchise, Swindon, Walsall, and Hartlepools are on the trap-doors, with Rotherham, Yeovil, and Blackpool within three points. This whole division could easily go to the end of the season.
Division IV: Carlisle, Northampton, Leyton Orient, and Rimsby are in contention for automatic promotion; Carlisle look certain, and all four are assured of a play-off spot. Wycombe and Cheltenham also look set for the play-offs, Peterborough head Lincoln, Darlington, and Bristol R for the last spot. Torquay look doomed to leave the League; Rushden and Barnet are level on points for the other drop spot, with Stockport, Bury, and Rochdale also in danger.
Division V: Accrington Stanley has won the division, and will play league football next year. Result! Hereford are qualified for the play-offs, Halifax look set to join them, Grays and Morecambe head Stevenage and York for the other two slots. Forest Green and Scarborough are in the two relegation places, with Southport and Tamworth also in danger.
Division VI: Northwich Victoria, who took relegation from V last year over their ground, are top of the North table; it's not clear if they'll be allowed up. Stafford, Nuneaton, Droylsden, and Harrogate are in play-off spots. Weymouth and St Albans are in contention for the South win; Lewes and Farnborough will be in the play-offs, Welling head four teams to join them. Hednesford, Leigh, Hayes, and Maidenhead are in the relegation zone, but all could yet escape.
Division VII: Salisbury have won the SW division, with Bath, King's Lynn, Chippenham, and Bedford in the play-offs. Evesham, Aylesbury, and Chesham are going down.
From VII (N), Frickley or Blyth will go up, Farsley, Marine, and North Ferriby look to make the play-offs. Runcorn are down, Radcliffe and Bradford Park Avenue look set to join them.
VII (SE) should be won by Braintree, with Fisher, Heybridge, Hampton and Richmond, and Staines fighting for the play-offs, but Wimbledon are just one point behind. Redbridge and Windsor and Eton look doomed, and it's not good for Maldon or Hendon.
Division VIII (Anglia) should see Boreham Wood and Enfield go up - that'll be the second straight elevation for Enfield. The SW And Midlands division will see Clevedon and (probably) Ashford go up. Mossley and Kendal are heading up from the N division, with Ramsgate and Horsham elevated from the SE league. There are play-offs, but relegation is not certain for the bottom sides, as there will be a new Division VIII Midlands from next year.
Manchester United fans will be pleased to learn that they've won their Division XI league with only one more defeat than Gretna.
In Scotland, Celtic are champions. Hearts lead Rangers by five points for second; Hibs are two clear of Kilmarnock in the battle for fourth. Livingston has reduced the gap at the bottom to just five points.
Division B has been won by St Mirren, with Brechin relegated. Stranraer or Queen of the South will be in the promotion/relegation battle.
Gretna won't, they won Division C by a mile. Greenock Morton will be in the play-offs, with Peterhead and Partick probably joining them - Stirling's the only side with anything to say. Alloa and Dumbarton will take the relegation and play-off place down to the wire.
It's another tense finish in Division D, with Cowdenbeath and Berwick locked together, and Stenhousemuir just behind. Elgin, Queen's Park, and Arbroath are vying for the third slot. East Stirling will finish bottom, which is not news.
The teams for the Dutch play-off are now known:
1st roundA. AZ Alkmaar - Gronigen -- loser UEFA-cup
B. Feyenoord - Ajax -- loser UEFA-cup
C. Utrecht - Twente
D. Heerenveen - Roda
E. NEC - Heracles
F. Vitesse - RKC
2nd round
G. winner A-winner B -- winner CLQ, loser UEFA-cup
I. winner C-winner D -- winner UEFA-cup
J. winner E-winner F
3rd round
L. loser I-winner J -- winner Intertoto
In the betting, three more losses bring the total for the year into the negative. Great. Two bets for mid-week:
Arsenal - VILLARREAL (5.00 / 3.10)
Schalke - SEVILLE (3.75 / 3.20)
