Paullow

It will be an interesting summer for sure, and I do expect a fair few changes. I can see 4-6 coming in, most of who would be expected to start. Some of the starters now will likely become squad players, and the current squad players, especially those at a certain age, will likely move on. The standard will clearly be a lot higher next year and they will certainly at least want to comfortably stay in it, and they will have the resources to give it as good a go as they can, so would be shocked if there wasn't at least 4 quality additions who are deemed above average at Championship level.

Yes, it's on iPlayer and BBC website, just me being greedy

Just realised the match is tomorrow and NOT Sunday. I hope all of the 3000 or so going down realise that too . Just assumed it would be the same day as the main day for the league, including previous rounds of this cup. First World problems, but the match isn't on the BBC red button which is a bit of a shame. iPlayer obviously isn't fully live, plus a bit of a faff on loading apps if you were wanting to skim other channels, whereas you could easily stick it on 409 on Sky Sports News every now and then to check scores if it was on an actual channel, but that's just me being picky, ha.

That Bernie seems a character, and she's pretty much at every match. Didn't realise it was Charlotte Pott's mother.

Must be class watching this Wales vs Finland as a Leeds fan. Wales have 4 of their players in their XI and there's another playing for Finland.

It's the lack of MNF, and midweek Championship and European games that is most annoying, plus pretty much all the intl matches being on an extremely niche channel which very few have (legal) access to.

Perfect - went on a Darlington forum and under the thread 'we've come a long way', spotted this: So since then, Spennymoor are now on 58 points from 38 matches, so an incredible 22 points from 8 games, and Darlington are now on 46 points from 40 games, so they have got 21 points and 7 wins from their last 9, incredible turnaround from both. Darlington were 9 points behind Rushall less than 5 weeks ago, but they are now 5 clear of them, so a 14 point gain. Looking at both tables, King's Lynn have got 14 points from the 6 games since (4W 2D) so they are also in good form, but poor Banbury were on 37 points after 30 games, and looking OK, but 7 games later they are still on 37 points. Incredible that they were above Spennymoor on Feb 13th, but on March 16th they were 21 points behind them. Crazy! Scarborough, Farsley, and Blyth have had very poor spells, but the latter got a huge win the other day. https://www.darlofc.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=52334&start=60 Quite interesting that thread of Darlington's recent defeat to Spennymoor and that some fans think of them as irrelevant, and that it will always be Hartlepool, but some fans think of them as rivals. They haven't played Hartlepool since 2007, but have been in the NLN north with Spenny for the past 7 years, and then were battling with them in the Northern League (from 2012) and the NPL prior to that, so will have played them most seasons for the past 12 years. I'd often wondered what might happen if Middlesbrough and Sunderland were both in the Championship for the next 10 years or so, never playing us, and if that rivalry might become a lot fiercer than it is now.

Hartlepool, South Shields, Spennymoor, Darlington, and Blyth all appointed new managers in and around the new year, mixed fortunes, but Spenny and Darlo have really benefited from their respective appointments. Took a bit of time for Graham Lee at Spenny. They had only taken 1 point from 6 games before he arrived, and Lee only gained 2 points from his first 5 games, so as a club they had 3 points, and no wins, from 11 game, but since then they have won 8 and drawn 1 from their last 10 games, or 5 wins in a row, or 22 points from 24, whichever sounds better, and have gone from looking like getting sucked into a dog fight to just 4 points off the playoffs, with 1 or 2 games in hand on most. They have 5 of their last 8 games at home including matches vs 19th, 22nd, and 23rd, so hopefully they can sneak in. I'll try and get to one of their final home matches before the end of the season. Darlington looked absolutely doomed under Gowling, but they have now won 6 of their last 7 matches (only defeat coming to fellow in form Spennymoor) and are 5 points clear of the drop. I can't find any sites that will show a table from earlier in the season, but a crazy turnaround under Steve Watson. Massive match for them on Saturday away at Rushall, the team directly below them in the league (and in the final relegation spot) - win and they will go 8 clear and that should be them safe, but within just 2 points if they were to lose.

International break Basically no (men's) TV match of any note until Thursday, and then the bulk of matches are on the niche paywall Viacom. Wales vs Finland is on S4C on Thursday, but it's slim pickings. I thought there would at least be a League 1 or 2 match on, but seemingly not.

I forgot Pearson covered the women as well - has he been as active with the women this season? I usually stick to NFTV vlogs which usually air around 11pm on Sunday. I'll give APs a watch now.

Not sure if it was advertised during the Man Utd vs Liverpool match, probably was, but Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona is on ITV4 at 8pm. Not quite as interesting as in other years as neither are anyway near the title, and Barcelona's league campaign is realistically done as in they're not going to finish any lower than 4th, and they won't win the league. Not sure where Spain rank in the race for the 5th CL spot, but if unlikely to get it, then big match for Atleti as they are currently in 5th (and 9 clear of 6th), but could be worth a watch anyway.

Probably a repeat of last years final, although a couple of unexpected results this round.

What would be your preference?

Because it will likely make for a big intriguing, 50/50 semi final in Man Utd vs Chelsea, probably better than having two 75/25 matches IMO, plus I don't mind Man City. and would prefer them to have an 'easier' match than the other two.

Hoping for the two City's to draw each other here.

Lee Dixon likely with a word in the ear, or death stares, for daring to say 'man of the match' there.

I didn't actually realise Forest won in midweek, 2-1 at home Huddersfield, but it's ironically not the best of results as the chasing side. Huddersfield are -28, lost 12 of their 14 matches, so I thought that might have been like 4/5+-0. The GD advantage is currently +16, so could probably afford to lose 2 of the last 4 games really, as Forest would have needed some huge wins to claw it back:

I kind of erased Burnley from the equation after last week's result, and I knew Forest didn't have a match today.

There probably will be numerous similar examples, but the top of the 2nd tier (where we want to be next season) is ridiculously tight at the business end. Sunderland have Charlton (H) and C Palace (A) as their final 2 matches Palace still have to play Birmingham (H) and Sunderland (H) Southampton have Charlton (A) on the final day Charlton have Birmingham (H), Sunderland (A), and Southampton (H) Birmingham have Charlton (A), Palace (A) So plenty of '6 pointers', and it will be in pretty much 'everyone's hands' with the remaining fixtures.

Fantastic win, and just about there. Only 7 points needed from final 4 to mathematically secure the title, and possibly not even as many as that. Some nice fixtures too.

78 mins so still time to get a winner, but a draw would be a great result from where they were earlier, and they could even afford to lose one of their final 4.

2-2!!