The Mid-Table Thread

[thewwfc]

As always, the promotion and relegation battles get way overhyped here.

We all know what *really* matters in life is to be crowned Mid-Table Champions.

This of course being the priceless accolade of being the first team to hit the beach, whereby you're too crap to stand any chance mathematically of going up, but you're not crap enough to be able to go down.

Of course, in the event of a tie, the winner is crowned by having the GD that is closest to zero, to reflect TRUE mediocrity.

And then you have a bunch of dead rubbers to look forward to for the rest of the season, and your manager trying to motivate the troops with glorious rallying cries such as, "We've still got plenty to play for - we're playing for our pride and want to get as many points as possible". Points that will do your team no good whatsoever.

Accy, Cambridge, Cheltenham and Burton look like hot favourites (or should I say "lukewarm favourites") at the moment, but there's still plenty of thrills and spills to be had to determine who is the most unrelentingly average team in the league.

Happy title hunting to all.

 

[Laker]

It often comes down to the teams who have played more games than others as they fall short of the play offs sooner. So Burton are ahead of us, Accrington and Cheltenham at the moment.

As boring as this sounds, the mid table title would have been very welcome at the beginning of the season!

 

[WhiteRussian]

We have been around there more often than not but I don't think we have ever won such a coveted title.

 

[bigfatron]

Peterborough are the most frequent proud holders of the League One Mid-table Championship over recent seasons - for some reason they seem to think this makes them a 'natural Championship club' (TM Barry Fry/Darren MacAnthony)

 

[longmover]

A few seasons back CTFC were the first team in the 92 to consolidate cant go up cant go down status, we have form here.

 

[CTFCfan99]

This could be decided on Tuesday, only looked at it briefly but I think the scenarios are:

A defeat for Morecambe and defeat/draw for Wimbledon would mean Cheltenham, Cambridge and Accy share the title no matter the outcome of the Cambridge game.

If Morecambe draw, Cambridge would need a point for the win (Wimbledon result irrelevant).

If Morecambe win, only a Cambridge win would give them the title outright.

If Cambridge lose, then either a Morecambe win/draw or Wimbledon win keeps it mathematically alive until next Saturday.

The excitement never stops

 

[K-Win]

There's also an equally exciting, three-way Upper Mid-Table League going on between us, Ipswich and Bolton. It's absolutely anyone's and could go down to the wire! Huge game on Tuesday night - Bolton vs Pompey.

 

[K-Win]

Same post. Stupid forum

 

[Laker]

This could be decided on Tuesday, only looked at it briefly but I think the scenarios are:

A defeat for Morecambe and defeat/draw for Wimbledon would mean Cheltenham, Cambridge and Accy share the title no matter the outcome of the Cambridge game.

If Morecambe draw, Cambridge would need a point for the win (Wimbledon result irrelevant).

If Morecambe win, only a Cambridge win would give them the title outright.

If Cambridge lose, then either a Morecambe win/draw or Wimbledon win keeps it mathematically alive until next Saturday.

The excitement never stops

Accrington are in the same position as us so I guess the same applies. If us and Acca clinch it via our own results (as opposed to via Morecambe failing), I assume it comes down to the order of games finishing as that’s the point mid table mediocrity is confirmed?

I’ll put on match updates for the division on Tuesday from FlashScore so we know the order games finish if it comes down to that.

 

[thewwfc]

Accrington are in the same position as us so I guess the same applies. If us and Acca clinch it via our own results (as opposed to via Morecambe failing), I assume it comes down to the order of games finishing as that’s the point mid table mediocrity is confirmed?

Nah, don’t agree with that.

One must strive for mediocrity, not just be handed it by random chance.

If there’s a tie, as I mentioned to begin with, I reckon the trophy should go to the team with the GD closest to zero.

If that’s still a tie, then you probably need to look at the most evenly balanced number of home vs away wins - again, a truly average team would get equally undistinguished results home AND away, none of your “our home is a fortress but we’re crap on the road”.

 

[thewwfc]

I can’t be arsed to do the maths, but a write-up of the Wycombe/Cambridge game said that CUFC (on 51 points) still haven’t quite secured safety - so I’m guessing that that means it’s a 4-way race between Chelts, Cambridge, Accy (all on 51) and Charlton (on 50).

Of those, Charlton has the closest GD to zero though.

Highly likely to go to the wire, this one.

 

[Laker]

I can’t be arsed to do the maths, but a write-up of the Wycombe/Cambridge game said that CUFC (on 51 points) still haven’t quite secured safety - so I’m guessing that that means it’s a 4-way race between Chelts, Cambridge, Accy (all on 51) and Charlton (on 50).

Of those, Charlton has the closest GD to zero though.

Highly likely to go to the wire, this one.

Yeah no one is safe. We will secure safety (and at least joint winners of the cup) on Saturday if we don’t lose at home to Morecambe. Accrington, Cheltenham and Charlton can also share the cup with wins/favourable results as will Shrewsbury and Burton if they win and Gillingham don’t.

Also looks like Bolton could be joint “winners” if they don’t win on Saturday and Sheffield Wednesday & Wycombe do.

 

[PuB]

Oh my, how I dream of being involved in this thread

 

[Si Robin]

Yeah no one is safe. We will secure safety (and at least joint winners of the cup) on Saturday if we don’t lose at home to Morecambe. Accrington, Cheltenham and Charlton can also share the cup with wins/favourable results as will Shrewsbury and Burton if they win and Gillingham don’t.

Also looks like Bolton could be joint “winners” if they don’t win on Saturday and Sheffield Wednesday & Wycombe do.

No such thing as Joint Winners and, whilst I understand thewwfc's point, previous iterations have been settled on the time the game finished. The Mid-Table cup is awarded to the team who achieved mediocrity first - if that is by 1 minute, then so be it.

 

[thewwfc]

I'm really not happy with the "time the game finishes" thing deciding an accolade of this magnitude, it's waaaaay too open to abuse by the clubs themselves, Far Eastern betting syndicates etc.

And it's unfairly penalising the likes of Burton - who face us on the final day, and since we're infamous for time-wasting like we've discovered the secret of eternal youth, you're effectively denying them a fair shot at the title.

And what's to stop rival clubs slipping someone a few quid to travel to a competitor's final day game, run on the pitch/let off a flare or whatever, just to eat up a few precious minutes.

On a more serious note, you're also potentially risking player injury if you endorse First Past The Post - since clubs in contention could end up refusing to make subs for crocked players if they don't want to eat up time that could then be added back on by the ref, and put a title bid at risk.

I think the "goal difference closest to zero" thing is fairer, although I suppose that's open to abuse as well - you might end up seeing teams with a slightly positive GD deliberately putting in a half-arsed shift in defence, or (at worst) mysteriously scoring OGs to get them to that sacred zero tipping point.

 

[Bobbin']

Come from nowhere to take this.