With the business end of the season approaching, fans of clubs in 14th place and below are praying to the Premier League gods to avoid a slide into the Championship come the final whistles of their respective last games, if not sooner. Some measure of hope could perhaps be derived from what is arguably the greatest of great escapes, to tread a particularly well worn path and cliché.
I have surprised myself this season by being organised enough to fit in three football away day experiences, the last of which came on April Fools' Day and saw me making my way to Cardiff City to witness the latest edition of the South Wales Derby. As it happens, this wasn't even my first time witnessing the rivalry live, as when we knocked Swansea City off of our away day bucket list back in 2019, that day their opponents were The Bluebirds. So now I've taken in this derby as an adopted fan on both sides of the divide, and it's safe to say that the 2023 version was the most dramatic of all the away days completed thus far.
It would seem that Soccer AM could be facing relegation from the Sky Sports schedules, come the day before the end of the current Premier League season- amid confusion over whether or not it's been definitively canned. Co-host John Fendley insisted the show is merely subject to a period of consultation over its long term future and most other media outlets reported it’s conclusively earmarked for the chop…
As the weather begins to change, leaving many of us no doubt hoping for glorious beer garden sunshine, spare a thought for Barnsley and their supporters- having had to sup many a pint of bitter at the second tier table. The Tykes have spent more seasons and thereby played more games at that level than any other club! The circumstances behind their various near misses couldn't be more different, either...
In this unusual season there's been a whole World Cup since my previous new football away day, last October. On that occasion I visited Rodney Parade to see Newport County, and long overdue for my next jaunt I was pleased to get my first trip in for 2023, with a visit to Hertfordshire to see Championship play-off contenders Watford take on Preston North End. This would also be a special away day, as it wouldn't involve any of my usual companions, instead this one was organised as a surprise for my uncle having turned 70.