Leicester City and Southampton have already gone. Ipswich are just above the Premier League trap-door, awaiting the hangman's noose (if, perhaps, only for a few more days). NINE sides are still in the relegation mix in The Championship, with nothing yet finalised. Shrewsbury have gone from League One, and any three from nine other sides will join them. As I type, any two from seven clubs face a desultory League exit, out of Division Two. Gillingham are safe. AFC Fylde and Ebbsfleet United have already dropped out of the Vanarama National League. Two other sides will join them, from a list of TWELVE suspects.
Meanwhile, in the league that everybody's talking about (yes, Tier 6 of The Pyramid, the Vanarama National League South) three sides have already had their relegations confirmed (Welling United, Weymouth and Aveley). Only one more club from three possibles will join them. But just who will it be? Enfield Town, Salisbury or St Albans City? Exciting, innit?! All three clubs are currently experiencing what Mary Shelley described, in her introduction to 'Frankenstein' (the 1831 edition),
a story... which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature, and
awaken thrilling horror; one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle
the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart.
If your blood isn't curdled yet, and you think I perhaps exaggerate, I provide evidence here of the existence of those primeval fears. If there's a silver-lining to said fears, at least for the nation's Maths teachers, it is that they've been known to mysteriously prompt a sudden and unlikely reignition of long-forgotten mathematical capabilities and latent interests, amongst the broader population. However short-lived that engagement might be.
And yet some (indeed, most) of the clubs threatened by the spectre of Relegation will survive the threat of the dreaded Drop. Below, I share an example of the hieroglyphs concocted by one avid Enfield Town fan, following the club's recent home tie against fellow relegation-threatened local rivals, St Albans. Similar detailed calculations of the odds, likelihoods, probabilities and potential scenarios in play are being concocted at breakfast tables, coffee shops, pubs, bars and clubs across the country, in myriad forms.
As trailered in my previous post (see below: Thursday, 17 April 2025) St Albans came a-calling to Enfield's Dave Bryant Stadium, on Friday afternoon, for an Easter weekend relegation local derby. The maths seemed fairly simple. To me, at least. A defeat for Enfield (unthinkable, surely) would keep them deep in the relegation dogfight doo-doo. A win would secure their league survival. A draw could eke out the fear and horror for a potential further two games, yet - AND maintain our fear of The Drop. It was a game I could hardly fail to prioritise and attend. It is claimed that a crowd of 2,498 others had made the same decision, but the official attendance figure remains unconfirmed.
Although Enfield Town's form was VERY good, going into this fixture (unbeaten in their last seven games, with four wins - including the convincing displayed covered in my previous post, below) they seemed nervy, at the start of this encounter. They were up against relegation-threatened local rivals sitting two places below them. And a lot was at stake, after all. A highlights video is available by clicking HERE. But I will summarise the action very briefly for you.
The visitors' big #9, Jeffers, missed a couple of very good early chances before City took the lead through Banton, after just 17 minutes. It was simple stuff: a long throw from Rasulo, flicked-on via a header by James to their unmarked team-mate.
Town had narrowly missed a well-worked early team effort of their own (Dillon finishing it off, with an effort just wide of the left-hand post). And they didn't waste much time going after the equaliser. It was secured within five minutes. Although Dillon was credited with getting the final touch, I wasn't convinced about that, after a goalmouth scramble in which it wasn't clear that any body had got anything on Billy Leonard's excellent, teasing cross from the right.
There was a lot of huff and puff for the remainder of the game, with some half-chances and "close things" for both sides. But neither team showed much finesse in front of goal. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in a nervy game where so much was at stake. It was not a classic for the purists to enjoy. So much so, that I spent the final c. 15 minutes walking the perimeter of the pitch, catching up with old friends and team mates. Whilst hoping the visitors wouldn't land a late winner.
Spot the Ball! Goalmouth action, as Town (in white) press for a go-ahead goal, c. 35 minutes through the first half, in front of the main stand and the home end crowd. A full-house ensured an atmosphere that was officially "tasty".
At the end, the Towners' official club website confirmed colloquially, “It’s squeaky-bum time; but St Albans have got to pick up maximum points and Salisbury have got to get at least three. So we're still in the driving seat.” Here's hoping we're not on The Road to Nowhere, or to Hell! The stats don't lie. And the overweight female has yet to start warming up her vocal chords. See league table and the day's fixtures below, prior to the majority of Monday's kick-offs.
As I type this short post, the score-lines in all three games involving the relegation-threatened clubs remain 0 - 0, just after half-time. I'm listening to the live Enfield commentary. Couldn't make it along to Boreham Wood to watch today, having hurt my foot doing some weekend gardening. Long story - and not for here!
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