Tranmere Rovers
League One 2008-09 Taking Shape
By Deadly Submarine
April 17 2008
We take a look at how the team list for League One is already taking shape for next season as relegations and promotions start to become reality in all three Divisions of the Football League. Three teams are already confirmed as new to League One next season and three have already discovered that they won't be in League One next season.
With three games of the season to go, the line-up for League One for next season is already taking shape as teams up and down the country begin to learn their fate in the leagues above and below League One as well as our League itself.
Depending on the outcome of Leeds' points deduction appeal, a decision on which is expected by the end of this week, it looks now as if Tranmere will spend next season in League One which will be their eighth in the third tier since relegation from what is now the Championship in 2001.
So assuming Tranmere are in League One next season, who will they be facing from the current Championship and League Two.
Already confirmed as dropping down from the Championship with three games still to go are Colchester United after two seasons of living the high life and Scunthorpe United who were only promoted out of League One last season.
A trip to Scunthorpe was always a pleasant affair and next season a trip to Colchester will be a lot different than the last time as Layer Road hosts its' final two United home matches ever over the next two Saturdays with Stoke their final opponents on April 26th.
Layer Road, Colchester - Two Games Remain
So one new Stadium for all Rovers fans to look forward too but who else might be coming down with Colchester and Scunthorpe?
Mathematically anyone from 14th placed QPR downwards can still take the last relegation place but at the moment the final relegation spot is occupied by Leicester City whose squad includes former Rovers favourite Iain Hume.
Also in more danger than most are Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday who are both just a point from safety and Southampton and Blackpool who are two points from safety with a further two point gap to Barnsley and Norwich who you would expect might be safe with so many other teams struggling below them.
In League Two, Milton Keynes are effectively promoted to League One already due to a far superior goal difference and a point for them at least at home to automatic promotion chasers Stockport County on Saturday will mathematically confirm their promotion to League One.
Set to be joining MK Dons in League One are Peterborough with the Posh also promoted this coming Saturday if MK Dons win and they beat fellow automatic promotion hopefuls Hereford United at Edgar Street.
For the final automatic promotion place from League Two it's down to any one of the four teams currently in the play-off places with Stockport, Rochdale, Darlington and Wycombe all in with a shout. All of those teams look set to secure a play-off spot anyway with only 8th placed Chesterfield able to pip any of them to a place in the final three games.
For me personally, MK Dons, Peterborough and all but Stockport from the play-off places will provide me with a new a Ground to visit next season and added to Colchester Stadium, should make a good season of firsts next season.
So we've looked at who's coming up into League One and who's going down into it but what about League One itself? Who are we losing next season?
Well much of those outcomes could still be up in the air with Leeds possibly set to get points back this week and even the sad possibility of Bournemouth folding before the end of the season arrives.
Assuming neither of those happen though, Swansea City are promoted to the Championship following their win over Gillingham last Saturday. Carlisle hold the second automatic promotion spot but still be mathematically overcome by Doncaster, Nottingham Forest and Southend United.
Those three plus Leeds United occupy the play-off spots and with a four point gap to Walsall and Brighton in seventh and eighth plus distant but rapidly fading chances for Tranmere, Oldham and Northampton it would seem that the play-off places as they stand now may well be the four that are there at the end of the season.
Finally at the bottom of the table, Port Vale and Luton are relegated to League Two with Gillingham and Bournemouth in the bottom four but still fighting all the way and putting pressure on Crewe, Cheltenham, Yeovil and Millwall who could all still slip down.
Swindon and Bristol Rovers could still slip down mathematically but that seems unlikely to be the case.
So it's Colchester, Scunthorpe and MK Dons for definite in League One next season in exchange for Swansea, Luton and Port Vale and will update the rest if the ups and downs into and out of League one as and when they happen with some likely to be confirmed this weekend but others set to go right down to the final day.
Stay tuned to Total Tranmere!
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Colchester is an absolute mission away so at least it's a new ground and I guess we'd quite happily exchange them for Swansea City (well most would!) but Port Vale going is a shame because that's a nice short journey.
As for who comes down with those two, I'm not that bothered, as long as it's not Blackpool. Leicester and Coventry are both reasonably short journeys whilst I've not done Sheffield Wednesday either - all three are good grounds.
I'm desperate for Dale to come up and I hope the make it to third, if not coming up by the play-offs, whilst it's a shame that Franchise FC are on the move. The cheats.
Despite it being a trek as Matt says, I'm also looking forward to Colchester and thier new Stadium.
One of Coventry or Leicester or Southampton will do me although I've been to Coventry before so the latter two would be better.
So far of those confirmed to be joining League One, they're are two new Grounds with MK Dons and Peterborough likely to be two more.
I've done Sheff Weds Ground so would rather they stayed up!
Should be good anyway!
GRAVY
