Bristolatic

Even with the seven that have gone, it's still a pretty big squad; 22 if the offers are all accepted. You've got to think that one or two more will leave, either through mutual termination of contract or (stop laughing) we get some offers coming in. Surely we need to shift another half a dozen to make way for new faces. I'd let Maouche and Gerrard go, plus (provided we get some half decent dosh for them, I told you to stop laughing) Kyeremeh and McLaughlin (fitness issues?) and probably Byrne as I can't see him wanting to pay in League 2. I wouldn't be surprised if Hunt went; other clubs were sniffing around him a while ago. As far as the keeper situation goes, we know sod all about De La Paz; he could be ok. And unless we've got a cast iron replacement lined up, I wouldn't let Placide go. Remember how everyone thought he was the dog's bollocks not that long ago? No reason why he can't find better than decent League 2 form. Then, of course, it all hinges on who we can bring in.

I make the first leg result between Oafc1895 and oafcmetty a boring 0-0 draw. I hope the second leg is more exciting.

It was a pretty uninspiring day all round with very little movement in either division. In the Premier League, no one moved apart from three players in mid table. GravityGrave forgot to post a half time score but, with his final score prediction, he couldn't have got it right anyway! Latics_Fanatic and NewBlue had certainly given up the ghost. And so to the Premier League awards ceremony. Champion - Hometownclub (brilliant achievement in his first season in the top flight) Relegated to Championship - Bristolatic, LaticsPete, BP1960 (straight back down again) Latics_Fanatic & NewBlue Awards in other categories. Most correct: Results (W,L,D) - Hometownclub (22) Half time scores - Stevie_J (16) Full time scores - Hometownclub & Ex_pat (6) Latics goals - DavidCollinge (20) Opposition goals - Hometownclub, DavidCollinge, rosa, GravityGrave & JoeP (15) First Latics scorer - jorvik_latic (11) Attendance - rosa (39pts) Not a great day attendance wise in the Championship as 15 players failed to predict. aidan_latics got it all wrong by predicting a 0-0 draw with Latics winning 1-0 at half time. Because there was no indication which of these he intended, he couldn't score any points except for Latics scorer and attendance. And he didn't get any there either! The promotion, relegation and play off places didn't change. Now for the Championship awards. Promoted - singe and milnrow latics Play offs - 10th May - Oafc1895 (Charlton) v oafcmetty (Shrewsbury) 12th May - Stainrod (Scunthorpe) v a259 (Rotherham) 13th May - oafcmetty (Shrewsbury) v Oafc1895 (Charlton) 16th May - a259 (Rotherham) v Stainrod (Scunthorpe) 27th May - Play-off Final Relegated to League 1 - Lawman, simplythemostimportantkick, Runningman, HarryBosch, Handsy, GlossopLatic, youngen, LightDN123, LaticsChris, MAC0AFC, Scapegoat, warwickshire latics, dave_ragg1984, RobOAFC, ajw65, LT_SMASH Awards in other categories. Most correct: Results (W,L,D) - Oafc1895 (20) Half time scores - oafcmetty & a259 (13) Full time scores - singe (8) Latics goals - aidan_latics (18) Opposition goals - milnrow latics (16) First Latics scorer - pjkent (9) Attendance - singe & milnrow latics (51pts) Premier League Championship

Unfortunately, yes, as there is no way to determine whether the half time or full time score is the intended prediction. Latics scorer and attendance predictions would still count if correct.

To get back on topic, namely "I'm done", I know without a shadow of doubt that I'm not done. Come August, I will have supported Latics for 68 years. It's a part of my growing up as a snotty nosed kid in Royton. It's all the games I went to with my Dad. It's the thrill of seeing us promoted, eventually into the top division. It's also the despair of relegations and having to apply for re-election to the football league. It's the memories of all the players that have passed through the club in those 68 years, from the brilliant such as Johnstone, Groves, Holden through the average (we've seen enough of those, no need to mention them here) to down right bloody awful (dare I say it? Kiegan Parker, Warren Feeney, Joe Colbeck). But what that tells you is that Latics is in my blood, whether the team at the time is good, bad or indifferent. Managers come and go and, like the teams, they fall into the same three categories. We've had some right planks (Dunn, Robinson) but we've had some gems as well (Frizzell, Royle, Dowie). Wellens falls somewhere in between and, although we had the new manager "bounce" in his first few games, it's certainly been a slide since then. The odd thing is, this relegation has hurt more than any other. I reckon this is down to the fact that we most definitely had the players to drag us out of this mess whereas, before, we usually knew we were absolute bobbins (just ask BP1960 and LaticsPete) and we expected failure. And we find ourselves in the fourth tier of English football for the first time in 47 years and it hurts, because we shouldn't be there. Next season is going be a bit strange, visiting grounds we've not been to for donkey's years, plus the delights of a trip down the road to Forest Green Rovers. You never know, Sutton United or Boreham Wood might be on the radar if one of them does Tranmere in the Conference play off final. So there are things I can look forward to next season; not quite what I expected at the start of this season but, like I said, Latics is in my blood and there is no way on God's green earth that I will desert them.

It was on the fishul last night almost immediately after the match report.

Now that is strange. It never dropped out once for me yesterday, although it has been total rubbish at times this season.

Correct as far as I know. We held on for far too long trying to get him. Shez then insisted on playing Wilson and Ruddy, both of them way off League 1 standard. Somewhat ironic that Ripley ended up in League 1 after all.

Bollocks to it. I'm going to have a beer.

And that's it. We're down.

All over at Dale. 1-0

Well, we're certainly not going to get any help from Charlton

Wide from Nazon

Gardner injured

Benyu coming on? What's he going to offer?

Davies heads over the bar

I think Dale have scored Shit, they have.

I don't think my heart can take much more of this.

They can spell it how they bloody like as long as it goes in.

Hamer

Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss. COYB

Off topic, Tom Eaves hat trick against Plymuff.

As have errors from Dummigan, Gerrard, Moimbe, Gardner and one or two others.

Many's the time he's saved us as well. If we go down, it's not all down to him, it's collective.

This is gut wrenching. According to John Helm, we're the better side and we were doing OK