NW Synod – end of season review 2021/22

Premier League

Manchester City – Champions.

An excellent manager in Pep Guardiola, combined with a tremendous squad assembled due to seemingly unlimited resources and a ‘creative’ interpretation of financial fair play rules, sees Manchester City win the Premier League for the 4th time in 5 seasons. Worthy winners (by a point) over the upstarts from Mersey Synod, fans won’t (and shouldn’t) care how the prize was landed – just that it was. And failure in every other competition can be ignored.

Manchester United – 6th

The worst points tally in their Premier League history was not enough to deny Manchester United the right to play on Thursday nights in Europe next season. The third highest paid squad in the Premier League consistently underperformed and they were, ultimately, grateful to their outstanding goalkeeper and a bionic geriatric for finishing in the european places. A season to forget – though I’ll do my best to not let them. A new manager next season means that, as with all football teams, hope will spring eternal.

Burnley – 18th – relegated

Burnley went into the final match day only needing to match the result of the Yorkshire Synod’s entry in the ‘teams we don’t really care about’ stakes and failed to do so – albeit losing at home to a club (Newcastle United) that is now owned by a nation state. Averaging less than a goal a game Burnley FC frankly did well to take it down to the wire. Hopes will be high that they can bounce straight back up next season. The ridiculous parachute payment they’ll receive for being rubbish will help.

The Championship

Blackburn Rovers – 8th

A season that promised much after a decent start fizzled out with an alarming slump post-Christmas. The local fans will, however, have taken a great deal of joy in the travails of their bitter rivals Burnley in the Premier League. At least they have a local derby to look forward to next season. So that’s something.

Preston North End – 13th

Comfortably mid-table for league founders Preston. They changed manager mid-season and, whilst it didn’t result in too much of a ‘new manager bounce’ it did reverse, or at least stall, a decline that risked them being pulled into the relegation battle. Fortunately, the bottom three teams were truly atrocious so they were never in any real danger. I suspect their fans are content, if not exactly happy.

Blackpool – 16th

The Tangerines were miles clear of the relegation zone and live to fight another season. Not much more to say about them, really. They’re glad to have fans back after their owners, the Oyston family, were kicked into touch. So good on ’em.

League One

Bolton Wanderers – 9th

Top half of the table, positive goal difference, and a nice stadium. They managed to put the previous season (and its calamitous fallout) behind them and consolidate their position in the third tier of English football. They’ll be hoping for better next season. But, then, aren’t we all?

Accrington Stanley – 12th

Accrington Stanley? Who are they? Exactly! I wish I could give an in-depth review of their season, but I forgot they actually existed. Comfortably mid-table with one or two notable scalps and some ignominious defeats. Ready to go again in August.

Morecambe – 19th

Cutting it dangerously close, Morecambe survived by a mere 2 points. Losing their final two games would not have helped the constitution of their long-suffering fans who, nonetheless, faired batter than their compatriots from Fleetwood.

Fleetwood Town – 20th

Avoiding relegation only on goal difference might seem like a great escape. And it was. The three teams immediately below them, who could have consigned them to relegation, also lost their final games meaning Fleetwood Town can have another 1st Division relegation battle next season. At least it’ll be exciting. Probably.

League Two

Salford City – 10th

A decent season for Salford – the Manchester City of Division two. 70 points from their 46 games left them only 14 points behind the eventual league winners. Encouraging signs.

Rochdale -18th

Nothing to see here. Move on. Although it should be noted that their chaplain is the local United Reformed Church minister (who’s actually a Blackburn Rovers fan). I don’t know why it should be noted. In fact, I’ve changed my mind, don’t note it at all. They’ve signed a new goalkeeper for next season so that’s a start.

Carlisle United – 20th

Finished on the same points as Rochdale but with a significantly inferior goal difference. Still, they did better than Barrow. They have released 8 players now that the season is over. They either have great faith in their academy graduates or are in for a rough ride next season. Possibly both.

Barrow – 22nd

It’s difficult to believe that there were two teams worse than Barrow in Division Two. Fortunately for Barrow, there were. They brought in Phil Brown as manager to steady the ship in March on a short-term deal to the end of the season. He took over with the club 21st and six points above the drop zone, which is exactly how they finished the season. Brown kept the club in League Two with two wins from his nine games in charge.

Oldham Athletic -23rd – relegated

Oh, dear. just 1 point from the last 15 available saw Oldham relegated to the ‘whatever is below League Two’ league. The final day draw saw a pitch invasion and a protest against the owners in what were described as ‘unsavoury scenes’ but were probably the only avenue left to the fans. The game concluded behind closed doors. relegation ended 116 years of league football for the Boundary Park club, and also saw them become the first former Premier League team to drop into non-league since its creation in 1992.