League 2

Yes, Bishop's finger and Spitfire, both great beers.
I hardly drink these days but those are my favourites.

Another 5 draws from 12 week 19 games (I chose the wrong one tonight).
Walsall consolidated their position at the top with a hard fought win at Oldham and Notts won a 6 pointer against MK Dons to go second on goal difference over Swindon. Bromley are hard on their heels one point behind in 4th. Bottom club Newport, down to 10 men snatched a 93rd minute equaliser at a sparsely populated Mornflake stadium against all expectations. Bristol Rovers long losing run continues and they are just one point above the relegation zone level with Crawley and a point behind Shrewsbury. All three were relegated from league 1 last season indicating the relative strength of the League 2 clubs.

home wins for walsall 7/10 and cheltenham evens.

away wins notts co 13/5 and swindon 11/8 my picks in this league this weekend

My thoughts for tomorrow.
Gillingham and Walsall home wins
Chesterfield, MK Dons and Tranmere Draws.
Only Micky Mouse bets on this league for me at this juncture

The Shouting Men of Gillingham take on the Bluebirds of Barrow tomorrow at Priestfield.
Given the form the away team are in it really should be a home win but the Gills have found it hard to win lately, drawing their last 4 games.
Just 4 points between 6th place and 15th shows what a difficult division this is and it's impossible to be dogmatic about the outcome of any game.
Bradley Dack has been in good form for Gills lately and could be worth a small wager to score the first goal @ 7s.

U “s  got Salford in early kick off today
Around 2s where my money at
Beaten top two in league in last six games
Away from home
Played very very good under 21 Westham team that
Give first team run for there money
Hopefully that won’t dent the run there on
For promotion

Five draws again and I only managed to pick one. Once again they include some you wouldn't expect, a blind squirrel would have done better. Good results for Notts, Swindon and Bromley, Chesterfield and Salford also stay in the hunt. Bad news for Bristol Rovers as yet another defeat, ten in a row I think, finds them occupying a relegation spot.

Gills drop points again with yet another draw. Coasting at half time at 2 nil up but somehow allowed  Barrow back in , the away side scoring with their first two shots on target (they only had three and the third was in the 97th minute). That's five draws in a row now and is  proving very costly to promotion hopes.

Colchester throw away a 3-1 lead… very frustrating to say the least… had a tough run to be fair, home to Newport next Saturday so surely a home banked, followed by a trip to Crawly on Boxing Day, then the Gills away…

Echo what you said there
3-1 up get beat
And almost 20 extra min at end

Twice now they’ve let me down punting wise
Leave them alone
Hope get in top 6 from now on

Jack Payne back on the bench today after injury, arguably their most influential player… keeper went off injured, that’s a bit of a worry… six points next two games and right back in the mix…

Steve Evans has been appointed as manager of Bristol Rovers. I notice that Crewe's odds for their match tomorrow is 2.06 which would be a fabulous price if it wasn't anticipating the new manager bounce.

colchester 11/20 and bromley 11/8 -great price are my main bets in this league for the weekend

I agree with those, the Dragon and have also backed Crewe with a saver on the draw just in case the carrot and stick applied to the opposition has an effect.

hey foin,

yes i normally dont back against any team who has a new manager -been stung on many occassions in the poast by it.


i have had an interest bet on crewe though and have doubled them with rochdale who must have a strong chance at Alty tonight

That early red card must have messed up a lot of bets. It was a forward sent off so Crewe's solid defence was able to save a point. Covering the draw served me well. I suspect there will be a few more draws in this league tomorrow and I will try and pick some. In the meantime I've backed Fleetwood BTTS and a small bet on the draw.

I went a week too early with my Dack first goal scorer bet, he obliged today without my dosh on him

Gills 1 up at HT.

colu and bromley oblige ,,,,nice

I was at the Bromley game Dragon....the 11/8 you got was value....good call as I think they went off shorter.

thanks HN.. they are in very good form atm

away to bristol rovers next

Looking at today's fixtures I'm expecting a slew of draws. Might just have fun-size bets on them all to see how it works out.

Added time winners from Accrington and Bromley spoiled it somewhat but 4 draws today for over 2 points profit.

WD Foin.  Unfortunately the Gills draw cost me a 40/1 5 timer as i had them to win - and they missed a pen , my faith in my local team is running out !
I really fancied them today as well and they had plenty of chances to get the winner late on, such is life.

Thanks,DD. I noticed the missed pen and was silently cursing but then they equalised a few minutes later.
Gills are replicating last season's form and are unfortunately looking like they will end mid-table again.
There's still time for a recovery though, we are only one game short of half-way.

Yes its all so tight that a good run can put them back in contention, fingers crossed.  I will steer clear of backing them for a while though !

Todays near miss on my acca followed another "hit the crossbar" yesterday as i got a bit bored and did small stakes accas on draws in Africa and Saudi - first 4 came in then the last one bit the dust courtesy of a 90th minute goal

It's not been a good festive period for my betting funds - just had a 20/1 shot beaten by a nose in the 5.05 at Wolvs , only did it to win . Roll on the New Year

Yes, it can be frustrating when they lose by a narrow margin. I was just thinking if the 6 draws at 90 minutes had held then the profit would have been around 6x2.5 -6 = 9 points. Not much point in wishful thinking though.

I have backed BROMLEY to win at Crawley today- my only bet in the division but no doubt Gills will draw again

Gills draw looks nailed on, unders too.

I think Bristol Rovers might win today. If it wasn't for the sending off they would have beaten Bromley last time out. I have a saver on the draw.

gl foin - cant back a team thats lost 11/12 and 6/6 at home albeit you cd be right and 11/4 is a decent price for a home win. barnet won 1 in 10 with 6 matche being draws.

they did beat bristol 4-0 at barnet on 9 dec

Steve Evans was appointed on 16th December, we had seen a bit of improvement since.

Evans a great appointment at this level imo

I have backed the gills tonight, hopefully Dack starts as he changed the game when he came on against Cambridge.
He was only on the bench as they were "managing his minutes" , it's not the EPL ffs !

You were right about Bristol, the Dragon, they couldn't find the net. I backed Gills for the draw but forgot about unders Bromley still flying.

Anybody who has just backed blind the Gills to draw 1-1 since Gareth Ainsworth took over earlier this year will be in clover.
Thats the 12th such score line in 32 games since he took over.

Tonight was again frustrating, conceding a poor penalty in the 87th minute

Not sure why Crawley 2.64 are favs away at Cheltenham 2.8 they have the worst away record in the league with 9 defeats 2 draws and 1 win so far. They have not won i 6 games and Cheltenham only lost 3 in 8 with 1 draw.

very strange?

I guess Stadium MK has under soil heating, can't be sure if any other league 2 fixture will take place today.

Two more gone.

only 3 left in the div

other two at chelters and cambridge

easy win for cheltenham 3-0

Only bet is BROMLEY at 11/10 - Im sticking with them as long as this good run continues . Tranmere away maybe a bit challenging and i was hoping for a better price but it is what it is

Be wary of backing the Gills at odds on tomorrow at home to basement dwellers Newport.
The home side have only one win in fifteen games (away at Bristol Rovers) and incredibly haven't won at Priestfield for FOUR months .
Plenty of draws in that period of course.  They have had two weeks since their last game to get their heads together and for Gareth Ainsworth to hopefully sort things out, but there will certainly be better short priced favourites on the coupon this weekend.

I think the draw for Gills v Newport is overpriced and I've backed it.

I went to Bromley v Crewe tonight -

Bromley are a very ordinary team IMO on the basis of tonight and the last few games and it wouldn't shock me if the lad that they have just sold to Lincoln wasn't the piece that was holding it all together. Crewe gifted them the two goals with some poor defending and without those Bromley lacked any sort of invention or nous to fashion chances of their own. Cheek was pocketed quite easily by the Crewe defence.

It is a slight on the league that they happen to be 6 points clear

that being said, I would be shocked if there isn't 2 if not more good bets against them in the Outright, especially whilst there is still a handful of firms 3 places each way.

Cambridge and Notts County certainly two I have an eye on

Grimsby 66 and Chesterfield 150 but ew is now 1 and 2 only.

This race is still wide open and finding the strong "finisher" will be the bet.

barnet and salford my two away bets in this league tomorrow

mkd look short enough away at inform grimsby

You have to be brave to bet on this league and I won't be doing so this weekend.
From what I've seen on TV I think Notts have enough firepower to see off Fleetwood but I do worry about some of their inconsistent results. Swindon should also win at home to Barrow.

got my lay ok mkd and away win with salford. barnet let me down for all three

Gills had 11 shots on target today compared to Bromley's 6, had 67% possession and somehow got stuffed 4-1
Over 8,000 there too.

4 of the top 5 won on Saturday and are at last showing some consistency. Swindon leapfrogged flagging Walsall who could only draw.
Swindon and Notts Co play tonight and both should win again. Gillingham have been a bit of a bogey team for Notts in recent times but are so off colour that I don't see them as being much of a threat at the moment.

swindon and barnet to win tonight for me

Gillingham played well tonight, plenty of energy and never gave up. Notts have Goalkeeper Belshaw to thank for their win. Wins also for Swindon and Bristol Rovers who beat Walsall 2-0

Yes Foin, the Gills deserved something tonight.  They had plenty of chances against Bromley as well. Bit worrying that they keep getting off to great starts in August/September (top of the league 3 years running after the first month) but then completely lose their way. Little chance of going up this season now.

Bristol Rovers are now hard to beat, as one would expect under Mr Evans. A team to be on the right side of from now on.

thanks DD useful info that

on btts in tonights match accrington v salford at 1.84

Sounds reasonable, I've had a small bet on the draw.

1-0 after 4mins then 0-0 thereafter

We needed a goal from Salford and it wasn't for want of trying, they met their match in Stanley.

Struggling to see why Walsall are over 2/1 at home to Barnet. Granted they are not in brilliant form but Barnet have only drawn with Shrewsbury and Crewe over the past week and don't look value to me at about 5/4. Walsall were below par against a resurgent Bristol in the week but a Home win still looks the value.

Plenty of  other fixtures have short priced favs this week but as we know its hard to be confident of selections in this league so i'll stay clear of the rest of the games.

Dragon - have you had any T20 World Cup cricket bets yet ?  Starts tomorrow

Bristol play rugby Dixie.

morning DD not as yet m8 but will have a look this morning to see if there is any value knocking about. Home win looks the call though in the outrights

i fancy a few teams in this league today includung cambridge, grimsby and notts co

I think Bristol R could surprise Chesterfield today and 2.5 isn't stingy given recent form.
I'm still not prepared to allocate much to L2, only a minimal interest bet for me.

bristol county caravans07 Feb 26 08:05Joined: 11 Jun 04 | Topic/replies: 463 | Blogger: bristol county caravans's blog
Bristol play rugby Dixie.

AKA Bristol BEARS i believe BCC

India do look formidable for the T20 Dragon but the price is short enough to swerve at this stage. They are just about to bat v USA, could be fireworks !
Pakistan only just scraped a win against the Dutch, not very impressed with them but a wins a win.

Bristol R have got a bit of confidence back Foin with 2 consecutive wins but Chesterfield are hard to beat (only 6 defeats so far)  so yet another draw could be on the cards.

They are the bears indeed Dixie, great game yesterday in testing conditions and Chesterfield were well worth there win but as stated Rovers are a totally different side under Evans.
GL all.

I'm backing Shrewsbury to beat Barrow tonight, both teams desperate for points to stay out of the bottom 2 but the away side are in freefall, 5 defeats on the spin.

On the outright front,  Bromley show no signs of flagging although they have had their share of good fortune recently. They are now odds on to win the title having been a general 66/1 with the high street bookies ante post. Well done to anyone who had the foresight to back them then !

on mkd and cambridge this weekend with over 2.5 and btts in camb game

gl all

bromley v notts co is a fascinating game Foin with both teams in great form. bromley unbeaten in 6 and notts co won 6 on the bounce.

however notts co away form v the top 10 teams is not good with only 1 win in 5 games.bromley are unbeaten at home.

the teams drew 2-2 when they last met. its a no bet but i would not be surprised to see goals, btts and possibly a draw or home win.

I'll be going to the Bromley game The Dragon. I agree with you entirely. I think NC will be very difficult to beat. Should be a decent game and atmosphere hopefully.

3 draws for me this week - Barrow v Colchester, Cambridge v Bristol Rovers and Bromley v Notts County.

Then a home win for Tranmere against Crawley.  The hosts have lost their last six games but looked decent in patches against Gills last week and could have snatched a point. Crawley are hit and miss and looked poor in the week, losing at home to Cambridge.

I will also back my local team the Gills away at Crewe. Could be an entertaining game this one and now that Gills have signed a striker who looks like he actually knows where the goal is (Ronan Hale, scored both goals last week on full home debut) then they could still make a late bid for the play offs.

great stuff. Enjoy the game HN.

Im debating wether to nip down the road and watch Crewe v Gills.

ill let you know if i go

should be a decent game hopefully Dragon and weather set fair for once if you decide to go.

I haven't seen Crewe play since the mid 70s when on a very rainy day the Gills beat them 3-2 in a cracking game, but always remembered by me for a superb own goal by Joe Jacques who was a bit of a cult hero during his 3 year stay at Priestfield. He only scored one in the right end during his Gills career !  Unfortunately died at the very young age of 36 in 1981 from a heart attack having moved back to his native County Durham.

Pretty average game at Crewe by the sounds of it. home teams first shot on target in 64th minute goes in and decides the result.
Gills had more chances it seems but couldn't convert any - same old, same old Maybe Dragon can give us his report if he made the trip.


Top of the table clash was a draw as i predicted but my other draws crashed and burned although Barrow/Col was close with a late home winner.
Tranmere also beating Crawley as expected but the away team were a tad unfortunate, creating more chances than the hosts but like the Gills were not clinical enough.

i decided against it DD and watched the racing instead. looks like i didnt miss much. i had a bet on the draw

all my bets other than the above in this div so it was a good day for me

Well done on the bets Dragon and also avoiding the Crewe/Gills game . Full programme in midweek to bet on (weather permitting).

Did you go to see that Walter Tull musical ?  The reviews are pretty good.

you know what DD I completely forgot about it - if theres one still available by us i wd like to go.

My bets in this league this weekend are notts co 3/4, camdridge 13/20 and mkd 29/20

gl all

Regarding Notts Co, Jatta has been "inactive" for the past 4 games (W2 D1 L1), he scored in all the previous 4. The reason has not been published as far as I know. They will probably cash in before his contract expires in June.
I watched Notts v Shrews on TV and in my opinion, Shrews improved performance is not a flash in the pan. Also noted Newport's determined effort to climb out of the relegation zone.
Gills game looks like "unders" again 1-1 or 1-0 to be optimistic.
L2 is still a betting minefield.

I should have reminded you earlier Dragon, the play is called Our Little Hour and it was on in Salford last weekend.

However if you can attend this weekend it is actually playing tonight and tomorrow in Liverpool 's Hope Street theatre - tickets £17 incl booking fee.

hey dd  yes we are onto it there are tickets available tonight so Mrs D just booking them

Cheers m8

will let you know how it goes

Great stuff Dragon, hope you have a good night

Thanks DD Looking forward to it and thanks agian for drawing it to my attention

we are going Saturday i should have added

hey DD . We arrived at Hope St theatre last night only to be told the event had been cancelled due to technical issues . Gutted.

Liverpool city center on a Saturday evening is a wild place

Blimey Dragon thats a bit poor, could have let you know earlier . Maybe it will be rescheduled ?
Shame you couldn't have gone on Friday, Howard Gayle was doing a Q and A after the performance i believe.

I can well believe what the city is like on a weekend night, it's been about 30 years since i was last there but it was always buzzing of a night time.
Most of the nightspots i frequented have closed now, The Continental, Grafton, Fallows, Bunters and my fav The Cabin on Bold Street which was a great place, a real throwback.

Bromley was the only one of the leading group of 5 to win today. Those teams still have a cushion over 6th placed Crewe.
Shrewsbury's excellent run of results came to an end against Walsall who were themselves badly in need of a result to stay in contention for a playoff place.
At the other end of the table, Harrogate continue to pick up points and are now level pegging with Barrow who lost again today to Gillingham. Both are just one point behind Crawley who are also very much in the danger zone.

thought it might be worth keeping this thread going for the 2026/27 season.

In on Bristol Rovers as a starter for 10 (outright)

got rovers(the gas?)
n barnet..(11.5), n
the gas?(why they called that.?)
9.0

no idea jass -never heard of it b4- i had a m8 geoff twentyman who used to play for them back in the day

I'm on Barnet and Salford. The latter have acquired Macauley Langstaff from Millwall who used to be prolific at this level with Notts Co a couple of years ago. Perhaps he can find his old form in front of goal with his new club?

Jass and the dragon...
Bristol Rovers used to play in a stadium about 2 miles from where they are now, which is  the Memorial Ground, "The Mem".. used to be Bristol Rugby ground, the Rugby now play at Ashton Gate, City's ground...hope you're following so far?
Rovers old ground was right next to the M32 (with a dog track as well)...right next to it was a massive gasholder, similar to the one still at The Oval cricket ground ...hence they became known as The Gas
The whole football ground and dog track was sold off in the 90s, IKEA plus others there now, with Rovers supposedly building a new stadium...they played at Bath City for a good few years before moving into the Mem as tenants to Bristol Rugby
Within a couple of years, and some controversy,Rovers owned the Mem and the Rugby club were the tenants ie complete change around.. before the Rugby club moved to Ashton Gate as I said earlier

And, the Dragon, Geoff Twentyman did commentary on Rovers games for local radio for many years

thanks reg very informative. i went to school with Geoff Twentyman - same year- his dad was chief scout at Liverpool at the time.(early 70s)

To further add to Reg’s info regarding Eastville being right next to the M32- it wasn’t unheard of for cars to stop on the M32 to watch a bit of the match! (The M32 sat raised high above the stadium making it easy to view).

Gin, ironically, I've just poured a g and t before reading this, sitting outside in the sun...
Yes, Eastville was a great old fashioned ground, there was also another dog track in Bristol at Knowle, South Bristol, that also closed down, plus Glastonbury and others in Devon and Cornwall.... think the furthest West dog track now is Oxford,  since Swindon gone

Hope you enjoyed your evening in the sun! We also sat outside with a wine and watched the hot-air balloons from the fiesta going over – very pleasant!.

I didn’t know that there used to be a dog track in Knowle – how long ago did that close?

Gin, closed in the 60s, had speedway there as well
It was situated...if you go down the Wells Road and turn right where the Happy Landings pub was, just along there on the left...might be a college there now?
My stepdaughter was at the balloon fiesta Friday and Saturday...a friend got her and kids in the VIP bit for the morning glows...Kids loved it

League 2 looks a nightmare this year. Will just go Salford win. Keep thinking a rank outsider will be in the top 3.... however cannot unearth it.

That’s well before my time Reg! Cheers for the reply -I’ll leave it there so I don’t hijack this thread any further.

Good luck with your League 2 bets all.