Being a fan of a Premier League side does not mean you have to ignore the thrills and spills of the lower reaches of English football. Sometimes people only think about the top flight and forget completely about the other teams, but the football can still be entertaining and it certainly deserves more appreciation.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Having seen Blackpool light up the Premier League by showing no fear, and with a manager full of fantastic quips, it is always exciting to see who will win promotion to the top flight next. Adel Taarabt and QPR have stolen several of the headlines, but there have been so many more success stories in what is proving to be a very tight division. Scott Sinclair has been one of the signings of the season and showed his sheer ability with one of the goals of the year in the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Grant Holt continues to bang in the goals for Norwich, Leicester are shining under Sven Goran Eriksson and Leeds never cease to amaze me. The fall from grace since their relegation from the top flight cannot be ignored, but the volume of goals they score is proof that they are well and truly back on track. Few would bet against Leeds being back in the big time next season, but it is going to be a tough race.
While Preston, Scunthorpe and Sheffield United look doomed down at the bottom, the chances of any of them staying up cannot be ruled out. United are really struggling for goals, but everything could change if they have a good April as the excitement continues.
LEAGUE ONE
Brighton are running away with it and will certainly deserve their place in the Championship. Gus Poyet has done a fantastic job with the Seagulls, but the likes of Peterborough, Southampton, Huddersfield and Bournemouth have also caught the eye.
Bournemouth, in particular, are a team I have the utmost respect for and I really hope they can clinch promotion. With limited resources former manager Eddie Howe did a tremendous job to get the Cherries back into League One and close to a second successive promotion. I was surprised, at first, when he left for Burnley as I had thought it was disloyal. But as I considered it some more I decided I actually respected his decision. Sometimes managers moving on can bug people and often looks disloyal but on this one occasion I'd probably back him even if the timing was a bit unfair on the club. It could have cost them promotion but Lee Bradbury has come in and done well and their promotion hopes are still very much alive.
The sacking of Craig Short at Notts County irritated me as it was very harsh, while the departure of Paul Trollope at Bristol Rovers also seemed a bit premature. Trollope's replacement Dave Penney barely lasted any time and the club has really gone downhill in the space of 12 months (and I'm not just saying that because I favour City over Rovers!)
Finally, to all the Carlisle fans I know, I hope they beat Brentford to lift the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. At the start of the tournament I backed Carlisle to win it and hopefully, for once, I'll actually get a prediction right.
LEAGUE TWO
Where better to start then my current home town - Lincoln. The Imps have definitely shown big signs of improvement under Steve Tilson. But every time it looks as if they have turned a corner, City come crashing back down to earth with a defeat. When I saw Lincoln beat Southend in March there were various positives to come out of the game, but a few weeks later they were thumped 6-0 by Rotherham at Sincil Bank...what on earth is going on!? Lincoln do rely a bit too much on Ashley Grimes and Delroy Facey's injury hasn't helped, but they can't hide behind excuses. Lincoln just need to push on and believe they still have something to play for and then, more importantly, rebuild for next season.
Chesterfield fans were sceptical about leaving Saltergate but, with the title edging ever closer at the B2net stadium, they will not be complaining now. Stevenage and Oxford have proved once again that teams coming up from the Conference can more than hold their own in League Two, while this could finally be Bury and Shrewsbury's year for promotion. Vale also looked set for promotion until Micky Adams' departure for Sheffield United started their horrible decline.
Down at the bottom it is equally as interesting as teams continue to fight for their Football League status. Avoiding relegation is important for any side but staying in the Football League has a huge financial affect on the club and its players. For Stockport, Barnet and Burton these are very worrying times and other teams could easily be sucked into the relegation battle. Stockport and Barnet are firm favourites to go down but anything can happen in football. Personally I hope Martin Allen can keep Barnet up and that Hereford will go down with Stockport...but I don't get to choose.
PREMIER LEAGUE VS FOOTBALL LEAGUE
The Premier League is always full of excitement and my love of Arsenal will never die. The Gunners are in my blood and I get a huge buzz from every goal they score.
But I would urge all Premier League fans to not forget the lower leagues. A lot of great things happen in the second, third and fourth divisions of English football...just give it a chance.
