Tumbran Football League Roundup
Premier League Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Chalk Wharf 38 23 6 9 47 21 +26 75 CC; CEdC
2 Thrumond City FC 38 21 8 9 86 54 +32 71 GC; CEdC
3 Goldlion Arsenal 38 20 7 11 84 59 +25 67 GC
4 Randia Stars 38 20 6 12 67 54 +13 66 GC
5 Connaught FC 38 19 9 10 47 35 +12 66
6 Merton FC 38 16 12 10 42 31 +11 60
7 Thrumond United FC 38 17 6 15 71 54 +17 57
8 Sondon AFC 38 15 9 14 52 50 +2 54
9 Hoxford United 38 14 12 12 53 53 0 54
10 Waterford City 38 16 5 17 57 51 +6 53
11 Fayborough United 38 14 10 14 55 50 +5 52
12 West Langham 38 12 12 14 32 42 −10 48
13 Mosjoen XI 38 12 7 19 26 38 −12 43
14 Humoor Eagles 38 12 7 19 49 62 −13 43
15 Humboldt Albion 38 10 13 15 40 60 −20 43
16 Milograd Heath 38 11 10 17 31 54 −23 43
17 Montego Bay Rangers 38 11 10 17 40 66 −26 43
18 Metz FC 38 9 14 15 43 59 −16 41 R
19 Rothes Rovers 38 9 9 20 39 54 −15 36 R
20 Wildrspring Wanderers 38 8 10 20 31 45 −14 34 R
This season of the Tumbran Premier League saw the return to form of Chalk Wharf and Thurmond City FC. Having settled their financial and transfer disputes, this season saw the two sides' true powers. With Chalk Wharf's John Grayson and Thurmond City's Henry Pandon going up against each other, this season was truly a clash of titans.
The previous season's champions, Goldlion Arsenal, fell to third, while a surprise push by the Randia Stars led them to rise thirteen places - going from a team on the brink of relegation to challenging for a Globe Cup spot. Even though this could be attributed in part to a run of good luck and prudent transfers, fans will point to the team's manager, Douglas Hoford, as the main factor of their success.
Even then, he is keen to deflect attention away from himself and onto his players.
There's no substitute for my players' hard work and dedication to the game. They love the game, they love the club, they love their team - and all those are the magical ingredients to their success. What I've done is but bring them together.
Connaught barely missed out on a UICA spot - by one goal, to boot. Their fans will be licking their wounds for the season to come.
The season's best team, however, was Mosjoen XI again. Having brought in Tristan Hale on loan from Thurmond United the previous season, the whiz-kid managed to keep Mosjoen in the Premiership for a second season. He scored twelve of the team's twenty-six goals - the lowest all season.
Last season's third-placed team, the Rothes Rovers, somehow managed to get relegated. Most sources put it down to a lack of manager continuity, selling their best players and playing poorly in general.
Second Division Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Embleton Rovers 42 20 12 10 44 28 +16 72 C;P;SBCC
2 Beachlyn and Iris Albion 42 18 16 8 65 41 +24 70 P;SBCC
3 Newport United 42 18 14 10 71 40 +31 68 SBCC;Playoff
4 Red Bull Blanchester 42 19 9 14 78 66 +12 66 Playoff
5 Embleton United 42 17 14 11 47 38 +9 65 Playoff
6 Wintchester United 42 17 12 13 38 33 +5 63 Playoff
7 Silveford United 42 16 14 12 47 36 +11 62
8 Claystead Blues 42 16 12 14 44 37 +7 60
9 Castleford Athletic 42 15 15 12 38 33 +5 60
10 Maheya Hawks 42 17 9 16 52 52 0 60
11 Trackfallerton Humbers 42 15 15 12 25 34 −9 60
12 Saffron Forest 42 15 14 13 59 53 +6 59
13 Dyce United 42 16 11 15 39 42 −3 59
14 Portlethen United 42 14 14 14 43 43 0 56
15 Aurian Red 42 13 14 15 51 61 −10 53
16 Lexington AFC 42 13 13 16 37 43 −6 52
17 Bymoor United 42 10 17 15 55 70 −15 47
18 Joensuu United 42 12 10 20 26 38 −12 46
19 Pickford United 42 9 17 16 23 38 −15 44 R
20 Caron United 42 9 15 18 27 39 −12 42 R
21 Dyce Tuesday 42 8 16 18 37 56 −19 40 R
22 Kings Park Rovers 42 6 15 21 35 60 −25 33 R
Playoff Results
First Round
Newport United 1–1 Wintchester United (2–2 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Embleton United 0–1 Red Bull Blanchester
Playoff Final
Red Bull Blanchester 4–1 Wintchester United
The football traditionalists groaned, for the end of the season saw Red Bull Blanchester be promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their twelve-year history. Embleton Rovers and Beachlyn and Iris Albion will also be promoted to the Premiership, while Pickford United, Caron United, Dyce Tuesday and Kings Park Rovers are relegated to the Third Division.
Red Bull Blanchester are a sporting enigma. Until 2004 Red Bull Blanchester were known simply as Blanchester FC, a team in the north-east city of Blanchester. A fourth division side with relatively little to be proud of, they were bought by Red Bull in time for the 2004/05 season, after their failed takeover of Ilcaster Town. They have been rising the football ladder, but never made it into the top division.
Football traditionalists have always hated Red Bull Blanchester and similar clubs - they feel that the club are destroying the true spirit of football, and seek a return to the traditional ideals of football.
Third Division Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Verthollow Rangers 46 23 15 8 73 46 +27 84 P;C
2 Arlington United 46 20 11 15 46 33 +13 71 P
3 Greenville Thunder 46 20 10 16 49 41 +8 70 P
4 Pinebrook Green United 46 19 12 15 75 63 +12 69 Playoffs
5 Traunshede Giants 46 18 14 14 80 72 +8 68 Playoffs
6 Karanooga Forres FC 46 19 11 16 54 47 +7 68 Playoffs
7 Bronford United 46 19 11 16 56 52 +4 68 Playoffs
8 Eggerton United 46 19 10 17 65 67 −2 67
9 Pointbrough Town 46 18 11 17 32 31 +1 65
10 Strettenberg Town 46 19 8 19 76 77 −1 65
11 Breaton City 46 18 11 17 55 57 −2 65
12 Fontwell United 46 18 10 18 59 46 +13 64
13 Pickford North End 46 16 16 14 63 59 +4 64
14 Bryankeld Hotspurs 46 16 14 16 66 69 −3 62
15 Thomasburg United FC 46 17 11 18 63 72 −9 62
16 Creetown and Aldbridge 46 16 13 17 41 44 −3 61
17 Empire Bay Armada 46 15 15 16 72 59 +13 60
18 Springdale Town 46 16 11 19 78 72 +6 59
19 Bronford City 46 16 10 20 81 92 −11 58
20 Rigoria FC 46 14 14 18 49 59 −10 56
21 Aintree FC 46 11 20 15 39 43 −4 53 R
22 Marbridge United 46 14 11 21 47 63 −16 53 R
23 Angelsea and Glenton 46 13 13 20 47 70 −23 52 R
24 Oviken Park 46 9 16 21 55 87 −32 43 R
Playoff Results
Bronford United 1–1 Pinebrook Green United (2–1 AET)
Traunshede Giants 0–1 Karanooga Forres
Bronford United 1–0 Karanooga Forres FC
Bronford United are promoted to the Second Division, along with the Verthollow Rangers, Arlington United and Greenville Thunder.
Fourth Division Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Crawfordleigh City 46 22 12 12 77 57 +20 78 C;P
2 Compton United 46 21 13 12 60 50 +10 76 P
3 Eggerton United 46 22 9 15 42 33 +9 75 P
4 Bratfort Steelers 46 20 14 12 44 31 +13 74 Playoffs
5 Janholt Union 46 21 10 15 45 36 +9 73 Playoffs
6 Piile Aalt Union 46 19 14 13 49 46 +3 71 Playoffs
7 Snoreham Ruskay 46 19 13 14 79 63 +16 70 Playoffs
8 Cumberland United 46 17 16 13 44 33 +11 67
9 Devlin United 46 18 13 15 50 49 +1 67
10 AFC Colditz 46 18 12 16 68 61 +7 66
11 Marquette City 46 18 11 17 70 58 +12 65
12 Wingrove Town 46 19 8 19 62 70 −8 65
13 Quentola City 46 17 13 16 68 66 +2 64
14 FC United of Humoor 46 16 15 15 63 57 +6 63
15 Blanchester Town 46 15 13 18 40 45 −5 58
16 AFC Ruysdael and Stirling 46 15 13 18 43 53 −10 58
17 Belkron Tornados 46 14 14 18 39 42 −3 56
18 Glathsby FC 46 14 14 18 47 51 −4 56
19 Clifton United 46 15 11 20 33 40 −7 56
20 Ilcaster Town 46 14 12 20 56 66 −10 54
21 Lorham United 46 13 14 19 56 79 −23 53
22 Salabrica Rovers 46 12 14 20 49 55 −6 50
23 Ridgewich Falcons 46 12 13 21 38 48 −10 49
24 Axvall United 46 9 13 24 48 81 −33 40 Wooden Spoon
Playoff Results
Bratfort Steelers 1–0 Snoreham Ruskay
Janholt Union 0–2 Pilie Aalt Union
Pille Aalt Union 1–0 Bratfort Steelers
Pille Aalt Union are promoted to the Third Division, along with Crawfordleigh City, Compton United and Eggerton United. Axvall United receives the Wooden Spoon for finishing last of the 90 league clubs in Tumbra.
Tumbra (TMB) Qualifiers
Champions' Cup: Chalk Wharf
Globe Cup: Thurmond City, Goldlion Arsenal, Randia Stars
SBCC: Embleton Rovers, Beachlyn and Iris Albion, Newport United
CEdC: Chalk Wharf, Thurmond City