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On Saturday, I spent the first part of the morning paying more attention to the lower leagues than the Premier League. Sure, I had on Arsenal v Blackpool, and then switched to Everton v Wolves, but I had one eye on the BBC score updater, one eye on our game thread, and one eye on twitter. With glasses, this is possible. My twitter-mates kept me informed on the two most important matches: Exeter v Bristol Rovers, and Tooting and Mitcham United v Hendon.
More on league football in a moment, but first a note about Tooting. Robert, our Vernal Villan, asked me via Twitter what the story is with TMUFC. After all, most Americans don't end up with a non-league team to follow. Then again, most Americans don't go on an adventure to Horsham, in which one has to leave the comfort of a train to get on a rattly old bus and pass through a place called Three Bridges, even though there are patently not three bridges. And most Americans don't go hang out on Horsham's field, which is not really their field, and see the sloping pitch and watch a bumblebee dance in the middle of the field and see players check their phones to find out football scores and hear a player ask the away supporters which foot he should use to take a corner kick and fall forever in love with a team called the Terrors. Luckily for me the wonderful Chris Nee (owner of twofootedtackle, whose revamped site will be up and running by the end of the week) gives twitter updates and so I could know that Tooting won 4-3!
More after the jump.
In other important news, Exeter City started off the day with a lead in the match, but of course just a few minutes into halftime had managed to fall behind 2-1. By the end, though, the Grecians managed to pull off a draw. What mattered in that match, though, was not so much the action on the field but the meaning behind the play. The match was dedicated to Adam Stansfield, the Exeter striker who died just two weeks ago from colon cancer. Being a new fan, I don't consider myself suited to paying tribute to Adam, but my friend Gary writes eloquently on the subject on Happy as Larry.
As for the rest of the Football League, results were not particularly pleasing to 7500 readers.
In the Championship, Leicester fell 3-0 to Burnley, who appear to already be chasing promotion. The Foxes came close a few times, but Burnley took all three points at home, with Chris Iwelumo scoring the 100th goal of his career.
QPR beat Scunthorpe United to keep their perfect streak going--they sit alone at the top of the Championship table, with nine points. Rangers are focused on making their way into the Premier League and scored both of their goals in the first half. Adel Taarabt, formerly on loan from Spurs but signed to a permanent deal this summer, had a great game, slicing in a corner that lead to the first goal. The Irons managed to keep the scoreline down through a series of good saves by keeper Joe Murphy.
In League One, Peterborough had quite a day. The Posh were down 0-2 to Huddersfield before George Boyd sent one into the net just before the half. The second half was all Peterborough, with Aaron Mclean bagging a brace, which was complemented by a goal by Craig Mackail-Smith, or possibly an own goal by Huddersfield's Jamie McCombe.
As for League Two, well, it seemed as though the only team that couldn't manage to score was Oxford--the team that gave us six goals against Bristol Rovers in the League Cup, but still can't find their first win in league play. The Yellows ended up drawing nil-nil with Wycombe.
The most exciting game in the fourth division was Rotherham v Cheltenham. The Robins, who finished 22nd last season, were leading 3-1, but Rotherham managed to get the score back to 2-3 before the half. After the half, Adam LeFondre bagged two goals within three minutes, paused to allow Ryan Cresswell to score, and then grabbed his fourth in the 66th minute. The Millers gave up a penalty, which Wesley Thomas failed to convert, but Cheltenham did manage to pull back one more goal at the 90th minute. Final score: 9-4.
How did your lower-league team do this weekend? Your Bundesliga? Ligue 1? MLS? Did any football this weekend make you happy to be a fan, or did you just spend Sunday under the covers, wishing you'd never donned the claret and blue?