As season’s kick-off approaches, all of the focus seems to be on the massive transfers and personalities that make up the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and the rest of Europe’s biggest competitions. It is easy to forget the magic of the Football League, where many of today’s international superstars got their start. 

Many know Theo Walcott as an Arsenal player, but he first tasted success in football with Swindon Town and later Southampton. Likewise, Joe Hart is widely tipped to be England’s first choice goalkeeper for years to come, and one of the Premier League’s best shot-stoppers, but he owes much of his success to Shrewsbury Town. This season will see some clubs, like Leeds, seeking to reach their former glory, while others look to emulate Blackpool and blaze a path into untracked territory. Here are some of the players, young and old, to watch out for this season.

JOE LEWIS – GK – PETERBOROUGH UNITED

Before Joe Hart was the hottest young commodity in English goalkeepers, it was the Norfolk native Lewis who looked most likely to be the next staple between the sticks. He came up in the Norwich City youth system, and despite never making a senior appearance, earned rave reviews, so much so that he earned a shock call-up to the England senior team in May of 2008, the same month he made his U21 debut. His impressive form on-loan at Morecambe was enough to make Peterborough break the bank to bring him to London Road, shelling out a record £400,000 to Norwich. However, with the Posh being relegated back down to League 1 after a lone season in the second tier, the 22 year old could face a cross-roads of his career. He impressed last season despite Peterborough’s poor form, and similar form could see a return to the Championship, and the chance for bigger things for Lewis.

BILLY SHARP – ST – DONCASTER ROVERS

Although Billy Sharp is just 24, the days when he was rated one of the top young strikers in England does seem to be a bit of a fading memory. Sharp began his career at hometown Sheffield United, but left for Scunthorpe United in 2005 after making just 2 senior appearances for the Blades. It was at Glanford Park where Sharp caught fire, striking up a wondrous partnership with fellow youngster Andy Keogh. Sharp scored a stunning 53 goals in just 82 appearances for the Iron, and it wasn’t long before Sheffield United came calling in hopes of getting Billy back. Sharp’s dream move never materialised into the stuff of story books, as he managed to find the net just 8 times in 51 appearances, and soon fell down the pecking order. Last season he went to Doncaster Rovers in search of first team football, and looked revitalized, scoring 15 goals as Rovers finished a surprising 12th. With Sean O’Driscoll singing his praises, Doncaster would not be denied, and eventually paid just more than £1 million for his services. He has been given the number 10 shirt, and the Keepmoat faithful will hope that his continued good form could see Rovers better their top half finish this term.

LUKE O’BRIEN – LB – BRADFORD CITY

Since their relegation to League 2 in 2007, Bradford City fans have had little to cheer about. A desired quick return to League 1 has failed to materialize, with mediocre mid-table finishes. They’ve failed to progress past the second round in any cup competition (FA Cup, League Cup, and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy) since the 2003/04 season. But if there has been one bright spot, it is undoubtedly Luke O’Brien. The 21 year old is Bradford through and through – he has spent his entire career with City, and his brother is a hooker with rugby league outfit Bradford Bulls. O’Brien is just 21, but he has already made 80 appearances and picked up various player of the year awards from his club. Bradford have been terribly average, but O’Brien’s shining performances could well attract performances from other clubs. A solid defensive player with a knack for a good cross, greener pastures may well beckon for the youngster, as well as an Under 21 cap for England.

AIDAN WHITE – LB/LM – LEEDS

Despite frequent injury problems in the past two years, Aidan White has Leeds United supporters excited about the future, and some think he may be a key figure as Leeds seek to re-enter the Premier League. Although just 18, he is firmly in the first team side, and his ability to play either left back or on the left wing gives manager Simon Grayson a bit of flexibility. White has impressed so much that he was awared Young Player of the Year at Leeds after an impressive campaign where he helped Leeds gain promotion to the Championship. The teenager will be tested by the higher level of play in the Championship, but it will certainly aid in his development, and he could build in the one England U19 cap he has.

KEVIN KILBANE – LB/LM/CM – HULL CITY

Killer joined Hull City from Wigan in January 2009, when Hull were on cloud nine, sitting eighth in the table with a win over Arsenal already under their belts. Reality eventually set in, and Kilbane was an integral part of the side that survived to maintain top flight status. The Irish international has been at Preston, West Brom, Sunderland, Everton, and Wigan, and is renowned for his effort and determination. Although not the most technically gifted player, Kilbane is extremely reliable, and has appeared a stunning 103 times for Ireland, joint-top with Shay Given, which included a run of more than 50 appearances in a row. “Zinedine Kilbane” may be nearing the end of the road in football, but helping the Tigers back to the Premier League could be a great final memory. Although it may sound nostalgic, the Irishman can still play. Despite being criticized as too old or limited by some, his performance against France in Paris reeled back the years, but it seems his days as a staple in the Irish XI may be under threat. Giovanni Trapattoni is a firm backer, but 19 year old Greg Cunningham and the ability of John O’Shea to play on the left side of defence may see Kilbane forced out. If he wants to keep his place, and help Hull to success, Kilbane will have to show that he can still do a job this year.

By Andrew McCarten

Having missed out on promotion to the Football League fourteen years previously because of ground grading rules, Stevenage Borough will be heading for League Two having clinched the Blue Square Premier title last weekend. Their 2-0 victory at Aggborough, the home of Kidderminster Harriers, means that the Hertfordshire club can look forward to their first ever taste of Football League action next season.

Borough have had a fantastic season and fully deserve promotion to the upper echelons and the honour of being crowned Blue Square Premier champions. Fighting from the front, they boast the firepower of non-league scoring sensations Charlie Griffin and Tim Sills.

Both of these men have had previous Football League experience. In Griffin’s case, he’ll be anxious to replicate his scoring feats further down the pyramid on the bigger stage, having had previous moves to Swindon and Wycombe that didn’t quite work out.

With inspirational captain and 2008-2009 ‘Supporters Player of the Year’ Mark Roberts keeping attackers at bay alongside fellow lynchpin Jon Ashton, Borough fans will be looking to consolidate next season.

Indeed, the omens look good. Teams promoted from the Blue Square Premier tend to fare well or at least cement their League status. In recent years, Aldershot and Dagenham and Redbridge have both found their feet in League Two and are now challenging for play-off positions. Burton Albion were promoted last season and have enjoyed a period of consolidation in what has been their first ever experience of life in the Football League too.

Perhaps Stevenage should aspire to follow the examples set by Yeovil Town and Carlisle United, two sides with differing histories who managed to achieve great successes after promotion to the League. Yeovil had long had a reputation as a fantastic giant-killing side in the Cup however they had never gained promotion to the Football League.

That was until 2003 when the Glovers became Conference champions. Under the stewardship of Gary Johnson, their success wasn’t to end there. In their first League season they finished eighth and won through to the third round of the FA Cup where they were beaten 2-0 at home by Liverpool. In the 2004-2005 season though, they were promoted again, this time to League One as they finished champions of the fourth tier.

Carlisle United achieved similar success. Having flirted with relegation to the officially titled Conference National for years, the Cumbrians finally succumbed in the 2003-2004 season where they lost eighteen of their twenty-one opening games of the season. Despite a spirited second-half to the campaign, manager Paul Simpson couldn’t stop the inevitable drop.

The team did not dwell on their misfortune for too long, winning the Conference at the first attempt. Similar to Yeovil, they built quickly upon their success and in only their first season back in the League, they earned promotion to League One, cinching another title in the process.

Arguably, promotion to the Football League perhaps does not hold the lustre of yesteryear. Once the professional Holy Grail for all non-league footballers to strive for, many clubs in the Blue Square Premier now operate under the paid ranks of professionalism. There are also now two promotion spots, not just the one and many non-league sides have grounds up to League standards, once a huge stumbling block to promotion.

For the fans though, being in the League does matter. Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace told BBC Three Counties Radio that he was “Really proud and so pleased for all the fans. You have to be here to see what it means to all the fans. That is what you go into football for in the first place.”

The fans echoed his sentiments. The Stevenage fan site fcboro.co.uk beamed,” It will be great to be one of the 92. It will be great to be playing in the Carling Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy as well as entering the FA Cup at the 1st round stage.”

Stevenage’s trips to Morecambe, Stockport and Macclesfield aren’t just the reward of one season of successful toil. They’re symbolic of years of attempting to enter the elite. In essence, as Borough fans sample the delights of Burton’s Pirelli Stadium next season, they can look across at the opposition fans and say “we’re here too now. We’ve arrived.”

By William Geldart

Manchester United were good value for their Carling Cup success yesterday, without the obvious assistance of the inept referee Phil Dowd. The fourth minute penalty that handed Aston Villa an early lead came about when Nemanja Vidic upended the impressive Gabby Agbonlahor. It was a definite penalty and Vidic, as the last defender, denied Agbonlahor a clear goal scoring opportunity. The penalty was awarded; the red card didn’t follow it.

Vidic wasn’t even shown a yellow card. Minutes later a flurry of fouls brought about the brandishing of yellow cards to two Villa players. Michael Carrick, who had a good game for United, slid through the back of Villa’s Emile Heskey – no card.

The point is that there was no consistency in Dowd’s decisions. He bottled the Vidic red card call. It would have changed the game and we may now be saluting Villa as the current League Cup holders.

I am loath to criticise referees as they only ever get one view of the action when making a decision. I am willing to criticise Dowd here, however, as he clearly acknowledged the foul committed by Vidic with the awarding of the penalty to Villa. Dowd is an experienced official and should be expected to follow the rules. He clearly should have dismissed Vidic. It would have been better had he not awarded the penalty at all. Instead he only made half a decision.

From that moment on United deserved their victory. The inspirational Wayne Rooney replaced the injured scorer of United’s first – Michael Owen – and took United to a level of football that was simply beyond Villa. Rooney, in tandem with the hugely impressive Antonio Valencia, controlled the game. It could all have been so different. United, with the decisions made by Dowd, appeared to have completed the game with 12 men.

Miles Reucroft

So Manchester City head to Old Trafford for the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final derby with a slender 2-1 advantage courtesy of a brace from Manchester United old boy Carlos Tevez. Can they hold on to their lead to progress to Wembley?

As expected, tonight’s game proved that their is no love lost between these bitter rivals, perhaps aggrevated further by the controversial fashion in which City were awarded the penalty which which brought about the equaliser. Tevez hauled his side level from the spot and then sent the blue half of the city into raptures with the winner.

Securing a passage to Wembley still looks like a daunting task for Roberto Mancini’s side though. Much was made before the game of how close City are to dethroning United as the super power in English game. However, in recent times United have become well versed on how to navigate their way to cup finals, something City have not achieved for appreciably longer.

Which Manchester City will turn up in the second leg? The side that has had Mancini offering Sir Alex Ferguson a pizza dinner should United lose? Or the one that failed to perform against Everton?

The Eastlands faithful have the bragging rights for now, but United fans may well be the ones having to make travel plans to London on 28th February if things go accordingly to plan in the second leg. Watch this space, the Carling Cup doesn’t get better than this.

As ever, let us know your thoughts. Will City maintain their advantage and book a date at Wembley? Or will United’s superior record in recent times see them prevail?

Love them or loathe them, Leeds United are on their way back. In Simon Grayson they have the right man at the helm, in Jermaine Beckford they have the country’s most prolific striker and in Elland Road they have 20,000 plus loyal supporters. The halcyon days of Champions League semi-finals are a distant memory and the club is rebuilding from the depths of League One. False dawns have occurred since relegation from the Premiership but there is a solid look and feel about the team this term.

The play-offs have been unkind to Leeds in recent seasons. Watford thrashed them 3-0 in Cardiff in the 2005/2006 Championship final, Doncaster took the spoils at Wembley two years later in the League One edition and Milwall won through the semi-final last season. 2008/2009 was perhaps the bitterest disappointment since Grayson had come in and undone much of the poor work done by former midfield maestro Gary McAllister, overseeing an overhaul in the team’s performance following his controversial switch from Blackpool. Dennis Wise put together a strong outfit following relegation from the Championship but his promotion attempts were thwarted by a 15 point deduction and Doncaster Rovers.

In Grayson, however, they have a local lad turned pro who has a proven record following his successes with Blackpool. He has tempered Beckford, the prolific striker who also posses a penchant for the mindless and added Luchiano Becchio as the target man alongside him. Welsh international Sam Vokes is there at the moment too, on loan from Wolves. It is certainly the attacking strength that is driving Leeds forward.

With a seven point lead at the top of the table, the best goal difference in the country and the meanest defence in the league, surely Leeds can progress to better things in 2010. Once the pride of Yorkshire they are rebuilding slowly but surely. The foundations have been laid by chairman Ken Bates and the finances are in order. The crippling debt left by Peter Ridsdale has largely gone and the club can now look forward, not back. No longer will Leeds have to lose such key figures as Beckford to the transfer window.

A change of attitude has had an impact on where the side is going. Testament to this approach is the side’s performance against Liverpool in the League Cup second round. Rather than being frightened by their superior opposition Leeds attacked, having a goal wrongly disallowed and creating a host of opportunities. It took a decent strike from David Ngog to settle matters for Liverpool. No damage done, Leeds have continued to dominate League One. The club is finally realising its potential.

Bigger things are surely waiting for Leeds United.

Miles Reucroft

The big teams enter the League Cup for the first time this evening, although those expecting to see some big name players are likely to be disappointed. For a number of seasons now, the cup has become synonymous with second-string line ups and half empty stadia. If nobody is taking the competition seriously anymore, is it worth continuing with it?

Estbalished in 1960, the League Cup has always played second fiddle to the FA Cup as a domestic cup competition. Its standing in the eyes of fans and players alike has hardly been helped by a constantly changing name according to it’s most current sponsor, starting as the Milk Cup with four other sponsors before current incumbents Carling.

More importantly however, the simple fact is that the league remains the priority for the majority of clubs. The common conception is that this is just true for Premier League clubs, with those in the top half focusing on a place in Europe, and those nearer the bottom concentrating on maintaining their Premiership status and lucrative income stream.

However, the cup is increasingly a distraction for those in the lower leagues as well. They too see fit to use the competition as an occasion to give a run out to those players not making the first team, as well as those coming through the youth ranks. The league remains the priority, with a cup run considered a small bonus.

The victors of this season’s Carling Cup will get a spot in Europe, something that should be deemed a considerable incentive. However, as Harry Redknapp intimated last season, a place in the Europa League is now more of a burden than a reward for most clubs. The financial benefits are simply outweighed by the fixture congestion the tournament creates.

Of course, the Carling Cup does have some merits. Arsene Wenger’s policy of blooding youth players in the competition has become feted, whilst for some clubs it is an opportunity to renew old rivalries (although hopefully not in a way demonstrated by West Ham and Millwall in the previous round). Ultimately though, it is a chance of silverware that would otherwise be out of reach for most teams.

So whilst Gerrard, Torres, Fabregas et al. will have a chance for a rest this evening, the opportunity is there for some less well known players to make a name for themselves. Whether anybody will be paying any attention is a different matter entirely.

Are you bothered by the Carling Cup? Will you be watching the matches this evening? As ever, let us know your thoughts.

The Championship

Whilst Wolves have been confirmed as champions, the final automatic promotion spot is still up for grabs with Birmingham, Sheffield United and Reading all still able to make it to the big time. In what proves to be a tense encounter, Birmingham will claim the second Premier League spot if they beat Reading.

However, with Reading finally finding form, they will go up if they beat the Blues and Sheffield United fail to secure a result against Crystal Palace. Palace have nothing to play for though, and I’m going for wins for Reading and United to send the Blades up.

Who will join the other two teams in the play-off mix is still undecided, although I’m backing Cardiff City and Burnley to get the results they need to confine Preston North End to another season of Championship football.

At the other end of the table, it could be three ex-Premiership clubs making their way down to League One if Norwich fail to beat Charlton and Barnsley pick up a point at Plymouth. I would be surprised if the East Anglia club did not join the Addicks and Southampton in making the drop.

League One

With Leicester City and Peterborough United already promoted automatically, the only question remains who will fight it out in the play-offs for the third spot in the second tier. With three of the places going to MK Dons, Millwall and Leeds, it comes down to the match between Scunthorpe United and Tranmere Rovers for the final place. Scunthorpe need only a point, and with home support and I am backing them to give themselves a chance of an immediate return to the Championship.

Hoping to avoid relegation along with Hereford and Cheltenham, are Brighton, Carlisle, Crewe and Northampton, although Hartlepool also have a mathematical chance of going down. The two teams currently occupying the remaining two relegation spots, Carlisle and Crewe, are my tips to make an exit out of League One.

League Two

Brentford will be playing in League One next season, with automatic promotion already confirmed as champions. Two from Wycombe, Exeter and Bury will join them. I’m predicting that early pace setters Wycombe will get the point they need against Notts County. The other place is too close to call, with both Exeter and Bury playing teams with nothing left to play for (Rotherham and Accrington Stanley respectively). However, I think the Grecians will grind out the win they need to be celebrating on Saturday evening.

Dagenham & Redbridge have won their last three games, scoring nine goals in the process, and they should get the draw they require against remaining play-off hopefuls Shrewsbury to get the final spot in the top six.

Barring a 19 goal miracle, Chester City will join Luton Town in dropping out of the football league come 5 o’clock on Saturday.

Do you see the weekend’s ties going any differently? And of those teams heading to the play-offs, who appears to be hitting form at the right time? Let us know what you think.