So this is it.
After nearly 3,500 minutes of occasionally fantastic, often desperate football it all comes down to the last match of the season.
Sheffield United have 90 minutes tomorrow afternoon to save their Premiership status and condemn either West Ham or Wigan to the drop. Alternatively, if they lose and results go against them it could very easily be the Blades facing life back down in the Championship.
Earlier this week, Charlton boss Alan Pardew said he believes too much fuss is made about relegation – that it shouldn’t be treated as the be all and end all of a football club’s existence.
But, while once upon a time that may have been true – when a club’s revenue came mostly from gate receipts and match advertising – today relegation could actually spell the end for some clubs.
Even with the parachute payments that the Premier League pay to newly relegated teams, the financial difference between the first and second tier of English football is huge.
And, as far as the fans are concerned, while dropping down a division might not spell outright disaster, it means they will be travelling to Colchester United instead of Manchester United. That’s Layer Road instead of Old Trafford. And that hurts.
There is, of course, one other factor that doesn’t affect Mr Pardew but which will effect Maltese fans of whichever team joins Charlton and Watford on the relegation bus – television.
If the Blades bite the bullet it means that instead of watching them 37 times next season, as I did this time, I will only be able to watch them three or four times if I’m lucky.
On that basis, if no other, the importance of avoiding relegation simply cannot be over-emphasised.
So come on boys – just another 5,400 seconds to go. You can do it.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Just a week or so after I was slagging him off for being one of the most irritating people on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo goes and does something to warm the heart.
This week the Manchester United player joined forces with a number of other stars like John Terry to appeal for anyone with information about missing toddler Maddy McCann to come forward to the police.
The Portuguese star made the appeal on television and showed genuine emotion as he pleaded for whoever abducted the three-year-old back in his homeland to let her go unharmed.
It was something he didn’t need to do but that he did anyway. So credit where it is most certainly due.
Today’s rugby match
You busy this afternoon?
If not then get yourself down to the Hibs ground in Corradino and throw your weight behind our rugby boys as they take on Andorra.
Regular readers will know that I am no rugby fan. Ordinary football is my game and always will be.
However, that didn’t stop me going to watch Malta’s home game against Croatia late last year and totally enjoying myself, even though we lost.
If you don’t understand the game – which I don’t – the atmosphere, environment and overall spectacle is well, well worth the entrance fee.
And who knows? You might just develop a real love for the sport.
Kick off is at 3pm. No excuses. Get yourselves down there. You will probably be very pleasantly surprised.
Charlton fans
Top marks to Charlton fans who showed they haven’t lost their sense of humour. During the recent match against Blackburn, with their team already 4-1 down, the singing started and didn’t let up.
“Scunthorpe, Scunthorpe, hear we come!”
And, bless ‘em, if they play like that next season in the Championship, newly promoted Scunthorpe will probably give them a good hiding as well…
Sir Bobby Robson
Spare a thought for Sir Bobby Robson who has just announced that he is fighting cancer again for the fourth time.
The 75-year-old former England boss seems unable to shake off the disease despite having made three recoveries before. And, at his age, it’s fair to assume it is getting harder to get better every time.
So fingers crossed for the grandfather of English football. Somehow it just feels important to have him around.
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