The race for the Championship title is getting more exciting by the day.
That’s because the teams we expected to go up automatically – Bournemouth and Norwich – have suddenly got the end-of-season wobbles with the finishing line in sight.
It’s quite incredible, when you think of how well Bournemouth have played all season, that they should find themselves drawing 2-2 at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
And Norwich have been outstanding all season, particularly at Carrow Road, and yet they simply didn’t turn up against a very competent Middlesbrough side and got beaten 1-0.
Then, as is often the case in these situations, Watford – who have been under the radar – have crept up and suddenly find themselves in pole position.
Meanwhile, likes of Derby and Ipswich (and maybe Brentford and Wolves) are getting prepared for the nightmare that is the play-offs.
Town fans know all about the post-season knockout – the euphoria and the heartbreak – and when you are so close to automatic promotion it can feel like your season has ended in a horrible way.
A team who is in the top two on final day can suddenly find themselves sliding into the play-offs, and that can be very hard to deal with.
Just ask Preston fans, who I believe have been in something like eight play-off campaigns and have never gone up through the system.
As sponsors of the Championship, it’s a fantastic time for us at Skybet because there is so much focus on the final few games of the season.
And we are already trying to work out, if it’s still up for grabs who will be champions on the final day, how we are going to get the trophy to the right stadium!
Leaders Watford, who are a point ahead of Bournemouth and Middlesbrough, go to Brighton on Saturday while Middlesbrough are at Fulham and Norwich at Rotherham.
Bournemouth don’t play until Monday night, when they entertain Bolton.
In the Champions League, it seems that once the English sides are out most people forget the competition is even taking place.
But, in fairness, no matter where your allegiances lie, you have to say the best four teams are left in.
Anyone who watched Bayern Munich destroy Porto the other night would be well advised, if they are going to have a bet, to stick with the Germans.
The relief in the stadium as they hammered Porto 6-1 for a 7-4 aggregate, particularly on the faces of Robben and Ribery who were unavailable, was amazing.
I get the feeling they have the edge over Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.
The snooker World Championship is up and running in Sheffield and I’m going to keep a closer eye on developments.
I have to admit that I haven’t really taken much interest in snooker over the last few years.
I remember as a kid watching Pot Black on TV, and then later sitting through every frame of the famous final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis in 1985.
My lack of recent interest probably illustrates how a sport, when they don’t get the oxygen of bid television exposure and promotion, can suddenly lose their way.
Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan is a short-priced favourite to win the title but, as we know with Ronnie, it depends which one of him turns up.
Will it be the absolute genius that he is, or will it be the guy who can’t be bothered and would rather go home?
