Easter Weekend preview

CSI Selby returned this week as the underwater police team resumed their search for clues as to who murdered the Oriental man in the "Body in the Canal" mystery or as it has become known locally the "Chink in the Sink"  It actually looks a bit surreal as fishermen sit alongside the canal whilst the search teams are grovelling about in the mud at the bottom of the canal.  They seem to be clutching at straws though a bit like Leeds hopes of automatic promotion after allowing 2 priceless points slip through our fingers, literally, at Orient on Tuesday night.

News this week that Leeds City Council have granted planning consent for the development of a hotel complex attached to the East Stand.  The idea is to generate more non football income through conferences and retail therapy which in theory should strengthen the club's financial position but with the complex web of ownership of the club time will tell whether any of the extra profits benefit the team on the field.  One easy decision will be the name of the new hotel..........it's got to be "Bates Motel" with a suitable Physco theme running throughout the development.  They'll save on shower gel if they do!

This weekend see's Stockport visiting the Theatre of Frustration before we journey to the Cheese & Onion Stadium to play the Foxes.  Stockport have slipped out of the play off picture of late.  When we visited Edgeley Park over Christmas they were sitting in a promising 7th place, 2 places higher than Leeds, but since then they have had financial problems that has necessitated the trimming of their playing staff to make ends meet and now lay in mid table anonymity.  Interestingly Stockport are actually owned by their own fans.....................so who do they have a go at when things are going badly?  Where other teams might sing "Sack the board" presumably they will sing "Sack the fans" ?

The mystery of the injury to Beckford that kept him out of the draw on Tuesday has not exactly been cleared up by the official announcements but Liam Dickinson indicated that Becks had picked up a strained quad during Saturdays win at Colchester.  I think he means his thigh as I don't see how a strained 4 wheeled motor cycle would stop him from playing?  With the noises coming out of ER it's possible that he won't return until Monday's visit to Leicester.  If that's the case miss him we will against the Hatters but not as much as Sammy.  He took a knock against Colchester but hopefully he will have recovered enough to play tomorrow and bring a bit more solidity to the defence that looked far too creaky for me at the O's.

So 6 points are available this weekend which would all but guarantee us a play off spot.Monday will be an unusual game as we take on the faltering Foxes in the televised midday kick off as Millwall and Peterboro fans will be cheering on Leeds United.  I just hope a certain Rod Liddle (celeb nobhead Wall fan) chokes on his lunch as he urges Leeds on!  At the risk of putting the curse on our chances I will predict a comfortable home victory against the Hatters and a tight game at the Cheese & Onion with Beckford scoring his 2nd goal of the game in added time to win it.  Well he always scores more than one when we're on the telly

 Automatic promotion is now a step too far unless Leicester, Peterboro or Millwall seriously implode over the remaining 5 matches so the priority is to keep the winning habit until the end of the season to give us the confidence to tackle the lottery of the play offs.  Football's a funny old game though and there will still be some twists and turns before the end.  Can't wait!

MOT