Bank Holiday games to keep an eye on, plus Good Friday's top stories and stats
21 April 2025 | A special edition of Weekend Notes, previewing today's fixtures and looking back on Friday's big moments.
“Watch the football…”
Did you catch that video Prutts did for Sky Sports — the parody of a Mitchell & Webb parody? You know the shtick: football, overpackaged and undercooked, a cathedral built around some motor skills and a bit of leather. It was a risky ad in some ways. Inviting a critical eye towards football’s absurd artifice, before letting the football happen… When did you come up for air?
We can’t capture it all. The sheer overcrowding of instigators, outliers, heroes, villains and plot twists. Where would you start? Seriously, where? There’s a Shakespeare play in that one incident when 19-year-old goalkeeper Pierce Charles – already 1-0 down with a Sheffield Wednesday side who have the worst record in the Championship since their owner’s latest rant – claimed a header before smashing his kick against the backside of a barely-in-retreat Stoke player, pinballing the metaphor for Wednesday’s season into his own net.
That was one sentence. This is one paragraph that equally can’t do justice to the eight goals at Carrow Road, where the dramatic coincidence of Colby Bishop scoring a treble at Easter ain’t lost on this writer; the seven at Brisbane Road, where a new manager bounced right onto the lap of a hungry play-off contender; the six red cards in the Championship; the five goals at Brunton Park that kept promotion and survival ablaze; nor the four for Swindon, whose character arc is begging the producers for one more episode. Three leagues, two Bank Holidays and one glorious truth…
We love football because we lack the language to articulate the spontaneity of such moments. That’s why the Mitchell & Webb sketch works. That’s why the Prutton parody-of-a-parody lands. Because sometimes, there just aren’t words.
Today, we’re flagging the key Monday matches that have caught our eye – but don’t blame us when the EFL writes its own story.
🔎 Watch out for these games
Where will the tectonic plates shift on Bank Holiday Monday?
Championship
Huw Davies
Friday gave us some early Fun In The Sun, as Blackburn thumped Millwall, Rob Dickie scored a screamer and Portsmouth confirmed their beachiness with a 5-3 win away at an even sandier Norwich side. Monday brings us back to serious business. A Bank Holiday for us is another day at the office for these teams, including a big presentation or two…
Burnley (2nd) v Sheffield United (3rd) — Late kick-off, top billing: this clash has been circled on everyone’s calendar since the fixtures were released. Now (well, at 5.30pm) it’s finally here, yet it may not be the winner-takes-all scrap we expected. Although Sheffield United kept their top-two hopes alive by beating Cardiff on Friday, they’ll need to be the first visitors to win at Turf Moor this season and hope Burnley lose to either QPR or Millwall after that. Scott Parker can preach patience to his players: they’d be mathematically promoted by beating Blades but a draw here suits them fine – and Leeds, whose own promotion could be confirmed today if that happens.
Cardiff (23rd) v Oxford (19th) — The Bluebirds are drinking in the last-chance saloon, and walking through those double-swing doors is the new sheriff in town. Aaron Ramsey, currently injured, takes the reins from Omer Riza without having retired as a player – which possibly makes him the horse in this Sacchi-directed spaghetti western – and not only is Cardiff’s vice-captain now their interim manager but he’s being assisted by the club captain, Joe Ralls (as well as Chris Gunter among others). It brings an enjoyably Sunday League vibe to Easter Monday’s action. No mucking about, though: Cardiff absolutely must take three points from this game, while Oxford can rubber-stamp their own safety with a win.
Luton (22nd) v Bristol City (5th) — Luton are leaving it late, but having taken 3 points from Matt Bloomfield’s first 8 games, they’ve picked up 15 from 9 since the start of March and even learned to win away. Zeroes and ones are the key: each of their last half-dozen matches have featured a binary scoreline, and Bristol City are unlikely to buck that trend. Liam Manning’s men are in form and will keep things tight, but with only four away wins – the same number as Luton now, incredibly – the high-flying Robins are still a bit flat on the road, as robins tend to be. The result here will be hugely significant in the shake-up and make-up of the top six and the bottom three.
Derby (21st) v West Bromwich Albion (8th) — Another massive game at both not-quite-ends. Derby’s lacklustre loss to Luton at Pride Park meant they’ve taken two points from four matches, and some onlookers are wondering if the four consecutive victories that preceded this run were too good to be a true representation of the team’s ability. There’s doubt among Baggies, too, because Tony Mowbray’s return wasn’t supposed to bring bottom-half form. Losing 2-0 at Coventry on Friday was damaging psychologically as well as mathematically. Facing 21st, 23rd and then 22nd may seem a spongy gauntlet to run, but it’s a lot spikier against opponents who are fighting for their lives.
Plymouth (24th) v Coventry (6th) — Losing to Middlesbrough due to a stoppage-time penalty was a cruel and potentially critical blow to Argyle’s survival chances. If they can beat Coventry, however, there is still hope, because in Preston and Leeds their final two opponents will respectively be on the beach and (probably) on the piss. Unfortunately for them, that Preston team face relegation rivals Hull today. For Coventry, on the final straight, Argyle represent a banana skin in their running lane.
League One
Matt Watts
It was a good Friday (sorry not sorry) for Wycombe and Leyton Orient in the battles for 2nd and 6th respectively, but Easter Monday provides Wrexham and Reading with the opportunity to strike back. Their tasks won’t be straightforward…
Blackpool (10th) v Wrexham (3rd) — Phil Parkinson & Co. travel to a Blackpool side still just about in the play-off race following Rob Apter’s hat-trick against Stevenage on Friday. The Seasiders have won six of their last eight, whereas Wrexham – held to a 1-1 draw by struggling Bristol Rovers – have won only four.
Wycombe (2nd) v Charlton (4th) — If Wrexham can see off Blackpool, Wycombe will need to beat Charlton to keep hold of 2nd. The Chairboys put in a dogged display to beat Bolton 2-0 at the Toughsheet on Friday, but they’ll have to raise their game again to overcome a Charlton side who’ve picked up more points than anyone in League One since mid-January and still have designs on 2nd themselves. If the Addicks beat Wycombe on Monday and Wrexham next Saturday, the race for automatic promotion goes to the final day.
Mansfield (18th) v Reading (7th) — Reading will be looking to bounce back from a 1-0 home defeat to Lincoln as they head to Mansfield, who still need a few more points to secure survival. These young Royals are made of stern stuff, and they’ll need to show it again here.
Cambridge (22nd) v Leyton Orient (6th) — How about Leyton Orient? The O’s scored three goals in six second-half minutes to turn 1-3 into 4-3 against Barnsley on Friday. Three goals in six minutes? That’s insane! Richie Wellens’ side are back in the top six, but they’ll likely need to beat relegation-threatened Cambridge to stay there. Say it quietly, but Cambridge aren’t dead and buried yet: if they win this, they could potentially overtake Burton by beating them next Saturday.
Burton (21st) v Birmingham (1st) — If it looks like we simply assumed the Brewers will lose on Monday, then we apologise – it’s just that they host the mighty Birmingham at The Pirelli. That said… the previously all-conquering Blues followed up their Wembley defeat to Peterborough with a 0-0 draw at home to Crawley, while Burton have looked like a mid-table side since Gary Bowyer arrived. They could really do with nicking a point or three against the champions, too, because Bristol Rovers host a decidedly beachy Stevenage.
League Two
Sam Parry
How many points will Walsall drop in the early kick-off? Eek. The other team in the hunt for promotion will know the lay of the land come 15:00…
Port Vale (1st) v Grimsby (8th) – This is the ‘we-just-effed-it-up’ derby: Vale lost to second-bottom Carlisle, blowing the title race wide open, while Grimsby were battered by Swindon and dropped out of the top seven. The fixtures couldn’t have fallen more perfectly for one or t’other of them to get right back on track, because…
Doncaster (2nd) v Colchester (7th) – ...Donny jumped back into the automatics on Friday thanks to a Luke Molyneux hat-trick, while Colchester leapt above Grimsby without scoring a goal, following a 0-0 draw at Crewe. How do these sides match up? Doncaster haven’t exactly thrived against fellow top-seven teams (12 points from 30) and Col U are strong away, taking 11 points from their last six matches on the road. It feels like a low-margin-one-goal-might-decide-it affair, tight and tense.
Chesterfield (9th) v Bradford (3rd) – Chesterfield are finishing strong: unbeaten in four, just three points off the play-offs, and boasting a better goal difference than any of their rivals. They edged a point at Wimbledon last time out and now have a genuine shot at sneaking into the top seven. Bradford, though, still have eyes on top spot. They were held by a David McGoldrick wondergoal last time out, and the big concern for them is their contrasting home/away form: 2.36ppg at home versus just 1.05ppg away. The Spireites will fancy it.
Accrington (21st) v Carlisle (23rd) – Can Carlisle secure a fourth straight victory and close the gap to safety, or did Friday’s heroics take too much out of them? Mark Hughes is suddenly looking every bit Sparky, and a fixture against Accrington is nothing like as daunting as what they faced last time out, against Vale. That isn’t to say Accy are a walkover by any stretch: their unlikely win against Salford put them above Tranmere and out of the immediate firing line. A draw will probably be enough to (unofficially) secure safety, but the stakes, the momentum, and the moment feel like they’re with Carlisle. And what’s that? Georgie Kelly peaking at the right time, and scoring four goals in three league games after scoring his last four in 57 games!?
📊 Monday Morning Cheat Sheet
Stats and stories from Good Friday’s games to keep you in the loop
🔻 Tamed Shrews face the drop — Shrewsbury Town’s eighth Football League relegation arrived with Michael Appleton, their fifth manager in five years, overseeing their first return to League Two first since they finished 23rd in League One in 2013/14.
📖 Burn After Reading — Scott Parker’s Clarets have gone 30 league games unbeaten (W19 D11), only the second team in Championship history to do so. Steve Coppell’s 2005/06 Reading side still hold the record, of 33.
👑 Ariza Aaron of Ramsey — Omer Riza got the boot after an interim-cum-permanent spell in charge of Cardiff returned 41 points from 39 games. It was an improvement on their opening 6 games under Erol Bulut, which brought one point, but not enough to keep the P45 at bay. Will Aaron Ramsey, taking charge of the final three games, get a new manager current player bounce?
🧼 Clean Freak — Crawley’s 9th clean sheet came via their 9th goalkeeper of the season: Toby Steward, on loan from Portsmouth. The 19-year-old EFL debutant’s path? Wealdstone, Gosport, Havant & Waterlooville... and now a shutout against title-winning Birmingham. Take a bow.
🫳 Drop It Like It’s Hot — On January 19, Walsall were 12 points clear at the top of League Two. Since then: 2 wins in 18 games (D9 L7). Only free-falling MK Dons (13) have picked up fewer than the Saddlers’ 15 points in that time.
🎼 Swan Song — Swansea have won four on the bounce without conceding – their best such run since Roberto Martinez was leading them in March 2008.
🫡 Changing of the Guard — Josh Sargent is now Norwich’s top Championship scorer at home (31 in 47), overtaking Champ legend Teemu Pukki (30 in 61). There’s a new king of Carrow.
🚦 Early Bath Club — Sunderland’s Trai Hume saw red after just six minutes; it was the fastest sending-off in the Championship this season, and only the second of his EFL career (121 appearances).
🎩 2-4-1 hat-trick — Rob Apter’s treble was Blackpool’s first hat-trick away from home since 2012. All three goals were assisted by Ashley Fletcher, making it the first full hat-trick assist set anywhere since Aiden McGeady for Charlie Wyke in 2021, with Sunderland.
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Ali took the reins for the crucial double-header. But his Salford stance didn’t quite work to plan, with Messrs Garbutt and N’Mai (<0.1%) failing to to pick up serious points in a shock defeat to Accrington.
All the Bs on Good Friday, with Barney's Ballers taking the most points at the halfway stage (118), and of course, Mr Browne’s Boys, still leading the charge overall.