The great escape artists of English football, Carlisle United, finally surrendered their league status this month. Roger Lytollis reports on their relegation to the Conference

On December 20 last year Carlisle kicked off their home game against Torquay 16 points adrift of Third Division safety. Their first 21 matches had yielded a grand total of five points: one win, two draws, 18 defeats. The next 23 games produced 39 points. A team which had just set a club record of 12 consecutive League losses embarked on half a season of promotion form. And now it all counts for nothing. Carlisle United, football’s great escape artists, have finally been snagged on the barbed wire. 

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Tom Davies looks at a batch of clubs in crisis

The future of Telford United is in serious doubt following the collapse of chairman Andy Shaw’s business empire. The Conference club were forced into receivership in March along with Shaw’s other main companies, Miras Contracts and Whitehouse Hotels. A players’ wage deferral and some short-term funding from the remaining directors saw the club through to the end of the season but unless the future of their recently modernised Bucks Head stadium can be secured, neither can that of the club.

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Millwall's fight against the hooligans looks to have succeeded but, as Lance Bellers writes, the troublemakers won't be the only ones missing out on the FA Cup Final this month

Picture this: your team have just reached football’s most famous cup final for the first time. Imagine the scenes at the first home match after the semi-final: a sea of flag-waving happy faces, drunk on euphoria and the doors locked an hour before kick-off.

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Time to stop the wild demands for world superstars on silly contracts – be thankful that your club can restrain theirselves from overspending and heading for oblivion

Discuss the playing standard in the First Division with people who have followed it all season and there’s a chance that they’ll wince and shake their heads and point out that West Brom have been promoted. In fact Albion’s return to the Premiership, whatever one may think of their playing style, is one of the more heart­ening stories of the season: a team that struggled against relegation from the top level throughout 2002-03 have bounced straight back, rather than being preoccupied with escaping from the financial hole they dug for themselves through trying to stay up. 

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Saturday 3 Man Utd beat Arsenal 1-0 in their FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park, Paul Scholes scoring to deny the holders a fourth successive final. “We didn't deserve to lose,” says Arsène, graciously. “I wouldn't bet on them on Tuesday night,” says Sir Alex, employing spare mind games on behalf of Claudio Ranieri. In the league, Chelsea win 1-0 at Spurs to cut Arsenal’s lead to four points. In his first start for six months, Jamie Redknapp needs plastic surgery after being accidentally punched in the mouth by his cousin Frank Lampard. Newcastle take fourth off Liverpool with a 4-2 win over Everton. Wolves lose 4-1 at home to Southampton; Claus Lundekvam scores his first goal in 296 games for the Saints. At the bottom of the First, Derby lose 1-0 to a disputed penalty at home to Walsall. Wimbledon end a run of 11 straight defeats and stave off relegation for a few days by beating Wigan 1-0. In the game of the day in the Second Division, 19,041 see Bristol City beat QPR 1-0 to draw level on points in the automatic promotion race behind Plymouth, who stay seven points clear despite a 1-0 loss at Barnsley. At the bottom Brentford and Chesterfield draw 1-1, both goals in the final minute, but slip below Peterborough, Grimsby and Stockport, who all win. Wycombe stay alive with a 2-1 win at home to Port Vale. “The lads are going through brick walls,” explains Tony Adams. In the Third Doncaster extend their lead with a 3-1 defeat of Bury, while Carlisle narrow the gap at the bottom with a 2-1 win at Swansea. In Scotland Celtic open up a 20-point lead over Rangers, coming from two down to draw with Hearts.

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