Side Splitting!

Yes the big day is almost upon us, one more game must be played by all clubs and then the big 'split' will take place. When matches resume after a two week lay-off (whose brilliant idea that was I wonder?), contrary to reports the world will not have altered it's course, there will be no fanfare of trumpets and we'll still be watching the same conclusion to our league as we have for the past decade or so. The Gibson cup which is the trophy presented to the Irish league winners is destined for either Windsor Park or the Oval. That is no different this year than it is any year, okay there have been the odd exceptional years, but they are unusual and are nothing to do with the league set-up. The 'big two' have a 12 point cushion over 3rd placed Crusaders and even though there are 18 points at stake over the next 6 games, I can't see the title going anywhere but to one of the big two. The bottom of the league isn't just as cut and dried as there are 'mathematically speaking' four teams involved in the battle to avoid a possible play-off game, but in reality it's probably only 3. Bangor and Institute are out of that equation, Bangor are already relegated and Institute can be caught, but only just. Ballymena, whose record against the bottom 3 is far from good, should also be able to claw themselves to safety in the next 6 games, so the battle is between, Dungannon, Newry and Glenavon and depending on what happens in the 1st division it may not matter anyway. The only battle still to be decided is for who's going to finish in the top six and that will take time to unfold, but at the end of the day it won't matter a jot. New league, new start, you're having a laugh!