It became official on September 29, 2004 - Major League Baseball’s run in Montreal was coming to an end after 36 seasons. On that day, the announcement was made that the Montreal Expos were moving to Washington, D.C., beginning with the 2005 season. This came as no surprise to anyone who follows baseball, as this inevitable move had been in the making for at least 10 years.

Let’s take a look back at the history of baseball’s fall from grace in Montreal. The decline began after the 1994 season. That was the season in which Montreal had the best record in baseball and was headed for only their second postseason appearance in the club’s history. Then, in early August, disaster struck. It came in the form of a season-ending players’ strike. The hopes of fans in Montreal for the Expos’ first World Series title were dashed. The Expos deserved better. Their accomplishments during the 1994 season had gone for naught.

Following that 1994 debacle, The Expos’ ownership group began to trade away and sell off the franchise’s star players. As result, the Expos began to drop in the standings and never regained their 1994 level of glory. In response, disappointed fans in Montreal began to stay away from Olympic Stadium in droves. Attendance at Expos games dropped precipitously. By 1998, things had really started on go south (no pun intended). That season, the vultures had begun to circle the Expos. Correlating with the drop in attendance since the 1994 strike, the team was bleeding red ink, according to its owners.

Its ownership group, led by Canadian businessman Claude Brochu, wanted out of Olympic Stadium and had given Montreal and the province of Quebec one last chance to agree to build the Expos a new, publicly financed downtown stadium. Brochu said the team would have to be sold and possibly moved if he couldn’t get the new stadium. It was even rumored that that one of the potential owners from Washington, D.C. or Northern Virginia has entered into informal negotiations with Brochu. As the 1998 season was winding down, all of the Expos’ requests for stadium financing deals were rejected. It looked like the jig was up for the Expos in Montreal and that they would be leaving for either D.C. or Northern Virginia in time for 1999 season.

However, enter New York art dealer Jeffrey Loria to save the day in Montreal. Loria made an offer to become the majority owner of the Expos, keep them in Montreal, and be proactive in acquiring the necessary land, seeking sponsors, and getting a stadium deal done. MLB owners, eager to keep the team in Montreal, urged Brochu and company to sell the majority of their interest in the Expos to Loria, instead of selling out to interests in D.C. or Northern Virginia. Loria’s bid succeeded and he became the majority owner of the Expos, prior to the 1999 season.

For a couple of years, all seemed well in Montreal. Loria eventually bought out the interests of the other owners. However, once he did this, things quickly turned sour again. When he agreed to buy the team, he had taken out an option to buy some choice (and rare) unoccupied land in downtown Montreal for the site of the new stadium. In late 2000, however, that option expired without Loria ever having exercised it. By 2001, that land had been snatched up by someone else for some other type of development. The Expos were left with no place to build a stadium and soon it appeared that Loria never really intended to build one. The man who had been seen as the Expos’ savior just two years earlier had now become demonized in Montreal. The perception in Montreal was that Loria had just wanted to buy the team in order to eventually resell it at a hefty profit and that this art dealer with no connections to Montreal cared nothing about the city or the Expos’ fans.

During the 2001 season, MLB owners began to seriously discuss the idea of contracting, i.e., buying out and disbanding, two teams. Montreal and Minnesota, which had also failed to get public financing for a new stadium, were the obvious choices. When Commissioner Bud Selig and the owners attempted to contract these two teams at the end of 2001 season, the city of Minneapolis sued MLB to force them to honor the one remaining year on the Twins’ contract with the Metrodome. The suit eventually went to arbitration but could not be settled prior to the 2002 season, so the Twins had to stay around at least one more season.

Unable to contract just one team, MLB was forced to keep the Expos intact for another season as well. Before the 2002 season started, MLB played a little game of musical owners: Florida Marlins’ owner John Henry become the majority owner of the Boston Red Sox, which had been up for sale; Loria, who had been wanting out of Montreal (for obvious reasons), bought the Marlins; and the remaining 29 owners bought the Expos, thinking that they would only have to keep them for one season before contracting them.

During the 2002 labor negotiations late in that season, the owners negotiated away their rights to contract any team until the 2007 season. No longer having the power to contract them, MLB owners would certainly have to sell and relocate the Expos. At that time, D.C. and Northern Virginia were the only two serious contenders for the team. However, the Relocation Committee had just been formed and had gotten such a late start on this process in 2002 that MLB decided to retain ownership in the team for one more season and keep them in Montreal along with having them play part of their schedule in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Surely 2003 was going to be the Expos’ last year in Montreal, most baseball fans thought. By then, Portland, Oregon had entered the scene as another major contender for the Expos. During the 2003 season, the Relocation Committee met at various times with the three major contenders. They kept setting deadlines and kept missing them. They were supposedly going to decide on the Expos’ fate by the All-star game and then by the end of the regular season and then shortly after the World Series, but the clock ran out with no decision being made other than to keep the team in Montreal one more year along with having them play even more games in Puerto Rico.

2004 rolled around and several more possible suitors for the Expos had emerged, including Las Vegas; Monterrey, Mexico; Norfolk, Virginia; and even San Juan. The Relocation Committee was once again setting deadlines and missing them. Mercifully, the decision to relocate the team to D.C. finally came and the Montreal fans were put out of their misery. The long nightmare of a rollercoaster ride was finally over. No more fire sales. No more games in front of fans disguised as empty seats. No more “home” games in Puerto Rico. No more “final” years of baseball in Montreal.

However, the ending was obviously bittersweet. Montreal had welcomed Major League Baseball with open arms in 1969. From the friendly confines of Jarry Park to the spaciousness of Olympic Stadium, fans in Montreal had cheered on greats like Rusty Staub, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Andres Galarraga, Dennis Martinez, Pedro Martinez, Moises Alou, Larry Walker, and Vladimir Guerrero. Even before MLB came to town, the City of Saints had a rich history of baseball as minor league city. The great Jackie Robinson played his AAA ball in Montreal with the Royals.

Baseball’s departure from Montreal, in many ways, was like a nasty divorce. The bitterness on both sides will probably last for years. MLB is bitter at Montreal fans for not supporting the team. In addition, it is bitter at Montreal government officials for failing to finance a new stadium for the team. Montreal fans are bitter at MLB because of their perception that it undermined baseball in Montreal. Montreal government officials are bitter at MLB for being so greedy.

In light of all of this, it would seem impossible that baseball could possibly ever return to Montreal. However, I think it could happen, given the right set of circumstances. Before anything could happen toward that end, however, enough time must go by for the bitterness to subside. They say time heals all wounds. That includes the wound of bitterness as well if people will only let it.

Once the bitterness is gone (or greatly diminished), three things need to happen. First, a potential ownership group with ties to the Montreal area must come forward. They must also prove that they are committed to baseball in Montreal. Second, a new downtown stadium must be built (not just promised). It must be financed by private interests, the city of Montreal, the province of Quebec, or any combination of the three. Third, fans must commit themselves to a potential new franchise by purchasing an adequate number of season tickets for several years in advance. This advance purchase campaign could be modeled after what NBA fans in Charlotte, N.C. did in order to secure the expansion Bobcats franchise.

If and when all of these requirements have been met, the way would be cleared for baseball’s return to Montreal. As unlikely as it might seem now, the crack of the bat might once again be heard in Montreal and its love affair with baseball could be restored.

Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, and trivia buff from Hopewell, VA. He also serves as a political columnist for American Daily and operates his own website - http://www.commenterry.com - on which he posts commentaries on various subjects such as politics, technology, religion, health and well-being, personal finance, and sports. His commentaries offer a unique point of view that is not often found in mainstream media.

With spring in the air or possibly winter soon paling currently is the time to cram away the winter apparel & take out your flip flops! It is also the time to renovate or possibly recondition whether it be yourself or maybe some condominium. Smelling Scented Candles are a stunning practice to usher for revived season. It can be time to put away those nutty & pine Smelling candles & accept the new scents of its season. Flowery & fruity fragrance are what you yourself will probably smell at the moment. Since there’s a breeze coming through the windows the perfumed candle smell can afloat in the surrounding area of your condo. They are also really welcoming when partying when it’s the more pleasant months. When one’s bash starts to carries outdoor, putting floating candles to a decor is obvious fire tactic to tag additional feel. swimming Scented Candles come in so many forms or measurements however my most popular are also the new floral figured ones. Positioning a few bigger candles in a swimming pool & duck pond take back memories of cotillions or lovely affairs of days gone by. Votivo 1 will often periodically be tried out in the spot of Planting candles. Make sure to operate the votive candles out of its metal box so that it might hover correctly.

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Training diets come in dozens of shapes and sizes. It will just make you crazy! Trying to figure out what to eat and what not to eat. Especially when you start doing some serious training and you are HUNGRY when you get home. Well the good news is that I’ve tried pretty well all of the major diets over the years(and some not so major)and can cut out much of the guesswork for you. And no, I don’t have a degree in nutrition. I earned my credentials in the kitchen and at the dinner table. MMMMM–In the early years most of us Ironman beginners had no clue about diets. Most of us used the world famous, much loved seafood diet. You see food and you eat it.

Seriously though, after a few years it started to dawn on me how important diet was when training for an event as physically demanding as the Ironman. I think I can honestly say that I took something good out of every diet I ever tried. Well almost. There’s one certain diet that encourages you to eat about 4 eggs and half a pound of bacon for breakfast. Oh, and “would you like some lowfat milk in your coffee?” Not on this diet. PILE ON THE WHIPPING CREAM! I won’t be talking about anything on this website unless I’ve tried it. Well, I tried this diet for 4 months just to see……..After the 4 months I entered a 10km race and shortly after the gun went off(oh, about 5-6 seconds)I knew I was in trouble. I had zero energy and of the over 100– 10km races I have entered over the years this was my worst time(by far). Don’t whatever you do—NO, NO, NO…..Don’t go on a high protein, high fat, low carb diet! It may work for a segment of the population, but is certainly not meant for athletes.

From all the reading I’ve done, and all the diets I’ve tried I’m 100% certain that carbohydrates are the key to the ideal Ironman Triathlon diet. I’m not talking simple carbs here. Really try and avoid sugar…stay away from those cakes and cookies–that ice cream and chocolate. For the year or so you dedicate to accomplishing your Ironman dream, stay focused on your diet. Trust me, it will be all that much more fun to indulge when its all over.

If anything, I went overboard on the carbohydrate scale. It was a major part of my diet. It isn’t for everyone. Just make sure that on a percentage basis that your carbohydrates are always higher then your protein and fat intake. Try and keep your protein and fat at about the same percentages. Some of the best carbohydrate sources are pasta, brown rice, whole wheat bread, pretty well all vegetables and a controlled amount of fruit because they have lots of sugar. I found I was making one major mistake though. I always used white pasta and ate tons of potatoes because I knew they were one of the purest forms of carbohydrate. Much to my surprise a few years ago my doctor said my bad cholesterol was too high. After talking about my diet we narrowed it down to too much high-glycemic carbohydrates. The white pasta I ate every day and all the potatoes. So now I ALWAYS use whole wheat pasta and I cut out potatoes and substitute with sweet potatoes. Problem solved. At a later date I will try and find a complete diet for you that works wel

For protein you have several preferable choices. Egg whites are awesome. Give the yolks to your neighbor who is on that OTHER diet. Or have scambled eggs with 3 egg whites and one entire egg. Limit yourself to 3 0r 4 whole eggs per week. From the Dairy aisle your best bets are lowfat cottage cheese, plain yogurt(no, no, not those fruity ones)and skim milk. From the meat aisle(if you eat meat)chicken and turkey white meat(yes, and take that skin off-that’s where most of the fat is stored), and a small amount of lean beef maybe once, but not more than twice a week. Fish of course is just a great choice. There is nothing wrong with canned tuna or salmon. Don’t foget about legumes, and also soya products are a staple now of many Iroman Triathletes.

The fat part of your diet will often be found in the protein you eat. There will be fat in the cottage cheese and the chicken or turkey or beef you might eat. There will be fat in the 3 or 4 whole eggs you eat every week if you choose to. There will be a small amount of fat in the skim milk. Fish will also provide some fat, and I know its expensive, but salmon is awesome for protein and fat(Omega oil). The oil I prefer and have used for years is vigin olive oil. A second less expensive option is canola oil. Try having vinegar and olive oil tossed in your salad and top it with cottage cheese.

Some notes:condiments(ketchup, mustard, mayonaise, salad dressings etc)should be used sparingly. Cheddar cheese is fine, but try and stick to 6-8 ounces per week. Your best cheeses are hard cheeses. Number one choice is parmesean(grated)for your pasta. Don’t use jam..too much sugar..I just really, really like peanut butter and it is o.k. in controlled amounts if you buy the real thing that has a half inch of oil on the top and is a pain to mix(but hey! that means its the right one). DON’T use the peanut butter that has icing sugar mixed in it and no oil on the top. They add the icing sugar so they can make it smooth for you and you don’t have to mix it at home.

As far as your beverage choices, use skim milk as I mentioned above. Don’t be afraid of aspartame. It is a far better choice than sugar and allows you to use sweetners in your coffee etc. So that means you can drink diet pop on occasion(with aspartame)Another really good choice is crystal lite(they use aspartame) if you prefer a sweeter option to water(like I do). And whoever said drink 6 0r 8 glasses of water a day, has got to be kidding. I would have to GAG down that much water every day. I’ve discovered that what you eat really goes a long way to determining how thirsty you are and how much water you drink. I believe if you eat an extraordinary amount of carbohydrates like I do, you require less water. Don’t forget, fresh vegetables for instance are up around 75-80% water. And I have a huge salad every day. Beer or wine is o.k. in extreme moderation. Maybe three drinks a week and drink light beer. Getting drunk is not an option when you are on an Ironman Triathlon training Diet. It causes dehydration and will pretty well ruin your next few days training.

A FEW IMPORTANT NOTES: Don’t get me wrong. When you are out on long rides and runs 2 hours duration and more, be very sure you have lots of water or some type of fluid replacement. Don’t go nuts on drinking water while training however. More and more information is coming out about athletes taking too much water and flushing out too many nutrients and causing physical problems as a result.

Also: As far as the amount you eat. WELL!! You are training for an Ironman Triathlon here! When I mention diet, I’m not talking the amounts you eat. I’m talking about the food you choose to eat. Trust me. One day if you go for a training swim followed closely by a 50 or 60 mile bike ride, you are going to be hungry. Don’t worry yourself about HOW MUCH you eat. When you are really training, your body will tell you how much you need to eat. I like to call it my “appestat.”

I have “never” measured, or worried about the amount I eat when I’m in training. I am 145 pounds and eat tons!! I know everyone has a different metabolism, but just the same, you will know darn well when you have had a hard training day. Eat accordingly.

In many sports, not just triathlon, athletes will train religiously for months and not realize their full potential because of an improper diet.

Don’t let this happen to you.

My name is Ray and I’m a veteran of 14 Ironman triathlons who spent years learning how to diet properly for ironman training and racing. My goal is to improve your chances of a successful first ironman.

The name of my website is “Ironstruck”. My web address is……http://www.triathlon-ironman-myfirstironman-ironstruck.com

If you have any questions or comments, I’d like to hear from you and will respond to everyone as soon as posssible. My contact page can be found at http://www.triathlon-ironman-myfirstironman-ironstruck.com/contact-me.html

My acquaintance Jack contacts me on the phone to buzz me that he’s discovered some online gambling web sites that I just have to check up on. I’ve never really been serious into gambling, but I figured okey, I may give it a go. So I tested out some blackjack and poker, only honestly, they just aren’t my cup of tea. And Then I see these online elottery internet sites and I realize that over the internet I can play all other lotteries around the world. Right Away to me this looks a great deal more pleasure, and then I considered I would give it a go. Firstly I tried out my luck at euro lotto, you know a European lottery. I chose my e-lottery numbers and then waited and dreamt that I would win it big. I didn’t on that occasion only when the euro lottery numbers came in; I was extremely surprised to realize that I had really come really near to the winning numbers. I tried out a few other lotteries, but I found that I had come so near the first time on the euro lotto, that I just had to give it one more shot. So far, I haven’t scooped millions of dollars, but, I have won some money, and so I continue to play the euro lottery and picking lottery winning numbers, going for the big win. I am one of those souls who like to think in the likelihood of winning it big, because it is hard to think making that sort of money any other way.

As for my friend, he still carries on with his love of internet gambling and finds himself at the on-line casino for at least 60 minutes at a time. He likewise has won some money, but it has high’s and low’s and the difference is, when you lose at gambling you usually lose a good deal but when you lose at the lottery, it doesn’t cost you as near as much. I reckon that the lotto is the only way for me to go foreward and the notion of hitting the jackpot and on top of that, it is only costing me just a couple of pounds “makes it more appealing”.

As the British Masters is set to start on Thursday May 18th, it may not be known to many that the playing field has now shuffled. The Forest of Arden has lost its grip on the British Masters, and has now fallen into the capable hands of the Belfry.

The Belfry is not unfamiliar to the European tour, as it was the venue of the Ryder Cup from the year 1987-2002. Forest of Arden has been the home of the British Masters for a term of three years. Aside from the likes of Sergio Garcia, Thomas Levet, and Luke Donald the remaining 9 of twelve 2004 winners from Oakland Hills will be attending.

Bringing the tour back to the Belfry has evoked several wonderful memories for many players, although none more than the 2002 winner Paul McGinley. This strapping Irishman holed the final and winning putt in the 2002 event win. Many of the golfers that will be attending, this year’s event have had many stops in North America and are looking forward to the change of scenery.

Many golfers get chills just walking through the gates of this fabled course. It surely has a very prestigious history, and many golfers long to have the chance to play on this course. The defending champion of this event Thomas Bjorn feels that the competition for this year’s event will be strong, possibly even fierce.

Bjorn believes that there is an easy count of twenty golfers that could steal the show at the Belfry this year, and no one should expect that it would be a walk in the park. Whichever way the tournament is played out, it is sure to draw a major crowd, and will be a great event to follow.

Check out more great information now at Expert Commentary

There’s nothing like a little bit of trivia to test your knowledge of the sport of soccer. You may say that soccer is your favorite sport, but how much do you really know? Following are some facts and tidbits that you may or may not know about soccer.

Soccer originated generally in its present form in Britain.
The world’s oldest club formed in 1857 is Sheffield FC
Soccer is the most played and most watched sport on Earth
Soccer is called football in practically every country except America, who call ‘Grid Iron’ football and football soccer.
Famous soccer rivalries include the Old Firm (Scotland), Manchester derby, London derbies, Milan derby, Real vs Barcelona, and many more.
Some famous soccer players: Pele, Maradonna, Charlton, Eusebio, Cruyff, Dalglish, Ronaldo, Beckham, Mattheus.

Those are some basic bits of soccer trivia and facts. How much did you know? Well, here are so more soccer facts to test your knowledge:

The sport of Association Football (often referred to as soccer or simply football) is the most popular team sport in the world, in both number of spectators and number of active participants.
The largest attendance for a soccer match ever was 199,854 people - Brazil v. Uruguay in the World Cup at the Maracana Municipal Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, July 1950.
In the largest soccer tournament ever, no less than 5,098 teams competed in 1999 for the second Bangkok League Seven-a-Side Competition. Over 35,000 players involved!
The most goals scored by one player in a single soccer match was 16
- Stephan Stanis (France) playing for Racing Club de Lens in December 1942.
Based on video evidence, one of the fastest ever scored was in 2.8 seconds by Ricardo Olivera (Uruguay) in December 1998.
The international governing body of soccer is the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), based in Zurich, Switzerland.
Diego Maradona was only 16 when he made his soccer debut for Argentina.
Soccer goalies didn’t have to wear different coloured shirts from their teammates until 1913.
Eusebio scored 46 goals in the European Cup for Benfica.
Chris Woods once went 1196 minutes without conceding a goal while at Rangers, from between November 26 1986 and January 31 1987.
Ryan Giggs’ dad was a professional Rugby League player.
In 1973, the entire Galilee team spent the night in jail for kicking their opponents during an Israeli League game.

Have you had enough soccer trivia and facts? These are only a few of the interesting soccer facts that are floating around out there.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, sports, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on soccer, please visit Soccer Products and Info.

LTE is the next big thing in mobile communication. With significantly higher bit rates of around 140Mb, LTE aims at meeting the ever-increasing requirement for high-speed mobile broadband. The technology is bound to become popular as it supports bandwidth-heavy applications like file sharing, video-on-demand and broadband internet. However, the big question is when the users can enjoy the benefits of this technology (click for more info on the latest mobile broadband prices).

The good news is that the wait is not very long. Although, no telecom provider has yet confirmed a timeframe for a UK rollout, GSMA has reported that 26 providers worldwide have hinted of an LTE rollout in 2010.

The Spanish telco, Telefnica, which owns O2, has also conducted its first 4G LTE tests at its facility in Madrid. Not only does this signal an introduction of LTE in the near future, it also expresses the commitment of Telefnica towards innovation and maintaining a strong hold on the market.

The tests, which consisted of a VoIP call, a video call, a video conference, and data transfers, using LTE, showed the ability of the technology to reach speeds upwards of 100Mb. This is over 10 times the speed offered by current mobile broadband networks, and highlights the potential of LTE.

Telefnica said after the tests, that the results would be useful in planning the next steps for LTE development.

Sports shoes is almost certainly the most important piece of equipment you’ll pay money for so it is essential that you pick & choose the right shoes.

Many people don’t appreciate that there are huge differences in the way in which sports trainers pad your feet. It’s not great for your feet if you play football or tennis in the exact same shoes that you use for jogging.

“It has been reported, that sixty five percent of the England’s recreational men & women athletes put on the wrong trainers for their chosen sports activity,” he says. “Trainers are the most essential piece of exercise kit you’ll ever purchase and changing what you wear on your feet can put off injuries.”

Football can put a great deal of strain on the feet, particularly when playing on artificial pitches for example AstroTurf. The football shoes can also put strain on your feet, & it’s not abnormal for a footballer to suffer from corns, calluses or damaged, thickened & ingrown toenails. A good, well-fitted pair of football shoes is critical & there should not be any signs of pressure on the foot after a match or training session.

Racquet sports: It’s imperative when playing racket sports, such as table tennis or squash, to pick & choose trainers explicitly intended for the purpose. These sports activity involve a significant amount of right-to-left movement & jogging shoes won’t provide the correct steadiness. Racquet sport shoes are heavier and more firm than jogging footwear, because their toes are produced for stop-&-go action. Comfort is recommended to be your number one priority and it is important to change your sports footwear frequently.

Hill-walking is a great way to start off an exercises regime, while the more daring go for mountain climbing. It’s tremendous for your cardiovascular health but is lower impact & so comes with reduced risk of damage. Find superb deals on surfing boards online today.

It’s one of the gems in the crown of the Emerald City and a cherished gathering place in the heart of Seattle. Pike Place Market is what Les Halles was to Paris, what Covent Garden still is to London. It’s one of the world’s great markets and one of the oldest farmers’ markets in the nation in continuous operation. It all started in 1907, off a plank road on the hill above Elliot Bay’s tidal flats. A new ordinance allowed the city to set aside land for public markets and that’s just what took place. With a ribbon-cutting ceremony to set the stage, farmers pulled their wagons up to a boardwalk and the buying began. Now scores of merchants sell produce, fish, food, antiques, art and everything else you can think of, from one of the most colorful, quaint and character-filled locations on the left coast. You can practically tell the story of Seattle through the history of the Pike Place Market.

So if you want to know how to publish a book about this wonderful location in Seattle, you’re going to need to decide whether you want to go through a traditional book publisher or take a crack at publishing it yourself. A book publisher will usually require authors to submit manuscripts through an agent and that will take some searching. You’ll need to make your pitch to an agent and convince one of them to make your pitch to a book publisher.

When considering different options on how to publish a book, keep in mind that in this age of the computer and the Internet, you can also take the self-publishing route. You can work with your own design, graphics, photos and prose that are then sent with instructions to a printer, or you can work with a company, usually via the web, that will handle some of the details. The most important aspect of self-publishing is that the author handles all the financing, paying all those involved. But, with relatively little trouble, and about $5,000, you can create, print and market a substantial run of your pet Pike Place project.

Southend brushed aside Hartlepool 3-0 to go eight points clear at the top of League One. Mark Gower netted inside a minute while two Fredy Eastwood goals on 51 and 71 sealed an easy win for the 4/6 Shrimpers.

Huddersfield remain in second place despite only managing a draw at mid-table Port Vale. The 7/4 Valiants took the lead after 59 minutes through Michael Cummins but veteran striker Andy Booth earned the Terriers a point nine minutes before the end.

The wheels may be coming off Brentford’s automatic promotion campaign as they slumped to a third successive defeat. The Bees were odds-on at 8/11 to see off their mid-table opponents but Sean Thornton netted the winner for 4/1 outsiders Rovers on the hour.

Swansea’s promotion push also took a setback as they lost 1-0 at struggling Gillingham. The 9/5 Gills took all three points when Darren Byfield fired in a penalty nine minutes into the second half.

Colchester also missed out on a place in the top two after drawing 0-0 at Scunthorpe. Substitute Billy Clark thought he had won it late on for the 9/5 U’s but an assistant’s raised flag halted the visitors’ celebrations. Barnsley were also held to a goalless draw at Bournemouth and also had a goal disallowed.

Oldham moved level on points with Barnsley as they swept aside strugglers Blackpool at Boundary Park. Keith Southern gave the 9/2 Tangerines the lead on 42 but a Luke Beckett hat-trick (45, 55 and 86 pen) kept the 8/13 Latics play-off hopes alive.

Cash-strapped Rotherham, saved from extinction on Thursday, moved out of relegation with a 3-1 win against Bristol City. Jonathan Forte opened the scoring for the 13/8 Millers on 27 and Paul Shaw doubled the advantage on 39. Forte notched his second of the game two minutes into the second half before Cole Skuse scored a consolation for City on 80.

Swindon gave themselves a fighting chance of survival with a 2-0 victory over fading Chesterfield. The Robins, available at 11/8 before kick-off, took the lead through Jamie Cureton after 53 minutes and the former QPR striker netted a second in stoppage time.

Bradford fought back from two goals down to push Walsall closer to the relegation zone. Kevin James on 17 and Chris Westwood 20 minutes later gave the 11/10 Saddlers the perfect start but Mark Bower on the stroke of half-time and David Wetherall four minutes after the break earned a 9/4 draw.

David Walker runs free bets and UK poker websites. A free email course: “Seven Days to Better Betting” is available at both of these websites.