Ditto congratulations and thanks to Adam and Mork respectively. Here's to another great competition next time around.
This season seemed to be the year of the under-dog, a sign that the CW field is closing up, and the establishment (Adam aside!) is undergoing an evolution, if not a revolution? I'd argue not. Whilst, as Dwyer's final appearance demonstrates, the bar is rising for the likes of Scaly, Nibbs and Mahindinho, I still think the balance of power lies with those who have been playing longer with sustained success.
Next season is going to be fascinating. I'd tip Smith and Pete both to do well, but in some ways, as both have admitted themselves, the chasing pack are at a disadvantage, as they don't have the supporter-base or income streams to sustain their recent improvements. I'd predict that for some seasons to come the Cup winners will come from the three top sides in terms of numbers of members and ground capacity - Though admittedly, off the top of my head, I have no idea who they are! But as players get better and command higher wages, could we see managers hording wealth in order to service wage-bills rather than make new signings?
Later, Trev