As of 17/02/2013, the League One table looked like this:
Position
|
Team
|
P
|
F
|
A
|
GD
|
Pts
|
1
|
Bournemouth
|
33
|
57
|
42
|
15
|
58
|
2
|
Sheff Utd
|
32
|
47
|
29
|
18
|
57
|
3
|
Yeovil
|
32
|
55
|
40
|
15
|
57
|
4
|
Doncaster
|
31
|
44
|
29
|
15
|
57
|
5
|
Tranmere
|
32
|
47
|
31
|
16
|
56
|
6
|
Swindon
|
31
|
52
|
21
|
31
|
55
|
7
|
Brentford
|
31
|
45
|
32
|
13
|
54
|
8
|
Coventry
|
33
|
53
|
40
|
13
|
50
|
9
|
Walsall
|
33
|
46
|
48
|
-2
|
48
|
10
|
Leyton Orient
|
32
|
36
|
39
|
-3
|
46
|
11
|
Notts County
|
32
|
44
|
35
|
9
|
45
|
12
|
MK Dons
|
30
|
40
|
34
|
6
|
44
|
13
|
Crewe
|
31
|
38
|
40
|
-2
|
44
|
14
|
Stevenage
|
30
|
37
|
41
|
-4
|
43
|
15
|
Crawley
|
29
|
38
|
42
|
-4
|
42
|
16
|
Carlisle
|
32
|
40
|
55
|
-15
|
40
|
17
|
Preston
|
32
|
41
|
42
|
-1
|
38
|
18
|
Shrewsbury
|
33
|
36
|
40
|
-4
|
37
|
19
|
Scunthorpe
|
33
|
36
|
55
|
-19
|
35
|
20
|
Colchester
|
32
|
31
|
50
|
-19
|
32
|
21
|
Oldham
|
31
|
32
|
45
|
-13
|
30
|
22
|
Bury
|
32
|
31
|
48
|
-17
|
27
|
23
|
Hartlepool
|
32
|
28
|
53
|
-25
|
24
|
24
|
Portsmouth
|
33
|
34
|
57
|
-23
|
23
|
When looking through the results, some stuck out as having larger influences on position, namely Swindon's two matches which resulted in two wins and +6 GD for the Robins. However, due to Portsmouth's horrendous season to date, Swindon's position would not be the worst if Pompey were to leave the league now.
The table below shows what the table would look like if the Portsmouth results were removed from the system, again as of 17/02/2013.
Position
|
Team
|
P
|
F
|
A
|
GD
|
Pts
|
1
|
Tranmere
|
31
|
45
|
29
|
16
|
55
|
2
|
Sheff Utd
|
31
|
46
|
29
|
17
|
54
|
3
|
Yeovil
|
30
|
52
|
37
|
15
|
54
|
4
|
Doncaster
|
30
|
43
|
29
|
14
|
54
|
5
|
Bournemouth
|
31
|
54
|
41
|
13
|
54
|
6
|
Brentford
|
30
|
44
|
32
|
12
|
51
|
7
|
Swindon
|
29
|
45
|
20
|
25
|
49
|
8
|
Coventry
|
32
|
52
|
39
|
13
|
49
|
9
|
Crewe
|
30
|
38
|
38
|
0
|
44
|
10
|
MK Dons
|
29
|
38
|
32
|
6
|
43
|
11
|
Leyton Orient
|
31
|
33
|
37
|
-4
|
43
|
12
|
Walsall
|
31
|
42
|
47
|
-5
|
42
|
13
|
Stevenage
|
29
|
35
|
40
|
-5
|
40
|
14
|
Notts County
|
30
|
39
|
35
|
4
|
39
|
15
|
Crawley
|
27
|
36
|
38
|
-2
|
39
|
16
|
Preston
|
31
|
41
|
42
|
-1
|
37
|
17
|
Shrewsbury
|
32
|
35
|
37
|
-2
|
37
|
18
|
Carlisle
|
30
|
35
|
52
|
-17
|
36
|
19
|
Scunthorpe
|
31
|
33
|
52
|
-19
|
32
|
20
|
Colchester
|
30
|
26
|
46
|
-20
|
28
|
21
|
Oldham
|
30
|
31
|
45
|
-14
|
27
|
22
|
Bury
|
31
|
29
|
48
|
-19
|
24
|
23
|
Hartlepool
|
30
|
25
|
52
|
-27
|
20
|
Initially, eyes are drawn to the promotion and relegation places in the new table. In regards to the top, Tranmere move up four places, swapping positions with current league leaders Bournemouth while Brentford and Swindon also switch places. At the bottom, very little happens in terms of position for the bottom five, although Oldham and Bury slip slightly closer to safety.
The place where most moves occur, is in the middle of the table. To make comparisons easier between the two tables, I created a third that is colour coded and position changes noted.
Pos Change
|
Pos
|
Team
|
P
|
F
|
A
|
GD
|
Pts
|
+ 4
|
1
|
Tranmere
|
31
|
45
|
29
|
16
|
55
|
2
|
Sheff Utd
|
31
|
46
|
29
|
17
|
54
|
|
3
|
Yeovil
|
30
|
52
|
37
|
15
|
54
|
|
4
|
Doncaster
|
30
|
43
|
29
|
14
|
54
|
|
- 4
|
5
|
Bournemouth
|
31
|
54
|
41
|
13
|
54
|
+ 1
|
6
|
Brentford
|
30
|
44
|
32
|
12
|
51
|
- 1
|
7
|
Swindon
|
29
|
45
|
20
|
25
|
49
|
8
|
Coventry
|
32
|
52
|
39
|
13
|
49
|
|
+ 4
|
9
|
Crewe
|
30
|
38
|
38
|
0
|
44
|
+2
|
10
|
MK Dons
|
29
|
38
|
32
|
6
|
43
|
- 1
|
11
|
Leyton Orient
|
31
|
33
|
37
|
-4
|
43
|
- 3
|
12
|
Walsall
|
31
|
42
|
47
|
-5
|
42
|
+ 1
|
13
|
Stevenage
|
29
|
35
|
40
|
-5
|
40
|
- 3
|
14
|
Notts County
|
30
|
44
|
35
|
9
|
39
|
15
|
Crawley
|
27
|
36
|
38
|
-2
|
39
|
|
+ 1
|
16
|
Preston
|
31
|
41
|
42
|
-1
|
37
|
+ 1
|
17
|
Shrewsbury
|
32
|
35
|
37
|
-2
|
37
|
- 2
|
18
|
Carlisle
|
30
|
35
|
55
|
-20
|
36
|
19
|
Scunthorpe
|
31
|
33
|
52
|
-19
|
32
|
|
20
|
Colchester
|
30
|
26
|
46
|
-20
|
28
|
|
21
|
Oldham
|
30
|
31
|
45
|
-14
|
27
|
|
22
|
Bury
|
31
|
29
|
48
|
-19
|
24
|
|
23
|
Hartlepool
|
30
|
25
|
52
|
-27
|
20
|
Teams may have only moved one or two positions in most cases, however the league remains closely contested with only 12 points separating Crawley in 15th from the play-off places.
Personally, I would be incredibly surprised if the league would allow Portsmouth to leave the league mid-season given the problems it would cause them. Despite that and given the changes it has on the league at this stage of the season, I wonder what the overall effect would be at the end of the season. My thoughts would be that the changes wouldn't be as drastic as all 23 remaining teams would have played Portsmouth twice, however, teams like Crewe and Shrewsbury who have suffered one defeat apiece already at the hands of the south coast club could find positives (in this table only) if they were to lose against them for a second time.