Published at 09:13, Saturday, 03 May 2008

FEELS good, doesn’t it? No, not the wicked glee filtering through League One at the news of Leeds’ failure to wrest back their 15 points, but the knowledge that the ugliest caveat to today’s finale has been removed.

The realisation that this afternoon’s results at Brunton Park, Whaddon Road and the City Ground will be unaffected by events in a London courtroom hits you like a gust of fresh air.

Whether your loyalty is with Carlisle, Doncaster, Nottingham Forest or none of the three teams who could vault into the Championship by close of play, you have to be relieved that a red line has just gone through the ifs, buts, provideds and unlesses that have stalked this promotion race for months.

You can bet that Ken Bates’ declaration on Thursday night - that Leeds have claimed "a moral victory" from the wretched affair – will have already been put into storage by most newspapers, to be exhumed in time for those ‘quotes of the year’ features in December.

By far the soundest piece of sense on the matter where Carlisle are concerned came from Fred Story the same evening. “We are really pleased, but there is no need to gloat,” counselled the United owner.

Smart move, since the public act of poking Leeds and guffawing in their faces could well whip back at the perpetrator in the play-offs. Remember how United responded when the Leyton Orient manager, Martin Ling, unwittingly provoked the Blues with a few choice verbal grenades in March?

What Carlisle subsequently did to the Os (lacerated them on the pitch, in other words) is what Leeds will now be burning to do to any of their goading rivals, multiplied by 100.

Yes, the whole episode has defiled a fine competition and its basic principles. Yes, the decision not to allow Swansea to collect the championship trophy in front of their own supporters last weekend now appears even more shameful.

But it does no harm to throw in a reminder that a team with a grievance can be a dangerous thing. Just now, Carlisle gain no advantage from inflicting further aggravation.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk