Following the Island club’s 27th consecutive victory of their debut campaign, the common consensus remained that they still need results to go their way this week for their rise to be confirmed.
This is because four other teams can, theoretically, overtake them if they win all of their remaining games and Bulls lose theirs.
But in reality that is impossible.
Gary Freeman’s side are now on 81 points in Combined Counties League Division I. Second-placed Farnham can get 93 if they finish without dropping a point, Sandhurst 83, while Kensington & Ealing and Hayes can both get 82. Walton & Hersham could also go ahead of Bulls on goal difference, if they conjure up a 69-goal swing in their favour over their remaining 11 games.
However, what the consensus fails to consider is that Kensington & Ealing and Hayes have still got to play each other (twice, in fact) meaning whatever the result one of them will not be able to catch Bulls. Sandhurst and Walton & Hersham also have to play each other too and, again, it means whatever the result, one of them won’t be able to finish above the current league leaders.
We don’t know which two teams from those fixtures will be on the wrong end of the result, but it simply doesn’t matter. The consensus is wrong. Bulls, mathematically, cannot finish lower than fourth.
Forget there’s actually nine matches still to be played between the five other clubs. If someone out there is prepared to do the maths, we might have even found out that Bulls had already sealed promotion before Saturday’s BA fixture at Springfield. It’s purely circumstantial anyway. Of course, we know Bulls are already promoted, mathematical or otherwise.
When is irrelevant.
Jersey Bulls v British Airways: Match report and reaction in Final Whistle.
