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Aldershot: Hoping to bring league football to the Recreation Ground

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Promotion race hotting up

Prices correct at time of writing (6pm, Thursday December 27, 2007).

Aldershot (8/11 for promotion) are top the Blue Square Premier and currently have a seven-point lead over second-placed Torquay (8/13) in the battle for automatic promotion.

Torquay lost 4-3 at Exeter on Boxing Day and lost ground to Aldershot, who won 1-0 at Woking. However, the Gulls have a game in hand on the Shots.

I reckon it's either Aldershot or Torquay for the one automatic promotion spot. But there are a host of other teams eyeing promotion to the Football League, either automatically or through the lottery of the play-offs (the teams who finish second to fifth in the Blue Square Premier go into the play-offs for the second promotion spot).

Cambridge (7/2) have moved up to third in the table after their 1-0 home win over Histon, while Stevenage (9/4) drew 0-0 at Rushden & Diamonds on Boxing Day to drop to fourth spot in the table.

But Stevenage boss Peter Taylor has won promotion before and I think his experience could be crucial for Boro. I also think Burton Albion (9/2) and Forest Green (9/1) have a great chance of reaching the play-offs this season.

It's Aldershot or Torquay for the one automatic promotion spot, if they continue their form for the rest of the campaign. One of those will have to make do with a play-off place, with Cambridge, Stevenage, Burton and Forest Green the contenders for the remaining three play-off spots.

Northwich are now off the bottom of the Blue Square Premier after their 2-1 win at Altrincham on Boxing Day. The Vics are 1/7 for relegation. Droylsden are now bottom of the table and the favourites for the drop at 1/9, with second-from-bottom Stafford Rangers 1/8.

Altrincham are fourth-from-bottom and 1/2, while fifth-from-bottom Farsley Celtic, who had a massive 3-0 win over Halifax on Boxing Day, are 10/11.

It's four from those bottom five for relegation for me, but Weymouth (8/1), Halifax (10/1), Crawley (8/1), Rushden (16/1) and Salisbury (14/1) could all become embroiled in a relegation battle.