This evening PKE travel to Yorkshire for the second leg of their play-off against Sheffield United. They drew the first match 1-1, and United are still the favourites to go to Wembley. But this is the play-offs where anything can, and does, happe. In 1996 Blackpool, then managed by Sam Allardyce, with Phil Brown his assistant, went to Yorkshire and beat Bradford City 2-0 in the first leg (to get promoted to what is now the Championship), and were very confident that Wembley was the next step. However, they managed to lose at home 0-3 and it was another 10 long years before the club got promoted. In the League Two play-off final it will be Shrewsbury Town vs Gillingham.
Result was a 1-0 home win , so Sheffield United will play either Reading or Burnley in the Championship play-off final at Wembley in what is often described as the richest match in league football simply because of the £millions that the promoted club will go on to earn in the Premier League
This evening Burnley take on Reading at the Madjeski Stadium, with a 1-0 advantage from the first leg at Turf Moor.
Burnley won 2-0 with superb goals from Martin Paterson and Steven Thompson. So it will be a "War of the Roses" (Lancashire vs Yorkshire) at Wembley on 25th May for the right to play in the Premier League next season. There are already seven cubs in the Premier League from the North West, and all seven from the historical county of Lancashire - Blackburn Rovers Bolton Wanderers (or as I prefer to call them - Horwich Scum Wanderers) Everton Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United Wigan Athletic Should our six-fingered friends from East Lancashire win on the 25th, then it will make it eight clubs from up here!
The Play-offs resume on Thursday with the League One second legs. Thursday - Leeds United vs Millwall Millwall are leading 1-0 from the first leg at the New Den. The security for both games is way, way over the top. Each club was only allowed 1,000 tickets for their away following, and the end of the match in London saw riot police, together with at least 12 mounted police on the pitch cordoning off the end where the Leeds fans were located. For the match at Elland Road, the 1,000 Millwall fans can only travel by specially chartered coaches, which must all meet up at a specific service station on the M1 going north. Then, and only then, they will be given their match ticket. The coaches will then in a convoy receive a police escort straight to the ground (which in itself isn't anything new as it happens in Preston when we play there). Of course Leeds are managed by former Pool boss Simon Grayson who will be hoping to return to Wembley. I would prefer Millwall to win. Friday - Milton Keynes Dons vs Scunthorpe United A 1-1 draw in the first leg has given the Dons the advantage. I'm hoping that Scunthorpe win though and then go on to win at Wembley. Simply because at least then Blackpool wouldn't be the smallest club in the Championship!
Final score: Leeds United 1 Millwall 1 With Millwall leading 1-0 from the first leg it is them who go on to Wembley in the League One Play-Off Final where they face either Milton Keynes Dons or Scunthorpe United. So no return to Wembley for Simon Grayson. The grass is not always greener etc..... As a certain Wesley Hooalhan is also finding out big time right now with Norwich City.
So then. League Two Play-Off final Yesterday Gillingham beat Shrewsbury Town 1-0 with an injury time winner in front of the second largest crowd ever for a League Two Play-Off final - approx 53,000. So the Gills will play in League One next season. League One Play-Off final This afternoon a crazy League One Play-Off final saw Scunthorpe United return to the Championship with a 3-2 win over Millwall, who were backed by 44,000 fans in a crowd of just over 59,000 and with a pitchside heat of 100F. Scunthorpe took an early lead with a Matthew Sparrow goal after six minutes. However, it was Millwall who went in at the break in the lead after two goals in two minutes from Gary Alexander. First he struck with a wonderful shot after 37 minutes, and added a second on 39 minutes. In the second half, the Millwall fans must have thought that they were on their way to the Championship. But in the 70th minute Sparrow grabbed his second with a well taken low shot in the penalty area to make the score 2-2. Then in the 85th minute another low shot, this time from Martyn Woolford, put Scunthorpe ahead at 3-2. And even with for minutes of injury time, Millwall could just not draw level again. Alexander missed a golden opportnity to grab a hat-trick when with the goal gaping he headed wide. So Scunthorpe are promoted back up after just one season in League Two. And at least it means that Blackpool won't be the smallest club in the Championship next season! The Championship Play-Off final Tomorrow it is the big one, the Championship Play-Off final with a place in the Premier League next season. And Wembley will probably be fairly full with both Burnley and Sheffield United probably each taking over 35,000 fans.
Premier League "Survival Sunday" So with West Bromwich Albion already relegated to the Championship, which two clubs will join them next season? Whover it is, there will be some unhappy fans in the North East. It is between Newcastle United, Middlesbrough, Hull City and Sunderland. The matches (currently being played) are: Aston Villa vs Newcastle United Hull City vs ManUre (AKA ManUre Reserves) West Ham United vs Middlesbrough Sunderland vs Chelsea With no goals yet in any of the games.
Relegation possibilities: Sunderland cannot be relegated if they win their final match. If they draw their final match or lose by a margin of four goals or fewer, they will be relegated only if Hull and Newcastle both win their final matches. If they lose by five goals or more, they will be relegated only if Hull draw with or defeat Manchester United and Newcastle defeat Aston Villa. Hull City cannot be relegated if they win their final match. If they draw, they will be relegated if Newcastle win and Sunderland do not lose their final match by five goals or more. If they lose, they will be relegated if Newcastle win or draw and/or if Middlesbrough win and the combined margins of Hull's loss and Middlesbrough's win is five or greater. Newcastle United will be relegated if they lose their final match. If they draw, they will still be relegated if Hull win or draw and/or if Middlesbrough defeats West Ham by more than ten goals. If they win, they will still be relegated if Hull and Sunderland both win their final matches. Middlesbrough will be relegated unless they defeat West Ham, Hull lose and Newcastle lose or draw. Furthermore, if Newcastle lose then the combined margins of Middlesbrough's victory and Hull's loss must be five or greater for Middlesbrough to avoid relegation while if Newcastle draws then Middlesbrough must win by more than ten goals to avoid the drop. OUCH....
As it stands with all four clubs drawing the live table is: 16th Sunderland 37 pts 17th Hull City 36 pts 18th Newcastle United 35 pts 19th Middlesbrough 33 pts 20th West Bromwich Albion 32 pts
Goal: Danny Wellbeck for ManUre So, As it stands the live table is: 16th Sunderland 37 pts 17th Newcastle United 35 pts 18th Hull City 35 pts 19th Middlesbrough 33 pts 20th West Bromwich Albion 32 pts Hull move into a relegation spot on goal difference.
Goal: A deflected Gareth Barry shot, which was going well wide, means a Damien Duff own goal gives Aston Villa the lead. So, As it stands the live table is now: 16th Sunderland 37 pts 18th Hull City 35 pts 17th Newcastle United 34 pts 19th Middlesbrough 33 pts 20th West Bromwich Albion 32 pts So Hull move back up to 18th and Newcastle United are back in a relegation spot.
Middlesbrough now losing 1-0, not that it makes any difference to the table. But it does make Boros task way more difficult. Live table: 16th Sunderland 37 pts 18th Hull City 35 pts 17th Newcastle United 34 pts 19th Middlesbrough 32 pts 20th West Bromwich Albion 32 pts
Goal: Nicolas Anelka has given Chelsea the lead early in the 2nd half. So all four clubs in relegation trouble are now losing 1-0. Live table: 16th Sunderland 36 pts 18th Hull City 35 pts 17th Newcastle United 34 pts 19th Middlesbrough 32 pts 20th West Bromwich Albion 32 pts
Goal: Kieran Richardson equalises for Sunderland, 1-1 now. Live table: 16th Sunderland 37 pts 18th Hull City 35 pts 17th Newcastle United 34 pts 19th Middlesbrough 32 pts 20th West Bromwich Albion 32 pts
Goal: Middesbrough equalise, 1-1. Live table: 16th Sunderland 37 pts 18th Hull City 35 pts 17th Newcastle United 34 pts 19th Middlesbrough 33 pts 20th West Bromwich Albion 32 pts
Goal: West Ham re-take the lead, 2-1. Live table: 16th Sunderland 37 pts 18th Hull City 35 pts 17th Newcastle United 34 pts 19th Middlesbrough 32 pts 20th West Bromwich Albion 32 pts
With under 20 minutes to go in each match, it looks as though Middlesbrough are going down. Newcastle just need a goal, but they don't look confident. Goal: Chelsea have re-taken the lead 2-1. Live table: 16th Sunderland 36 pts 18th Hull City 35 pts 17th Newcastle United 34 pts 19th Middlesbrough 32 pts 20th West Bromwich Albion 32 pts
And that is that. The KC Stadium has erupted as Hull City in their first ever season in the top flight, stay up while Newcastle and Middlesbrough join West Brom in the Championship next season. Newcastle at Bloomfield Road!!!
