League Championship: Who will be coming up?
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can you believe this?
SAF and keane are championship-winning managers this season. -
Originally posted by dragg:can you believe this?
SAF and keane are championship-winning managers this season.
Mini Fergie...
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NUFC should have the upper hand on this.Originally posted by zocoss:I can't wait for the Sunderland vs Newcastle derby match...
Anyway, Leeds playing 3rd-tier football next season is a real shame indeed. -
I don't think there will be a upper or lower in this, more like whose got the home ground advantage for their matches.Originally posted by iveco:NUFC should have the upper hand on this.
Anyway, Leeds playing 3rd-tier football next season is a real shame indeed. -
Championship play-off lowdown
The Championship play-off final could arguably be described as the richest fixture in football - with the winners joining the Premiership elite. All four teams in this year's second-tier semi-finals have played Premiership football and are desperate to return to the top echelon of the English game.
West Brom are hoping to bounce back at the first attempt following relegation last May. Rivals Wolves have had one recent season in the top flight, finishing bottom at the end of the 2003-04 campaign. Southampton had been in the Premiership for every year of its existence before dropping out in 2005, while the Rams have not eaten at football's top table since 2002.
BBC Sport looks at the quartet's play-off pedigree while Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws gives his verdict ahead of the first legs of their last-four clashes.
SOUTHAMPTON (6th) V DERBY (3rd)
Southampton are making their first appearance in the play-offs - and do so in good form after winning their last three games of the regular season to move into the top six. But there is no lack of play-off experience at the club, with manager George Burley preparing for his seventh such campaign. Burley's one promotion through the play-offs came with former club Ipswich at the old Wembley in 2000.
The last time Derby reached the play-offs - in 2005 - Burley was at the helm and current Pride Park boss Billy Davies is the man who masterminded Preston's semi-final victory over the Rams. Davies is preparing for his third Championship play-off campaign in as many years after reaching the final in 2005 and the semi-final stage one year later with his former club.
Derby spent a large chunk of the season in the top two places but lost out to Sunderland and Birmingham in the final weeks of the regular season and now have to hope for promotion through the play-offs for the first time. The Rams have been involved in two previous campaigns in addition to the defeat by Preston. All were at Championship level - losing at the semi-final stage to Blackburn in 1992 and the final at the hands of Leicester in 1994.
SOUTHAMPTON v DERBY
First leg: Saints v Derby, St Mary's Stadium, Saturday 12 May.
Second leg: Derby v Saints, Pride Park, Tuesday 15 May.
The final will be played at Wembley on Monday 28 May.
WOLVES (5th) V WEST BROM (4th)
The 153rd and 154th Black Country derbies are being described as the biggest such showdowns between the two clubs. West Brom currently lead with 59 wins to Wolves's 52. The Baggies thrashed Barnsley 7-0 on the final day of the regular season to remind everyone of their ability. But Tony Mowbray's team have had an inconsistent season, climbing from 10th to first before slipping down to sixth and eventually moving back up to fourth.
Wolves have surprised many with their form since the turn of the year. Mick McCarthy's team were 14th with half the season gone but the manager bought well in January, with Michael McIndoe, Stephen Ward, Michael Kightly and Andy Keogh all key performers as his team climbed the table. West Brom have been in the play-offs twice, clinching a return to the second tier of English football in 1993 and losing to Bolton at the semi-final stage as they pushed for a place in the Premiership in 2001.
However, the Baggies did win an automatic place in the top flight in 2002 - overhauling arch-rivals Wolves, who had been topped the table with a 10-point advantage over West Brom in March. 1997, Norwich in 2002 and experienced a series of heartbreaking near misses before they finally won promotion to the Premiership through the 2003 play-offs.
The Molineux outfit beat Reading in their semi-final before first-half goals from Kenny Miller, Mark Kennedy and Nathan Blake sealed a 3-0 win over Sheffield United in the final.
WOLVES v WEST BROM
First leg: Wolves v West Brom, Molineux, Sunday 13 May.
Second leg: West Brom v Wolves, The Hawthorns, Tuesday 16 May.
The final will be played at Wembley on Monday 28 May -
NUFC is mediocre so far this season and I hope to see Newcastle playing in Championship one day. Also, understimate Sunderland at your own cost.Originally posted by iveco:NUFC should have the upper hand on this.
Anyway, Leeds playing 3rd-tier football next season is a real shame indeed. -
Howard scored a goal in each half for Derby.
Southampton 1-2 Derby
Steve Howard scored twice to give the Derby the advantage after the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final at Southampton. Saints took the lead when Andrew Surman struck from 20 yards before Howard equalised with a looping header.
Howard then put Derby ahead with a superbly-struck penalty after Pele tugged Stephen Pearson's shirt. Marek Saganowski twice hit the crossbar for Southampton, while Jon Macken struck the woodwork for Derby.
The match was a superb advert for play-off football, with the contrasting styles making for an engaging encounter.
Southampton manager George Burley:
"These occasions are never won in the first game and hopefully we can get a result on Tuesday. "We're very confident that we can turn it round at Pride Park. "Our away form has been very good all season and we can take positives out of this game. The deficit's only one goal and anything can happen."
Derby manager Billy Davies:
"We won't be complacent as we know it is only half time. "We came here to put ourselves in contention for the second leg and that's what we've done. "We showed great discipline and courage to come back - thanks to two great goals from Steve Howard."
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Southampton: Bialkowski, Ostlund, Baird, Pele, Bale (Skacel 56), Belmadi, Viafara, Guthrie, Surman, Jones (Best 55), Saganowski (Rasiak 87).
Subs Not Used: Davis, Cranie.
Booked: Pele, Surman.
Goals: Surman 7.
Derby: Bywater, Mears, Moore, Leacock, McEveley, Macken (Teale 77), Oakley, Pearson, Fagan, Howard, Seth Johnson (Nyatanga 90).
Subs Not Used: Camp, Edworthy, Jones.
Booked: Leacock, Pearson, Oakley, Seth Johnson.
Goals: Howard 36, 58 pen.
Att: 30,602
Ref: M Jones (Cheshire). -
I think it should be MUFC because their fans are so arrogant.Originally posted by Airbus330Captain:NUFC is mediocre so far this season and I hope to see Newcastle playing in Championship one day. Also, understimate Sunderland at your own cost. -
Phillips scored a superb opening goal for West Brom
Wolves 2 - 3 West Brom
Diomansy Kamara struck the winner as West Brom wrestled the advantage in their Championship play-off tie. Kevin Phillips's 20-yard strike put WBA ahead before Jody Craddock equalised for Wolves with a header.
Seyi Olofinjana bundled the ball home early in the second half to put Wolves in front, but Phillips restored parity immediately with a far-post header. And after Gary Breen played Kamara onside, Kamara struck to condemn the unfortunate Wolves to defeat.
Olofinjana (right) scored the put Wolves 2-1 ahead
Wolverhampton: Hennessey, Neill Collins, Breen, Craddock, McNamara (Little 78 ), Kightly, Olofinjana, Potter, McIndoe, Bothroyd (Ward 78 ), Keogh.
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Mark Davies, Gleeson.
Goals: Craddock 44, Olofinjana 52.
West Brom: Kiely, McShane, Perry, Sodje, Robinson, Greening, Chaplow (Carter 26), Koren (Gera 64), Koumas, Phillips (Ellington 69), Kamara.
Subs Not Used: Daniels, Albrechtsen.
Booked: Sodje, McShane.
Goals: Phillips 25, 54, Kamara 73.
Att: 27,750
Ref: S Tanner (Somerset). -
Derby secure play-off final berth
Derby 2-3 Southampton (4-4 on agg)
Derby win 4-3 on penalties
Inigo Idiakez's penalty miss sent Derby into the Championship play-off final after a pulsating semi-final against Southampton ended in a shoot-out. Grzegorz Rasiak's late goal gave Saints a 3-2 lead and took the game into extra time with the scores 4-4 on aggregate. Darren Moore's powerful header gave Derby an early lead, only for Jhon Viafara to level within a minute.
In a match of swinging fortunes Viafara thumped in another and Leon Best scored in his own net before Rasiak struck. The Rams will now face either West Brom or Wolves in the Wembley final on Monday 28 May.
Rasiak celebrates his late goal which sent the tie into extra time
Derby boss Billy Davies on going to Wembley:
"It will be an unbelievable day out and we will go with great belief we can go all the way. "It was a great game of football, real end-to-end stuff, and in added time I thought we really performed very well. "We were the only team who looked like winning it in extra time, but in the end we needed four well-taken penalties."
Southampton manager George Burley:
"Losing on penalties is always a tough situation but we have got to take the disappointment on the chin. "I was very, very pleased with the way we played, I do not think I could have expected any more from my players. "We worked our socks off and both the goals we conceded came from dead-ball situations, so you could argue Derby failed to score from open play."
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Derby: Bywater, Mears, Moore, Leaco ck, McEveley, Fagan (Currie 105), Oakley, Seth Johnson (Jones 86), Pearson, Macken (Barnes 62), Howard.
Subs Not Used: Camp, Edworthy.
Booked: Seth Johnson.
Goals: Moore 3, Best 66 og.
Southampton: Davis, Makin (Belmadi 71), Baird, Cranie, Skacel, Viafara, Pele, Guthrie (Idiakez 83), Surman, Best, Saganowski (Rasiak 74).
Subs Not Used: Bialkowski, Wright-Phillips.
Booked: Idiakez.
Goals: Viafara 4, 54, Rasiak 89.
Agg: 4-4 - Derby win 4-3 on penalties
Att: 31,569
Ref: A D'Urso (Essex). -
Ah well, poor Saints.
George Burley has to wait another season for the next crack at promotion.
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derby may be coming back.....
miss them a bit...since the days of branko strupar, malcolm christie, georgi kinkladze, mart poom..... -
yeahOriginally posted by The man who was death:derby may be coming back.....
miss them a bit...since the days of branko strupar, malcolm christie, georgi kinkladze, mart poom..... -
Kevin Phillips celebrates heading West Bromwich Albion in front
West Brom 1-0 Wolves
West Bromwich Albion will face Derby in the Championship play-off final at Wembley after Kevin Phillips headed the winner against Wolves at The Hawthorns.
Phillips, who scored twice in Albion's first-leg win, converted Robert Koren's cross after 64 minutes. Albion deserved their victory, although they almost let Wolves back in when defender Sam Sodje cleared his own back-pass off the line. Koren and Diomansy Kamara were then denied as Albion closed in on victory.
West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray:
"The task when we came here was to get in the Premier League and we still have a huge hurdle to overcome. "The win means nothing to me, I have no feeling of joy in my stomach. We have to try and get the job done against a good Derby County side. "It's the best day of your life if you can win at Wembley. That's the opportunity we have got and we have to prepare and we will be ready."
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy:
"It is disappointing but we have not really performed as well as we can. Maybe we had our opportunity at Molineux when we were by far the better side. "We had a lead in that game and lost, so maybe that was our chance. "We weren't expected to be here, so the players should have pride in what they have done for me, the club and themselves. "They have done wonders, and when the disappointment dies down they can look back on a great season."
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West Brom: Kiely, McShane, Perry, Sodje, Robinson, Koren, Greening, Gera, Koumas, Kamara (MacDonald 83), Phillips (Ellington 79).
Subs Not Used: Daniels, Clement, Carter.
Booked: Kamara.
Goals: Phillips 65.
Wolverhampton: Hennessey, Neill Collins, Breen, Craddock, McNamara (Mulgrew 76), Kightly (Ward 84), Olofinjana, Potter, McIndoe (Gleeson 59), Bothroyd, Keogh.
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Little.
Booked: Potter.
Att: 27,415
Ref: M Halsey (Lancashire). -
will there be a live telecast of the final?
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they've showed the semi finals so far, gotta show the final as well.....Originally posted by dragg:will there be a live telecast of the final? -
Championship play-off final at Wembley on Monday 28 May, 10:00 pm.
Winner to get the Final promotional place to the EPL
vs
West Bromwich Albion vs Derby
West Brom: Kiely, McShane, Perry, Sodje, Robinson, Greening, Chaplow, Carter, Koren, Gera, Koumas, Phillips, Ellington, Kamara, Daniels, Albrechtsen.
Derby: Bywater, Mears, Moore, Leaco ck, McEveley, Macken, Teale, Oakley, Pearson, Fagan, Howard, Seth Johnson, Nyatanga, Camp, Edworthy, Jones. -
go, derby go!!!!
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i cannot believe derby won. WBA were much much better.
they scored more than 100 goals this season but just couldnt find the net yesterday.
how ironic!!! -
Sigh, WBA failed to create a new record.
Never have all the clubs that were relegated last season make a swift return together. WBA almost made sure all did.