English Football’s Unique Ending

An exciting ending comes to footy fans yet again, as the Premier League title will be decided on the final day of the season. A Chelsea win would seal the deal, but Manchester United hopes Wigan can repeat the magic they performed earlier in the year. Sir Alex Ferguson has already spoken of whats to come in the off-season, but die hard United fans can help but wonder what might happen if the Blues were held to a solitary point (or less) on the weekend. Man Utd would have to win too…

While all eyes on Chelsea, as they try to secure their first Premier League trophy in 4 seasons, excitement breathes from other areas across the country…

PROMOTION PLAYOFFS:

With 2 teams already in, 4 teams will duke it out for the final spot to move up to the Premier League. Newcastle and West Brom have already secured their place in the top 20, now it’s 3 more games to find out whether it will be Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City, Leicester City, or Blackpool.

The last time any of these clubs played in a Premier League game was Leicester in 2004…  Forest was last seen in the top flight in 199, while Cardiff and Blackpool have never enjoyed a spell in the Premier League. The Trees and Tangerines match-up is an intriguing one, Forest may appear to have the advantage, but Blackpool defeated them in both league games this season. The Bluebirds and Foxes, on the other hand, split their decisions this season, each winning the home fixture. Whomever moves onto the final will surely make for an entertaining winner take all showdown… 5 out of the last 6 Promotion Finals have been decided by a score of 1-0. It shall be an exciting few weeks to come. Here are the necessary details for the playoffs:

Schedule:
Nottingham Forest @ Blackpool – Sat. May 8, 12:45GMT
Cardiff @ Leicester – Sun. May 9, 13:15GMT
Blackpool @ Nottingham Forest – Tue. May 11, 19:45GMT
Cardiff @ Leicester – Wed. May 12, 19:45GMT

Promotion Playoff Final – Wembley Stadium, Sat. May 22

LEAGUE ONE:

While things are wrapping up in the Championship, teams in League 1 are still left with one fixture to decide the rest of it… Norwich City ran away with the title, but recently cursed Leeds United still has hopes of hanging onto the #2 spot, and securing an automatic promotion to the Championship. Whites fans would like to forget the results they’ve had in the promotion playoffs… The remaining teams battling it out in the Playoffs would be Millwall, Swindon Town, Charlton, and Huddersfield Town; but the Lions and Robins both have hopes of catching Leeds.
At the bottom of the table, Tranmere Rovers will try and stave off relegation by catching either Exeter City, Gillingham, or Leyton Orient.

A Little Championship Excitement…

… ok, more like A LOT! With my attention being diverted and focused mainly on the Premier League, I almost failed to realize what a spectacular finish is in store just one division down. Races are coming to a headstrong conclusion at both ends of the table. Check it out…

In a battle for the 4th and final spot in the promotion playoffs, Blackpool and Swansea City are slugging it out. The two have been neck and neck for weeks now, and it will all come down to this weekends final games… The Seasiders will take on Bristol City at home… while Swansea get to host Doncaster Rovers at the Liberty Stadium. The edge may go to the Swans as Bristol defeated Blackpool earlier this season. Nottingham Forest likely awaits the 6th place winner, while Leicester City and Cardiff City are slotted to square off in the other tie.

At the other end of the spectrum, two teams hope to simply stay afloat in the Championship… Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday (two storied clubs) will try and live to fight another year. The most exciting part? The Owls and Eagles will face off against each other to settle things once and for all. Here’s what you need to know:

21. Crystal Palace           48 pts        -3 GD
22. Sheff. Wednesday    46 pts     -20 GD

Time: 1200 GMT

Place: Hillsborough Stadium

Possibilities:
Winner stays up
Loser goes to League 1
a draw would send Sheff Wed down

With all the anticipation just one league up, some may forgo the final weekend in the Championship, but please take notice, as excitement is sure to ensue. Check back next week for a promotion playoff preview and a look ahead to the final week in the PL. Congrats to West Brom and Newcastle! Condolences to Plymouth and Peterborough