Weekend of drama looms in the Football League

[wiw]

Brum get the automatic promotion spot

[MrsB]

They do

[lickedlollipop]

Congratz for the Blues!

[Mattshark]

Norwich
Southampton
Charlton

All down. When Rafa became our manager all 3 where Premiership sides.

[SB]

Norwich
Southampton
Charlton

All down. When Rafa became our manager all 3 where Premiership sides.

How good does that make Curbishly look now? They've been on a downhill spiral since he left. Admittedly he's done nowt since he left but it's like they were made for each other

[JohnDoe]

Hopefully, Preston will win the play-off.

[Parm]

who cares, they wil all end up getting relegated from the Premier League

[SB]

who cares, they wil all end up getting relegated from the Premier League

And we all end up in a hole in the ground one day but it doesn't stop us enjoying the time we have does it

[Parm]

And we all end up in a hole in the ground one day but it doesn't stop us enjoying the time we have does it

fair ****s to that

[dww]

How good does that make Curbishly look now? They've been on a downhill spiral since he left. Admittedly he's done nowt since he left but it's like they were made for each other

To be honest I think he would have achieved much the same as he did with Charlton at West Ham if he was given time. I think he tried to get in a better class of player but was forced to go for those who had some doubts hanging around them as he didn't have the reputation or European competition carrot to dangle for really top players. He went for too many injury prone players which was a big mistake but he seems a natural PL manager for teams looking to do a little bit more than survive even if I doubt he has the ability to go much further than that.

[MrsB]

Kevin Phillips fires Birmingham into Premier League after sleepless week

By James Nursey 4/05/2009, Mirror.co.uk



City's veteran hitman Phillips, 35, pounced for his 14th goal of the season to put the visitors 2-0 ahead in the 60th minute at the Madejski Stadium.

But Reading quickly halved the arrears as Marek Matejovsky scored within 60 seconds to make it 2-1.

And Phillips, who was taken off in a tactical substitution, admits it was agony watching the Blues hold on until the final whistle when victory sent them up in second.

He said: "To score the winning goal in the last game of the season to win promotion is great because I hadn't slept all week. "It was nerve-wracking knowing what was at stake this week. So scoring the goal is up there with the other important ones I have got.

"But I then went and sat on the bench for 15 minutes and I was feeling sick. "I had knots inside and every time they had the ball I thought they were going to score. It was awful. "I don't know how the managers do their job. I'm just a player but the emotions you go through mean you have to enjoy these moments and I'm certainly going to enjoy this."

Birmingham's determined display means a quick return to the top flight for Alex Mcleish's relegated team.

Phillips added: "I am delighted for the club that it's well documented that it's hard to bounce back.

"We've done the hardest bit gaining promotion but we have to try and be a stable club now. Overall it's not been a pretty season but we have deserved it."

Manager McLeish insisted he would not walk away from the club as reports claimed he was ready to move on.

He said: "This is not the time to talk about my future, it's a time for celebration. I have heard that there is speculation about my future but it is wide of the mark to say I will walk away."

I don't know how many games of such importance he has played in his career and they still make him nervous …

[MrsB]

Semi-final, first-leg Championship play-off: Preston 1-1 Sheff Utd.

[meffin]

Come on Burnley!!!!

[MrsB]

Burnley 1-0 Reading

[MrsB]

CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL (2nd leg):
FT Sheff Utd 1-0 Preston (agg 2-1)

Sheffield United are going to Wembley.