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Post by karma on May 7, 2024 6:50:00 GMT
I suspect the Baggies will struggle to beat Southampton, but if we do, I fancy us to beat Leeds or Norwich (sorry chaps). On the other hand who knows? Championship is never predictable, which makes it more enjoyable than what lies ahead for the winner. I am fairly relaxed, but if it was a Wembley visit then a bit of tension may creep in. My long standing Scottish team, Stranraer, are in danger of dropping out of the league. They are the third oldest team in Scotland, behind Queens Park and Kilmarnock, and apparently one of the 20 oldest teams in the world! They have a play off on each of the next two Saturdays against East Kilbride. A quick glance at my diary suggests a possible visit for the home leg. I did go once, 20 odd years ago, and bumped into a family wearing Baggies shirts. Solihull Moors are at Wembley tomorrow and next week, FA Trophy and National League play off final to possibly get into the league for the first time. I hope they do. Hard luck to Solihull Moors , 2 -2 in their promotion play-off but losing on penalties . On those rare occasions when I'm watching a footy game (live or tv) and which is decided on penalties , I decline to watch the taking of those penalties. I feel after a season long battle with so many home and away games , injuries , change in personnel , draw in the final ,it's a bit of a sudden death 'shabby' way to cast your hopes into the rubbish bin. Still They've got this Saturday to take some glory home with the FA Trophy . Regardless of the outcome it has been a good year for this skilful and hard working team.The fans have been royally entertained. I'll look forward to watching them again in the new season at the LNER stadium ,York. I think it was 11 years ago York City visited Wembley twice, a week apart and for the same reasons as Solihul Moors ( but promotion to a different league) . I went to the first game (won) but had to miss the second Wembley trip as we attended a wedding in France . Had to message my daughter in the UK to get the second result (won) Good luck on Saturday for a brilliant game v Gateshead 🏆
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Post by newby on May 7, 2024 9:10:29 GMT
only one more match surely? I'd agree with that.
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Post by newby on May 8, 2024 8:08:48 GMT
Barnsley gave it a good go yesterday and despite winning on the night Bolton eventually saw them off and went through.
Tough game football, shocked to hear Liam Rosenier the Hull head coach had been sacked after his team just missed out on a play-off place.
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Post by slowleftarmer on May 8, 2024 9:30:20 GMT
Yes, does changing your manager really work? Birmingham seemed to go through 4 of them this year. The one they had at the start of the season, Eustace, was sacked to make way for Rooney who then led the Blues to the relegation zone, got sacked and was replaced by Mowbray who sadly is off on long term sick, so was temporarily replaced by someone whose name escapes me but could not stave off relegation to div 1.
Ironically, the Blackburn win to ensure their survival was probably a factor in the Blues going down and the Blackburn manager at the end of the season who oversaw their survival was..... oh yes, the same John Eustace who started the year at Birmingham!
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Post by donnylad on May 8, 2024 19:11:13 GMT
Thank you Byased and Newby for correcting my skip - I said a couple of seeks ago that play-offs shred me.
Even worse, some hack in my newspaper of choice has decided that Rovers are now favourites ..... it doesn't get any better/easier!!
WAFTR RTID
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Post by hawke on May 11, 2024 7:25:36 GMT
oh dear a long, tense and ultimately dispiriting night for Donny R.
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Post by karma on May 11, 2024 7:30:31 GMT
Hard luck Donny. I realise it will be of no comfort to supporters but the opposition were in free-fall for weeks, had really won nothing apart from this two-leg fixture.
I dislike penalties deciding a season-long battle and never watch them.
For Donny , well done, the season was an inspiration and a success. I've followed your battle with great interest and hope. I do wish this momentum can be carried forward into the next season for the club , supporters and all in Donnyland ⚽️
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Post by newby on May 11, 2024 7:56:04 GMT
A bit of a fairy tale eventually ending in a nightmare for the fans as the penalty shoot out unfolded.
I was out and missed the drama but commiserations to anyone with Doncaster connections. One small mercy is that the penalties were saved, rather than some poor soul shooting over the top.
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Post by donnylad on May 11, 2024 8:16:48 GMT
Thank you colleagues - shredded this morning and the weather has changed as well down here.
We were in the bottom 7 in mid March - we just failed to make the Play Off finals. Longest undefeated run in club history. What a platform for next season. Our record against Crewe is fairly level over time - I can remember watching them at Belle Vue back in the 50s and 60s. So Good luck to them.
I hope that we can keep McCann - he produces great football at clubs like Donny and Peterborough - less success at Hull.
I suspect the team are mentally and physically very tired.
If it brightens up then some gardening to recover.
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Post by byased on May 11, 2024 9:52:04 GMT
I saw the second half and extra time/penalties. Nothing to choose between the two teams for that period, although Crewe had done the damage early on. So far, the team who finished one behind the other team have won. Crewe and Oxford. Yorkshire teams have lost. So championship final should be Baggies v Norwich. clutching at straws or what?
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Post by karma on May 11, 2024 9:58:41 GMT
Thank you colleagues - shredded this morning and the weather has changed as well down here. We were in the bottom 7 in mid March - we just failed to make the Play Off finals. Longest undefeated run in club history. What a platform for next season. Our record against Crewe is fairly level over time - I can remember watching them at Belle Vue back in the 50s and 60s. So Good luck to them. I hope that we can keep McCann - he produces great football at clubs like Donny and Peterborough - less success at Hull. I suspect the team are mentally and physically very tired. If it brightens up then some gardening to recover. Indeed Donny made history with their run that kept us all interested and wishing and hoping and nobody can take that away 🌟
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Post by newby on May 11, 2024 19:17:39 GMT
Championship play-off start tomorrow at midday when Norwich play Leeds United. West Brom v Soton follows at 14:15.
Of course with Ipswich gaining promotion the best we can hope for is that 2 of the 3 teams that were relegated last season bounce straight back up, and I don't mean Southampton!.
Mind you, difficult to be too optimistic seeing that the 3 teams who gained promotion last year are coming straight back down from the Premiership this after todays results.
Burnley joined Sheffield United today, Luton are not officially down yet but they would need a very big win in their last game and for Notts forest to suffer an equally very big loss to overturn a -12 goal difference deficit.
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Post by karma on May 11, 2024 20:56:57 GMT
Hard luck Solihul Moors , 2 finals a week apart and both decided on penalties 2 - 2 AET tonight but again penalties are the decider.
I refuse to watch the culmination of a whole season, so many games, injuries and change of personel come to this.Penalties. Mark Beck scored a brace of goals for Gateshead. I've seen him at Harrogate and York City, Blyth and now at Gateshead , a proven goalscorer.
But for Solihul Moors , I would say that any team that gets within touching distance of a trophy or promotion for them well done a great season but for two such games says this is no fluke but a skillful and hardworking team that will be a tough adversary next season when I watch them play at York City. Take heart from a hard fought season
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Post by newby on May 12, 2024 13:33:21 GMT
Well that's 2 hours of my life I'll never get back. A very cagey game down in Norwich in which neither team looked likely to score. I think that suits us but certainly no harm done and it's down to the 2nd leg on Thursday at Elland Road.
For anyone watching I hope the WBA V Southampton is a better spectacle.
(edit) Another 0-0
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Post by slowleftarmer on May 13, 2024 7:22:48 GMT
great day of football for Sky.... 2 0-0s and a 1-0 to the Arsenal just like the old days with hardly a moment of controversry, VAR referrals or moments of excitement to then spend 45 minutes analysing
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