Championship Play Offs 2009
May 7th, 2009 by Bob
The Championship football season has now ended for most of the teams in the English Championship.
It’s champagne all round in the Midlands with Wolves and Birmingham already promoted to the Premier League and commiserations to the bottom three; with Norwich, Southampton and Charlton all relegated to League One.
Just four teams still have something to play for; Sheffield United, Reading, Burnley and Preston still have it all to play for in the Championship Play Offs , which start on Friday.
Being a Yorkshire lad I hope Sheffield United can make it back to the Premier League but the play-offs are never easy and all four teams are in with a shout.
Preston vs Sheff Unt
Preston clinched a place through the narrowest of margins; edging Cardiff out of the top 6 on Goal Scored. Winning their last 4 games on the bounce (including a 6-0 thrashing of Cardiff) sees them going into the play-offs on the back of a good run of form.
Sheffield finished better in the league (only just missing out on automatic promotion) but their form in recent weeks hasn’t been good; with only 1 win from the last 4 games.
Previous meetings between the two teams this season saw a goal less draw at Deepdale and Sheff Unt nicking a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane.
I think Sheff Unt will do enough to win over the two legs.
Reading vs Burnley
Saturday sees Reading travelling to Burnley for the 1st leg of their two games and Steve Coppell will be pleased to be playing away given Readings disastrous home form of late (not won at home since the 27th January).
Points have been shared 50/50 in previous meetings; with Burnley beating Reading 1-0 at home and Reading winning 3-1 at home.
Burnley has done well this season; but I wouldn’t see them lasting long in the Premier League and I think Reading will win this tie.
I hope to see a Sheff Unt vs Reading play-off final at Wembley and have taken Odds of 2.76 from Sky Bet for both Sheff Unt and Reading to qualify.
Hopefully it will be a great day of football for whichever teams make it to the final!
Let me know who you think will get promotion to the English Premier League through the play offs.