Final Week Going Up Or Going Down
It’s the last weekend of the 2004-05 Football League season and here’s a check on the latest promotion and relegation issues in the English senior divisions.It’s the last weekend of the 2004-05 Football League season and here’s a check on the latest promotion and relegation issues in the English senior divisions.
PREMIERSHIP
Champions: Chelsea
Champions League Qualifiers: Arsenal and Manchester United are battling it out for second place which ensures automatic qualification while Everton, Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers are also competing for third and fourth. Subject to the implications of Liverpool winning the Champions League, the successful teams go in to the Qualifying rounds.
UEFA Cup Qualifiers: Due to Arsenal and Manchester United reaching the FA Cup Final, definitely fifth, sixth and seventh, plus a possible place through the Fair Play League.
Relegation: With only two games to go, it’s now definitely only one of the bottom four who will survive. Crystal Palace and Southampton - who meet at Selhurst Park tomorrow - are one point ahead of West Bromwich Albion (away at Manchester United) and Norwich City (home to Birmingham City). It means, if there’s a winner in the Palace - Saints game, West Brom and / or Norwich will be down if they lose.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Champions: Sunderland
Promoted: In their final games on Sunday and barring remarkable scorelines, Wigan Athletic (home to Reading) will be a Premiership club if Ipswich Town (away at Brighton & Hove Albion) can’t better the Latics’ result.
Play-Offs: It’s one of Ipswich or Wigan plus Preston North End. Derby County (home to Preston) need a point to be sure of joining them. For the final place, West Ham United (away to Watford) and Reading (away at Wigan) are level on points and Goal Difference with West Ham having the advantage of having scored 14 more goals. Sheffield United (away at Wolverhampton Wanderers) still have an outside chance - West Ham and Reading must lose while Sheffield win and make up a Goal Difference of six.
Relegated: Crewe Alexandra (home against Coventry City) will join Rotherham United and Nottingham Forest unless they win. Should that happen, Gillingham (away at Forest) would need to win to survive while Brighton & Hove Albion (home to Ipswich) would have to avoid defeat.
LEAGUE ONE
Champions: Luton Town
Promoted: Hull City
Play-Offs: Tranmere Rovers Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford. The final place is between AFC Bournemouth and Hartlepool United who meet at the Fitness First Stadium. Bournemouth must win to deny their visitors.
Relegated: Stockport County, Peterborough United and Wrexham plus Milton Keynes Dons (home to Tranmere Rovers) if the Dons lose. They will survive with a draw if Oldham Athletic (home versus Bradford City) lose by a two-goal margin or more. Torquay United (away to Colchester United) would go down if they lose and both the Dons and Oldham win.
LEAGUE TWO
Promoted:
Yeovil Town (home against Lincoln City) - if they avoid defeat. Could also go up if they lose and two of Scunthorpe, Southend and Swansea don’t win or if Southend and Swansea win but one of them can’t make up a Goal Difference of three and four, respectively.
Scunthorpe United (away versus Shrewsbury Town) - if they win or if they avoid defeat as long as both Southend and Swansea don’t win and don’t make up a Goal Difference of eight and nine, respectively. If Yeovil lose, only one of Southend and Swansea would have to fail to win by at least eight goals. If Scunthorpe lose, the Iron would miss out if both Southend and Swansea win.
Southend United (away to Grimsby Town) and Swansea City (away at Bury) - level on points so, basically, Swansea need a better result than Southend although Swans could prevail just with a better scoreline than the Shrimpers. Southend have a Goal Difference of +19 and scored 64 goals. Swansea have a Goal Difference of +18 and scored 61 goals.
Play-Offs: One of the above four that misses out on automatic promotion plus three of:
Lincoln City (away at Yeovil Town) - unless they lose and one of Northampton Town (home to Kidderminster Harriers) and Darlington (home to Cheltenham Town) win and make up a Goal Difference of 12 and 14 goals, respectively.
Macclesfield Town (home to Rushden & Diamonds) - if they avoid defeat, of if they lose and one of Northampton or Darlington fail to win.
Northampton Town (home to Kidderminster Harriers) and Darlington (home to Cheltenham Town) - level on points so, basically, Darlington need a better result than Northampton although the Quakers could prevail just with a better scoreline than the Cobblers. Northampton have a Goal Difference of +8 and scored 59 goals. Darlington have a Goal Difference of +6 and scored 54 goals.
Relegated: Cambridge United and Kidderminster Harriers
CONFERENCE
Champions: Barnet
Play-Offs: It’s the second leg of the semi-finals tonight. Aldershot Town have a 1-0 advantage as they make the long trip to Carlisle United while Hereford United and Stevenage Borough are level at 1-1 before they meet at Edgar Street.
Relegated: Forest Green Rovers, Farnborough Town and Leigh RMI
