Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard scores from the penalty spot against Athletico Madrid during their Champions League, Group D, soccer match at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. AP Photo/Paul Thomas
For ten months it’s a marathon. To be the best over a period of some 46 matches. When the music stops, four are left fighting for an opportunity that may never come again. An opportunity that’s worth millions.
There is nothing as dramatic as the playoffs in English soccer.
You won’t see anything like it in the world of sport. To be so close to the promised land of the next division, only to be denied at the final step is devastating.
Conversely, there is nothing like the emotional high of winning the playoff and graduating to the next level.
It’s a sign of the times to see the composition of the top flight.
In the 1950s, Wolves were dominant, Derby Country were the team to beat in the early 1970s, while Nottingham Forest were on top at the end of the decade.
When I started following English football, in the mid 80s, you had teams like Sheffield Wednesday, Luton Town, Southampton, Coventry in the top flight.
All these teams are now scattered throughout the various divisions.
Three former staples of the top flight – Norwich City, Southhampton and Charlton – are the three teams being relegated to next year’s League One.
In all other sports, you can have a bad era, but at least you are still in the big time. Here a bad patch could literally spell the end of your team.
All the players will be sold off and you will have to start from rock bottom. That is the ugly side of the coin. On the day a team gets relegated, take a look around the stadium. You see tears of hopelessness, despair and sadness.
The further away from the Premiership means the further away from the glitz and glamour of the bright lights and the big names. The stadiums get smaller and the column inches shrink.
The much nicer side of the coin is seeing teams on the rise.
Wolves and Birmingham City have won their way through to next year’s Premier League. Preston North End, Sheffield United, Burnley and Reading are fighting for that final spot.
Sheffield United have spent the last twenty years shuffling between the divisions. It’s biggest period in the top league was between 1990 and 1994.
Reading hasn’t had much luck with the playoffs, and after finally winning, went down after two years in the Premier League.
They are trying to make it straight back.
Burnley is looking to return to the top flight for the first time since 1976, and Preston North End haven’t been back since 1961.
As the first English football champions, they would be the real Cinderella story if they were the ones to go through.
Lower down, you have Milton Keynes Don trying to win through to the Championship, along with Scunthorpe United, Millwall and the once mighty Leeds United.
The Champions League final and FA Cup final is all very well and good. But if you want real drama, watch the playoff finals.
Captain Random
Guest
David - Leeds United is my team, probably against all good judgement. At least we seem to have hit form at the right time. Then again, Leeds have lost two playoff finals in the last three years.
MVDave
Roar Rookie
The Championship Play off Final has the biggest prize of any in World Sport...promotion the the EPL worth an estimated 60million pounds (Aus$130m). That is due to the increase in TV money etc. Cant think of any prize bigger for a single game.
Rolling Maul
Guest
David - We are sending Hull back down this weekend! They thought they were going to Europe at one stage earlier in the season.... Paddy Power was at the Brittania last week and shouted drinks for the fans to say sorry for paying out after the first round. Get behind Stoke.. all Aussies love the underdog.. and they have had a few Aussies their at times.. Danny Tiatto and Josip Skoko were there.. and another perth boy who I can't remember at the mo.
David Wiseman
Roar Guru
Captain Random - Good luck! Which is your team? Onside - 100% - Everywhere you look it's pure drama. Rolling Maul - I think you're the first Potters fan I've ever met. How exciting! You've just made my day. Pippinu - Thanks. It is a huge gulf but a team like Manchester City was able to drop two levels and still fight its way back. Not sure how many other teams could do this. Maybe one day Leeds will also be back. Ben of Phnom Penh - That's true. FIFA politics ain't for the feint-hearted (or is it faint-hearted?)
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
If you want the best drama watch the FIFA West Asia seat election
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Nice article (although I was initially a bit confused by the title). Other bloggers have used the terms brutal and cut-throat in the past, and it's hard to argue with such descriptors. Especially in the modern age, where there is now a massive gulf between the resources controlled by a Premiership team running above the drop zone and an Championship team running under the promotion zone - the closeness in positions on paper belie the absolute gulf in money that is involved.
Rolling Maul
Guest
I love watching the final game of the season with all the fans listening to radio's to get results from other grounds. The Championship is the best for me.. seeing teams playing off for the promised land or back down to the lower leagues. As a Stoke fan who's team was written off before the start of the season and Paddy Power paid out on them going down after the first round.. I'm very very happy not to be caught up in it all this year (another point should do it). There isn't another sport that can provide that emotion than the last few rounds.
onside
Guest
Plus there are the equally rivetting relegation 'finals' where teams fight tooth and nail to avoid the drop zone.
Captain Random
Guest
Totally agree. The playoffs are fantastic ... if you're a neutral. For that reason I will find the Championship, League Two and Conference playoffs fascinating, but the League One playoffs will be hugely stressful for me.