So it’s come to this…four team in the lower three tiers of professional football in the UK all fighting for the one remaining place in the division above.
Some games are played for the honour of promotion whilst in the Championship, the stakes are higher as it also comes with exposure and a shitload of money.
Most of the interest will centre around which team will make the EPL, so those first division snobs know who their team is playing next year, but all three divisions playoffs feature intriguing battles and for one team a reward for a hard slog of 46 league games. What’s another three if it ends in promotion. And great reward for The gurgler who has followed all four tiers with interest this year.
As a long suffering Ipswich Town fan, it is a nice and refreshing change just to involved this year, and to play Norwich in the semi finals with the newly acquired BeIn Sports subscription, it makes for football gold x 3 divisions.
We’ll give our thoughts below on the three tiers.
CHAMPIONSHIP
FIXTURES
CH | FRI | 8 | 19:45 | BRENTFORD | MIDDLESBROUGH |
CH | SAT | 9 | 12:15 | IPSWICH | NORWICH |
CH | FRI | 15 | 19:45 | MIDDLESBROUGH | BRENTFORD |
CH | SAT | 16 | 12:15 | NORWICH | IPSWICH |
CH | MON | 25 | 15:00 | CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF FINAL |
ODDS FOR PROMOTION
Norwich $2.70
Middlesbrough $3.00
Brentford $5.00
Ipswich $5.00
PROMOTION POSITIONS LAST 10 SEASONS
3rd – 6 times
4th – 1 time
5th – 2 times
6th – 1 time
IPSWICH (6th) v NORWICH (3rd)
2015 Results Norwich 2 Ipswich 0 / Ipswich 0 Norwich 1
Last 6 Meetings (to 2008) Norwich 5 Ipswich 1
Heart says Ipswich, everything else says Norwich. The biggest game of all the semi finals this year as it features the local derby (or Old Farm derby) between two bitter rivals.
Norwich fell just short of automatic promotion whilst Ipswich fell over the line for the playoff places, relying on Derby to go even worse than them on the last day of the season.
Norwich also have a superior record against Ipswich winning 5 of the last 6, so it all points to a respectable end to the season for Ipswich and further progress for Norwich. The Ipswich fan in me hopes I’m wrong.
PREDICTION – Norwich to win both legs.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4th) v BRENTFORD (5th)
2015 Results – Brentford 0 M’brough 1 / M’brough 4 Brentford 0
Last 3 results (to 2002) M’brough 3 Brentford 0.
Middlesbrough ended up a little like Derby County, was in the top two for most of the season only to fall behind eventually to 4th by the last day, unlike Derby who missed out on playoffs all together.
Brentford have a little more momentum after losing it a little a few months back when their owners advised the world that their current manager was not staying.
Middlesbrough tend to grind out results, where Brentford look the more dynamic.
PREDICTION – Brentford to surprise.
FINAL PREDICTION
Norwich’s experience to tell in the big game and go straight back up.
LEAGUE ONE
FIXTURES
L1 | THU | 7 | 19:45 | CHESTERFIELD | PRESTON |
L1 | THU | 7 | 19:45 | SHEFFIELD UTD | SWINDON |
L1 | SUN | 10 | 12:15 | PRESTON | CHESTERFIELD |
L1 | MON | 11 | 19:45 | SWINDON | SHEFFIELD UTD |
L1 | SUN | 24 | 17:30 | LEAGUE ONE PLAYOFF FINAL |
ODDS FOR PROMOTION
Preston $2.65
Sheffield Utd $3.60
Swindon Town $3.75
Chesterfield $5.50
PROMOTION POSITIONS LAST 10 SEASONS
3rd – 3 times
4th – 4 time (last four years)
5th – 2 times
6th – 1 time
PRESTON (3rd) v CHESTERFIELD (4th)
2015 Results – Chesterfield 0 Preston 2 / Preston 3 Chesterfield 3
Last 6 results (to 2008) – Preston 3 Chesterfield 1 Draws 2
Preston previously held the record for the longest stint in the Championship for over 60 odds years, so they will feel that the Championship is their rightful place. Pity though, they have lost their last 8 playoff attempt.
Chesterfield have done well this season after being promoted form the fourth divisions. But the experience and quality of Preston should shine through.
PREDICTION: Preston to win both legs.
SWINDON TOWN (4th) v SHEFFIELD UTD (5th)
2015 Results Shef Utd 2 Swindon 0 / Swindon 5 Shef Utd 2
Last 6 games (back to 2012) Shef Utd 3 Swindon 2 Draws 1
Sheffield United have now had their customary cup run, this it was the League Cup. Question is does it help or hinder the team who can quite get out of the third tier.
Swindon however have been in the Top 7 for most of the year, and will be relishing the opportunity to show why they finished the season a good 8 points in front.
PREDICTION – Sheffield United to win at home, Swindon to win second game, but by less a margin as the first leg. Sheffield Utd to advance.
FINAL PREDICTION
Both Sheffield Utd and Preston have awful records in playoffs, Preston haven’t won 8 in a row, whilst Sheffield Utd have been there and not done in the past also.
Sheffield United to go through on penalties.
LEAGUE TWO
FIXTURES
L2 | SAT | 9 | 19:45 | PLYMOUTH | WYCOMBE |
L2 | SUN | 10 | 18:35 | STEVENAGE | SOUTHEND |
L2 | THU | 14 | 19:45 | WYCOMBE | PLYMOUTH |
L2 | THU | 14 | 19:45 | SOUTHEND | STEVENAGE |
L2 | SAT | 23 | 17:30 | LEAGUE TWO PLAYOFF FINAL |
ODDS FOR PROMOTION
Southend $2.75
Plymouth $3.50
Wycombe $4.00
Stevenage $5.00
PROMOTION POSITIONS LAST 10 SEASONS
4th – 3 times
5th – 2 times
6th – 2 times
7th – 3 times
WYCOMBE (4th) v PLYMOUTH (7th)
2015 Results – Wycombe 0 Plymouth 2 / Plymouth 0 Wycombe 1
Last 6 Games (to 2012) Wycombe 3 Plymouth 2 Draws 1
Results went to the away sides during the 2014-15 season, and Wycombe will be wondering how they missed the automatic promotion when not so long ago they were amongst the leaders and looking a sure fire bet for going up.
Plymouth have done well to get to 7th, and give themselves an outside chance of going up. The odds tell a different story and Plymouth are somehow shorter than their higher ranked opponent.
PREDICTION: Plymouth to win first leg, draw the second.
SOUTHEND (5th) v STEVENAGE (6th)
2015 Results – Southend 2 Stevenage 0 / Stevenage 4 Southend 2
Last 5 Games – Southend 3 Stevenage 1 Draws 1
A battle of managers who have done the promotion thing before – Graham Westley with Stevenage in a previous life as they leapt through non league all the way to League One. Southend’s Phil Brown has done it in the big time as he took Hull City up into the EPL a few years ago.
So manager pedigree is high, and there is not much in the playing roster. Hard to choose.
PREDICTION: Draw first Game, Southend to win at home.
FINAL PREDICTION: Southend to beat Plymouth by a couple of goals.