Our season may have finished on Sunday, but Saturday at 12.15 sees Palace take on Bristol City in the first leg of an unlikely play-off game. City have played their part throughout the season in the fight for automatic promotion whereas Palace have crept into contention by two good runs where they avoided defeat. City have the benefit of going to Palace in the first game and will want to keep things tight for the second leg on Tuesday. After that, the winners will face Watford or Hull at Wembley. None of these sides will exactly grace the premier League next season, so it will be a short-lived visit. Sour grapes, I know, but I hope Hull City make it.
Derby will be joined in the Championship by two from Birmingham, Reading and Fulham. The Royals go to Derby on the last day knowing that a win will save them and I expect them to get it. Fulham are at Portsmouth and Birmingham have a tricky home game against Blackburn Rovers. It would be good to get another London derby next season and I can't see Fulham out-pointing the other two next week.
Swansea and Forest will provide decent support next year at the Valley and tough away propositions. Joining them will be one from Doncaster, Carlisle, Leeds or Southend. Southend has always been a miserable away day for me and I can't abide Leeds United. On that basis, I will be rooting for Donny or Carlisle. Carlisle has been the scene of a memorbale Charlton triumph and it would be good to visit them towards the end of the season and instil hopes of a repeat promotion - a day that still lives long in my memory.
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Surely Southend would be the best opposition (and Tilson a potential replacement if Padrew leaves).
ReplyDeleteAbandon coaches for a day and hire boat from the Barrier to the Pier.
And then there's the Gary Nelson/ Chris Powell links.
We never seem to get a result against them however poor they might be on paper or form. The place is a tip and the natives unfriendly. Only my opinion of course!
ReplyDeleteOnly one memorable triumph at Carlisle?
ReplyDeleteI've been there to see 2 memorable triumphs - 2 promotions, 1981 as well as 1986.
Rob - Lest I forget! Yes, it would be great to make it a hat-trick.
ReplyDeleteI remember a 0-3 defeat at home to a not very good Southend side in the old 1st division.
ReplyDeleteWe also defeated them 4-3 on the day the new East Stand opened... I think Chrissy Powell was playing for them and Pardew scored the winner in the last minute?
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