This weekend (13th-14th May), football has come to a very exciting conclusion, but for a moment, let's put aside the Scottish Premiership and the English Premier League, where there have been plenty of goals and typically, Spurs losing away at Aston Villa 2-1, (nowhere near good enough!).
As of 2022, the various league play-offs comprise of two semi-finals, each conducted as a two-legged tie with games played at each club. The aggregate winners of the semi-finals progress to the final, which is contested at Wembley Stadium. In front of a healthy crowd at the National Stadium, the victorious side is promoted to the league above, and the runners-up remain in their same division. In the event of drawn ties or finals, extra time, followed by a penalty shoot-out are employed as necessary.
A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Premier League and the EFL Championship The three lowest placed teams in the Premier League are relegated to the Championship, and the top two teams from the Championship promoted to the Premier League, with an additional team promoted after a series of play-offs involving the third, fourth, fifth and sixth placed clubs.
The English Football League final fixtures include play-offs (and the Scots are doing the same) where a series of matches, contested by the four clubs finishing immediately below the automatic promotion places, in the second, third and fourth tiers of the EFL namely the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two. Promotion looks like this....
The EFL Sky Bet Championship Play-offs 1st Legs were between Coventry and Middlesbrough 0-0 (29,000 attended) next tie Wednesday AND Sunderland 2 beat Luton Town 1 (46,000+ saw this)...next tie Tuesday.
The Sky Bet EF League One Semi-final pairing of Bolton and Barnsley, in their first "leg" match, ended 1-1, in a competitive "Roses" game. (crowd 23,000+). Next tie Thursday. The other first leg "tie" was between Peterbrough 4 v Sheffield Wednesday 0 (12,569). Next tie 18th.
Salford City played their Sky Bet League Two Play-Off semi-final 1st Leg v Stockport County, in a "Greater Manchester" derby. Nearly 4,000 saw Salford gain a 1-0 lead over County. Next tie 20th.
In the other League Two Semi-final, Bradford City beat Carlisle 1-0 (20,575 watched) played on Sunday (14th) over 20,000 attended. Next tie 22nd.
Let's not forget the Women's FA Cup Final at Wembley between Chelsea and Manchester United. OR
The National League Play Off: South: Oxford City 4 v 0 St Albans City AND the National League North: Play Off between Brackley 0 v 2 Kidderminster.
Play-offs in Scotland exist in the Cinch Pemiership, League One and League Two. The Scots had fun also with cinch Premiership Quarter-final winners Partick Thistle at Queen's Park scoring a 0-4 victory, The cinch Championship winners were Airdrieonians 0-1 away at Falkirk with an aggregate win 7-2 (crowd 4,080) and Hamilton beating Alloa 5-2 (aggregate 5-3) watched by just over 1,500 (yes 1,500). The cinch League One semis were won by Clyde beating East Fife 2-1 and Anna Athletic 6-0 following the 0-0 first leg beating Dumbarton. The winners meet tomorrow 1st Leg 7.35pm.
The Scottish League Two Play Off Final 1st leg saw Spartans and Albion Rovers draw 1-1; more to play on Saturday 20th.
The Welsh Premiership Europa League Play Off Final resulted in Newtown and Haverfordwest County drawing their second leg 1-1; County won 4-3 on penalties...all that effort over a season with the decision to get in Europe solved by penalties!!
AND AS A BONUS SINCE TODAY IS NOW THE 15th May
On this day in 1957, the Denmark v England international played in Copenhagen saw Stanley Matthews play his last match for England. He had won his first cap as a 19-year-old against Wales in 1934 and over the next 23 years had played 54 times for his country. At 42 years and 103 days his appearance against Denmark saw him set the record as the oldest player ever to turn out for England. In fact only two other over-40s have played for England - both were goalkeepers - Alec Morton back in the 1870's and more recently Peter Shilton. Stanley Matthews also holds the record for being England's oldest goalscorer with a goal against Northern Ireland in October 1956 when he was 41 years and 248 days old, that's over five years older than the next oldest, Tom Finney. England won the match in Denmark 4-1, a World Cup qualifier, to virtually assure their place at the 1958 finals in Sweden.
Yes, that was the kit for an international match. rolled up shirt sleeves, with buttons, collars, creases in shorts, woolly socks. Note, no tie!!
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