[theo_luddite]

EFL Play-Off's

OK so it's play-off time folks - no we ain't involved, but I volunteered for a thread so let's not let the massive throng that read our boards down eh? This only covers the matches that will affect us next season.
If you're a big fan of League 2, you probably already know where to find the info you need if you really want to.

What we already know

Goodbye and good luck to Norwich and Watford at the top end of The Chumpionship.

Coming the other way, or as you could put it ......

Down in the tube station at midnight.


The Blunts and the Baggies are already pencilled inked in for next season's Chumpionship fixture list, most likely Fulham will joint them.

Fighting it out to remain in the Chumpionship are

Brentford
Swansea
Barnsalee
Bournemouth

One of them will have the joy of full houses, scary players wages and dubious refereeing decisions for at least one season come August. Bornmuff then Swansea have been up there most recently. Barnsalee fans made a lot of noise for a while about it in and after the short time they were up there for the 97-98 season. Brentford could be in for a bit of a shock, not having been in the top flight since the 1930's (5 seasons) but they've a canny operator that owns them and a manager/coach that doesn't make too much fuss, he just gets on with it.

Fixtures

MONDAY 17TH MAY
AFC Bournemouth 18:00 Brentford
Barnsley 20:15 Swansea City

SATURDAY 22ND MAY
Brentford 12:30 AFC Bournemouth
Swansea City 17:30 Barnsley

Final
- SATURDAY 29 MAY -

If it doesn't get shifted so the UEFA Chumpions League match can take place over here instead of Turkey. If it does then all of the Play-off finals may have to be shifted (either date and/or venue) as UEFA have some weird rule about the stadium not being used for a certain number of days both BEFORE AND AFTER the final. Why after? I've not got a scooby-doo and I suspect they don't either.

Form guide



Which as usual will mean bugger all going into these games. I dispelled the myth of the "form team in the play-off's" a couple of seasons back, as did Town.
With the exception of Swansea, we did our best to help the others out as best we could this season  
Brentford are miles away the side with the best current form, just in case you were wondering.




Head2Head

Brentford won both matches, as did Swansea in the League Head2Heads this season.
Read into those results what you like. Swansea played Barnsalee twice within a few weeks in winter.
Brentford only recently played the 2nd game at Bornmuff and at least one of them might have had their foot off the gas.



If it all works out for Brentford, all you'll hear all the game in the final is "they were the form team at the end of the season coming into the play-off's and that is massive".
It's massive bollox that pans out about 50% of the time if you are lucky.
If they don't get beyond Bornmuff, it won't even get mentioned again.

Down Down, Deeper & Down



Wendies, Rotherham and Wycombe - we helped you as much as we could at the other end of the table - well, maybe in the case of Wendies, not quite as much as we helped Direby to be honest.  

League 1 Play-Off's

Already coming up are 'ull and Posh.

Blackpool
Blunderland
Lincoln
Oxford

are the one's trying to join them - or stay where they are.

The Cowley's despite their apparent best efforts with Pompey, blew it at home to Accrington Stanley in the last game of the season at Pompey. In truth, it had really been blown months before. Kenny Jacket had them top of the division after 20 games, but out of the play-off spots, and out of a job, 15-16 games later. 4 wins in 4 games under the Cowley's got them back in it, but the team's soft under belly only resulted in 2 wins and 4 defeats in the last 6 games. Fast finishing Oxford overhauled them and Charlton finished a whisker away from the play-off's.

Tuff sh*t Pompey, Pompey tuff sh*t.

Fixtures

TUESDAY 18TH MAY
Oxford United 18:00 Blackpool
WEDNESDAY 19TH MAY
Lincoln City 18:00 Sunderland
FRIDAY 21ST MAY
Blackpool 19:45 Oxford United
SATURDAY 22ND MAY
Sunderland 15:00 Lincoln City

Final
Sunday 30th May
Subject to the same Chumpions League bollox as above.

Form Guide
Oxford and Bollackpool by a country mile at the end of the season are the sides in form, but as with The Chumpionship - it means nowt as often as not, especially as they play each other.
They can't both get to Wemberlee.




Head2Head
Blackpool and Blunderland have plundered most points in these games.



So - come Bank Holiday weekend, who's going to be singing this?


Or maybe they will have to wait until the weekend after?  
We know it's not going to be us.  

[Lord Snooty]

Nice one, theo.

I think that Brentford are the Play Offs biggest bottlers, having failed many, many times. Could be them or Sheffield Utd.

Blackpool, on the other hand, seem to win every Play Off they enter.

---

From Wikipedia:-

Blackpool are the most successful club in play-off history, winning five times - 1992, 2001, 2007, 2010, and 2017.

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Also from Wikipedia:-

Most play-off participations without winning final: 9 – Brentford (from 9 participations)

[theo_luddite]

Didn't want to get too deep into the research to be honest Snoots - but good shout.

[WakeyTerrier]

Never mind the play offs, next Monday is massive(Not SWFC Massive)

The pubs will allow us to sit inside again!

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Oh and Oxford to get promoted please, new ground for me.

[theo_luddite]

You'll be able to watch the Chumpionship 1st legs while having a semi-socially distanced pint Wakey.

Assuming the pubs still have a Sky subscription.

At worst you'll be able hug your favourite barmaid again.

[WakeyTerrier]

Semi socially distanced 8pints

[theo_luddite]

'at's my boy

[Lord Snooty]

Bloody hell, that's all we need.

Fulham!

[theo_luddite]

Well that's one prediction I got right.

[Baggiebob(BBB)]

A good detailed write up Theo  
Does anyone have any idea who'll be promoted next year, besides the Baggies of course.

I think bornmuff will win one leg and not t'other, so if = on goals is a penalty shoot out, or on away goals? Just asking