The Playoffs – We’re Halfway There

So, the chase for promotion continues – and two of our finals are set.

The first of these happens this Sunday, when Bristol Rovers and Grimsby Town fight for a league position next season. Neither are strangers to league football, either – for Rovers, they spent 94 consecutive years there until their relegation last year, whereas Grimsby went 117 consecutive years there, and are only the fourth team to have competed in all top 5 divisions.

Grimsby since have been oh-so-close in returning for the past few seasons – in the last two years they’ve lost in the playoff semi-finals to Newport Town and Gateshead respectively. This year though, they’re already one step further – passing the semi-finals on the third time of asking, beating Eastleigh to get there.

Bristol Rovers are looking for an immediate return to the Football League, whereas Grimsby have reached the playoff final after losing in the semi-finals the previous two years.

For Bristol Rovers, it was almost back up after their relegation – but with only one automatic promotion slot available, Barnet beat them to it – so as runners up, they took on Forest Green Rovers and took a 3-0 victory over 2 legs to get to this match with Grimsby on Sunday.

Someone’s brief stint out of the Football League ends this Sunday – but who? Bristol Rovers or Grimsby Town?

Elsewhere, while we wait for the second legs in the Championship and League Two playoffs, the League One playoff final is sorted when Preston North End take on Swindon Town.

Norwich, Middlesbrough, Brentford and Ipswich continue their fight for promotion to the Premier League.

Preston’s legacy speaks for itself – Notts County excluded, they’ve played more Football League games than anyone else. They were founding members of the Football League itself, and even won the inaugural season whilst being unbeaten. The original “Invincibles”! However this season, while good, was denied a perfect wrap-up as they lost their automatic promotion spot to M.K. Dons on the final day of the season. Still, they made it to the final of the playoffs by beating Chesterfield.

Swindon have themselves been a top-tier team – more recently than Preston, too – having been there in the 1993/94 Premier League season (PNE haven’t made the top tier since 1961). Their progression to the playoff final was an incredibly dramatic affair – whilst taking the first leg at a respectable 2-1, an absolutely bonkers second leg saw them draw with Sheffield United 5-5 – Sheffield scored 2 late goals but just couldn’t find one more and eventually lost overall 7-6 over the two legs!

So it leads us to a Preston North End/Swindon Town final – who’s going to the Championship?

Still looking to make League One are Wycombe Wanderers, Southend United, Stevenage and Plymouth Argyle.

Elsewhere, the second legs for the Championship and League Two playoffs are still to come: Middlesbrough lead Brentford 2-1 while Norwich and Ipswich are tied 1-1 in the Championship playoffs; and Wycombe Wanderers are 3-2 up on Plymouth Argyle with Stevenage and Southend United are tied 1-1 in the League Two playoffs.

It’s all to play for: We’re four promotions and one relegation (in the Premier League) away from knowing what our 2015/16 season looks like!

The playoff final for the Football Conference is this Sunday, and for Championship, League One and League Two they take place over the Bank Holiday weekend of the 23rd, 24th and 25th May respectively. All games will be played at Wembley Stadium, in London.

Ashley Redman
Still trying to figure out the offside rule