Blackpool, West Ham to battle for EPL promotion

Updated May 10, 2012 08:33:45

Blackpool thwarted a late rally by Birmingham City in their Championship semi-final play-off, drawing 2-2 to clinch a 3-2 aggregate victory and set up a high-stakes promotion final with West Ham United next week.

Goals either side of half-time by Steven Dobbie and Matt Phillips put the visitors 2-0 up in the second leg but Birmingham refused to be beaten on the night and fought back through Nikola Zigic and Curtis Davies.

Defender Davies ensured a nerve-jangling finish when his powerful close-range header in the 73rd minute made up for his own goal in the first leg.

"I'm so proud of my players," Blackpool manager Ian Holloway told Sky Sports.

"That was a fantastic fightback by Birmingham and it was all so exciting that I had to ask someone what the score was.

"It's all over now though. We did it and we are going to Wembley."

West Ham, relegated last season along with Blackpool and Birmingham, take on Holloway's team at Wembley on May 19 for a place in the Premier League in a tussle known as the 'richest club match in football' due to the enormous financial rewards for promotion to the top flight.

"This has been a real tough day for us," said Birmingham manager Chris Hughton.

"I've just walked away from a devastated dressing room - we all feel that way because it's been a long, hard season.

"We've had lots of ups and downs, lots of emotion, and it makes it even tougher when you get so close to reaching the final and miss out."

Reuters

Tags: english-premier, english-lower, soccer, sport, england, united-kingdom

First posted May 10, 2012 08:33:45

View the original article here

Blackpool takes slender play-off lead

Updated May 07, 2012 09:29:34

A Curtis Davies own goal has given Blackpool a 1-0 lead to take into the play-off semi-final, second leg in Birmingham, as both sides look to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Thomas Ince's deflected first-half strike gave Blackpool the win at Bloomfield Road ahead of the second leg at St Andrews next Wednesday.

Blackpool could have taken a greater lead into the second leg as Stephen Dobbie missed a clear chance to double Ian Holloway's side's lead.

The Blues offered little other than a Marlon King effort that clipped the bar.

The Seasiders' substitute and former Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips seemed to have bagged the crucial second 14 minutes from time but his header was ruled out for offside.

On Thursday West Ham beat play-off opponents Cardiff 2-0 away in the Welsh capital to take a major stride towards securing a place in the play-off final at Wembley on May 19.

The clubs will meet for the second leg at West Ham's Upton Park on May 7.

Championship winners Reading and runners-up Southampton claimed the two automatic promotion places on offer and are assured of playing in the lucrative English top flight next season.

But the four clubs immediately below the Saints must battle it for the one remaining spot in the top flight via the playoffs, which culminate with the Wembley final.

AFP/ABC

Tags: sport, soccer, english-premier, england

First posted May 05, 2012 08:47:52

View the original article here

Fowler poised to play for Blackpool

Updated March 02, 2012 08:57:20

Former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler is contemplating a return to English football with Championship side Blackpool after plans to play in India fell through.

The 36-year-old has played in Australia at North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory and in Thailand since leaving English football four years ago following a brief spell at Blackburn Rovers.

He was set to appear in the new Premier League Soccer (PLS) competition in India before its latest postponement forced him to head back to north-west England, where he made his name with Liverpool.

Now Fowler is training at nearby Blackpool, relegated from the lucrative English Premier League last season and currently pushing for an immediate return to the top flight from the second-tier Championship.

In a series of posts on their official Twitter page, Blackpool said: "Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has trained with the club today (Thursday) with a view to signing a permanent deal.

"No deal has yet been agreed but (Blackpool manager) Ian Holloway revealed in his press conference the striker has impressed and is close to full fitness."

Blackpool face Hull on Friday but the club dismissed suggestions Fowler would sign in time to face a side managed by former Liverpool team-mate Nick Barmby.

ABC/AFP

Tags: sport, soccer, england

First posted March 02, 2012 08:55:04

View the original article here

Blues and Blackpool relegated in Premier League

Published:Monday, May 23, 2011 7:25 AESTExpires:Sunday, August 21, 2011 7:25 AEST

Soccer clubs Blackpool and Birmingham City have been relegated on the final day of the English Premier League.

View Transcript

Tags: english-premier-league, united-kingdom

View the original article here

Blackpool, Blues relegated on final day

Updated May 23, 2011 06:39:00

Blackpool and Birmingham were relegated from the Premier League on Monday morning as Wigan and Wolves scrambled to safety in a thrilling finale to the English season.

Blackpool's fairytale debut season in the top-flight came to an end at Old Trafford where it was beaten 4-2 by champions Manchester United while Birmingham was sent down after losing 2-1 at Tottenham.

The epicentre of the drama came at Molineux, where Wolves looked to be heading for humiliation against Blackburn after Jason Roberts, Brett Emerton and Junior Hoilett put Rovers 3-0 up at half-time.

But Mick McCarthy's men were thrown a lifeline when Jamie O'Hara scored on 73 minutes to make it 3-1 before Stephen Hunt pulled another goal back for Wolves three minutes from time.

At that stage Hunt's goal would have been enough to send Birmingham down on goals scored as the Blues held Spurs 1-1 at White Hart Lane after Craig Gardner cancelled out Roman Pavlyuchenko's opener for Tottenham.

Pavlyuchenko's second goal of the afternoon in the 90th minute was the final nail in the coffin as Birmingham's two-year stay in the Premier League came to a heart-breaking end in stark contrast to its joy earlier this season when it won the League Cup.

At Old Trafford, Blackpool had dared to dream of a stunning upset over United when goals from Charlie Adam and Gary Taylor-Fletcher fired the Seasiders into a 2-1 lead following Park Ji-Sung's early opener.

But an equaliser from Brazilian midfielder Anderson was followed by an Ian Evatt own goal before Michael Owen wrapped up a 4-2 victory that sent Ian Holloway's popular minnows back to the Championship next season.

Wigan, who had started the day second from bottom, meanwhile completed its Houdini act when a Hugo Rodallega goal on 78 minutes gave them a priceless 1-0 win over Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

The victory gave Wigan back-to-back wins for the first time this season, and followed last weekend's remarkable escape act when it came from 2-0 down to beat West Ham 3-2.

In other results Sunday, Manchester City made sure of automatic qualification to the Champions League after goals from Joleon Lescott and Edin Dzeko handed it a 2-0 win at Bolton.

But a dismal season for Arsenal finished with a 2-2 draw at Fulham, where goals from Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott cancelled out strikes from Steve Sidwell and Bobby Zamora.

The result left Arsenal in fourth place and means Arsene Wenger's men must go through qualifying to reach next season's Champions League group stage.

Elsewhere, Chelsea finished runners-up to United despite suffering a 1-0 defeat at Everton who scored through Jermaine Beckford.

Liverpool's season ended with a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa which saw it finish in sixth place while West Bromwich Albion fought back from 3-0 down to secure a 3-3 draw at Newcastle.

Already-relegated West Ham was routed 3-0 at home by Sunderland.

- AFP

Tags: sport, football, english-premier-league, england

First posted May 23, 2011 05:54:00

View the original article here