Winner Takes All
Just a quick post for the record. Today was the day that the last promotion from the Championship to the Premiership was decided at the Playoff final between Blackpool and Cardiff City. I couldn’t get into the local to see the match as there were so many crowded in there already, so I seized on the chance to do some shopping in the deserted Tesco nearby. It sounds like it was an exciting game, with Cardiff City leading twice, but it ended 3-2 to Blackpool.
I did have a look at the odds a few hours before the game started and found to my surprise that Cardiff were quite strong favourites, at 13/10 compared to Blackpool’s price of 21/10. Blackpool were clearly the form team so I decided to make an investment on the outcome which turned out to be successful. I’ll be having an especially nice bottle of wine tonight.
This was a match with huge financial implications for both clubs, of course, with an estimated £90 million at stake in TV and other revenues. Cardiff City FC’s money troubles are well documented, and promotion to the Premiership would have been a tremendous boost to the city as a whole too. However, it wasn’t to be and they’ll have to get their house in order and try again next season. I’m actually a little bit relieved that Cardiff City won’t be playing my team Newcastle United in the premiership next season – so I won’t have divided loyalties about that – but it would have been great to have the big teams playing in Cardiff. Of course I also feel sad for the local Cardiff City fans, especially those (including some from the department) who made the trip all the way to Wembley to watch the game. It’s going to be a long journey home.
As for Blackpool, they should be proud of what they’ve achieved this season. I certainly wouldn’t have picked them at the start of the season to get promoted, and I wish them well. I’m sure the players and their fans are ecstatic at this moment. I’m skeptical about their ability to survive more than one Premiership season – with an average home gate of just over 8,000 they don’t really have the resources to compete with the big boys – but I wish them well. I hope they enjoy their time in the sun.
PS. Before anyone asks, yes, I am old enough to remember Blackpool playing in the old First Division, about 40 years ago.
In the Dark 
May 22, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I’m gutted for Cardiff…..
May 22, 2010 at 9:56 pm
ecstatic for the Tangerine fans, and it’s excellent news for my beloved Rovers – derby games to replace those versus Burnley, and a guaranteed 6 points each season.
i tend to agree about their chances of survival, but not based on the gate. the money brought in via the turnstiles is less and less irrelevant because of the colossal pot of TV money. the Rovers/Wigan gate receipts don’t come anywhere near covering the wage bill, yet they usually survive through very canny stewardship. by all accounts it’s not Blackpool you’d be worried about if you’d seen the books at Anfield and Old Trafford.
May 22, 2010 at 9:57 pm
less and less irrelevant?
pass the wine, darling…
May 24, 2010 at 12:52 am
On the plus side for Cardiff, two of the big boys (Newcastle and West Brom) are being promoted and to of the teams going down are bust and in disarray (Hull and Pompey) and Burnley have a total donkey of a manager.