Some in-depth reading for you this Thursday with an article from Blackpool fan Chris Walker. Chris trades on Twitter under the moniker @onedavebamber and runs the excellent Up the 'Pool blog. Here he summarizes a debate that has divided fans of the Lancashire seasiders. 'F5...nothing. F5...nothing.

Some in-depth reading for you this Thursday with an article from Blackpool fan Chris Walker. Chris trades on Twitter under the moniker @onedavebamber and runs the excellent Up the 'Pool blog. Here he summarizes a debate that has divided fans of the Lancashire seasiders. 'F5...nothing. F5...nothing.

Charlie Adam has admitted he was shocked to see Kenny Dalglish sacked by Liverpool, but is determined to prove his worth to whoever is the new manager.
Dalglish was axed earlier this month after 18 months in the job at Anfield with the Reds icon paying the price for their eighth-place finish in the Premier League.

Oh a false clock tries to tick out my time
To disgrace, distract, and bother me
And the dirt of gossip blows into my face
And the dust of rumors covers me
But if the arrow is straight
And the point is slick
It can pierce through dust no matter how thick
So I'll make my stand
And remain as I am
And bid farewell and not give a damn.

The Hammers are back, and it didn't take that long at all.

A year after being relegated in stunning fashion, West Ham United has completed their comeback, earning a return trip to the English Premier League after beating Blackpool in the Promotion Final on Saturday.

Ricardo Vaz Te played the role of hero, delivering the game-winning goal in the 87th minute for West Ham in a 2-1 victory that is projected to be worth between £45 million and £90 million.

szólj hozzá: West Ham Blackpool 2:1 GOALS

Ricardo Vaz Te's 87th minute goal won the match and ensured the Hammers return to the Premiership after spending a season away. Afterwards, Sam Allardyce called Vaz Te the best ever signing he had made. The Hammers join Reading and Southampton as the promoted teams.

TweetWest Ham have been promoted back to the Premier League after a 2-1 win over Blackpool in the Championship Playoff final Ricardo Vaz Te headed home an 87th minute winner which gave the Hammers an immediate return to the top-flight after being relegated in 2011. In an absorbing game it was Blackpool who started the [.

West Ham have returned to the English Premier League with a 2-1 win over Blackpool in the English Championship promotion playoff final. Heading into this match, West Ham were the clear favorites and initially it appeared that Blackpool was no match.

The Hammers took a 1-0 lead with a 35th minute Carlton Cole goal but the lead was short-lived.

By Alan Duffy

Blackpool 1-2 West Ham United Premier League 19th May 2012

A late Ricardo Vaz Te strike secured a return to the Premier League for West Ham after a fantastic Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Carlton Cole opened the scoring for the Hammers on 35 minutes after Blackpool had missed a number of superb chances to take the lead.

By Alan Duffy

Blackpool 1-2 West Ham United Premier League 19th May 2012

A late Ricardo Vaz Te strike secured a return to the Premier League for West Ham after a fantastic Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Carlton Cole opened the scoring for the Hammers on 35 minutes after Blackpool had missed a number of superb chances to take the lead.

Blackpool vs West Ham 1-2 Highlights 2012 Video Goals Cole Ince Vaz Te Championship playoff Final is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Blackpool vs West Ham 1-2 Highlights 2012 Video Goals Cole Ince Vaz Te Championship playoff Final is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Blackpool vs West Ham 2012 ( Blackpool West Ham VIDEO BELOW) Final score and result:- Blackpool vs West Ham 1-2 ( Ince/ Cole, Vaz Te) Wembley Stadium, London- [.

Blackpool vs West Ham 1-2 Highlights 2012 Video Goals Cole Ince Vaz Te Championship playoff Final is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Blackpool vs West Ham 1-2 Highlights 2012 Video Goals Cole Ince Vaz Te Championship playoff Final is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Blackpool vs West Ham 2012 ( Blackpool West Ham VIDEO BELOW) Final score and result:- Blackpool vs West Ham 1-2 ( Ince/ Cole, Vaz Te) Wembley Stadium, London- [.

1. Who needs RVP when you've got RVT? Ricardo Vaz Te has given West Ham a massive boost since arriving from Barnsley in January, but his winning goal today topped it all. 2. Never mind Blackpool and Ian Holloway, the real loser today was Steve Kean. Big Sam Allardyce will probably be using a promotion [.

1. Who needs RVP when you've got RVT? Ricardo Vaz Te has given West Ham a massive boost since arriving from Barnsley in January, but his winning goal today topped it all. 2. Never mind Blackpool and Ian Holloway, the real loser today was Steve Kean. Big Sam Allardyce will probably be using a promotion [.

The richest game in football kicks off today with West Ham United against Blackpool, live from Wembley. The winner will play in the Premier League next season. The loser will remain in the nPower Championship. Here's a preview of the ...
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So the play off final is nearly upon us, in a game that is worth an estimated £90 million to the winner, who will receive a place in the Premier League as their prize of winning the game at Wembley.

West Ham face Blackpool with both teams attempting to bounce back into the top division at the first time of asking both sides were relegated last season, and West Ham have had an amazing season, finishing 2nd behind Southampton who've already won a place in the Premier League, whilst Blackpool just managed to scrape into the Play Off positions.

It is often said that for a Football League player or a fan of a Football League side in England, there is no worse a footballing fate than being on the losing side in a Championship Play-Off Final. After 46 ...
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Saturday The Champions League final is on Fox: Bayern Munich - Chelsea at 2pm. MLS on ESPN2: Chivas USA - LA at 10:30pm. The Championship playoffs give us our final member of the 2012-13 Premier League: Blackpool - West Ham on Fox Soccer at 10am. ESPN Deportes has a friendly between America de Cali and Atletico Madrid at 6pm.

The Unsung Championship Team of the Season 2011-2012 is a post from: Just Football

With the climax of the Championship almost upon us, Just Football's James McMath picks his unsung XI – the players who caught the eye but failed to make the cut at the official Football League awards.

In a 4-2-3-1 formation, with no two players from the same club:

Goalkeeper: Julian Speroni (Crystal Palace)

The seventh-best defensive record in the division was a major factor as Palace, with limited resources, stayed clear of danger all season.

David Bevan from The Seventy Two (http://www.theseventytwo.com) recaps the English Championship season and previews the upcoming promotion playoff final between West Ham United and Blackpool. You can follow The Seventy Two on twitter @The72Football

The 90th Minute Podcast Episode 22 Featuring David Bevan

Follow @jrf90thminute

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Of the 699 players who appeared for Championship clubs during the 2011/2012 season 387 were English. As you'd expect the other nations from the British Isles also featured heavily with (and no, this isn't a joke) 52 Scotsmen, 50 Irishmen, 28 Welshmen and 19 Northern Irishmen.

The table below shows data on each of the twenty-four clubs in the Championship and the nationalities who played during the 2011/2012 season.

Millions of viewers around the world tuned into the final moments of the Premier League season last Sunday, resulting in ecstasy for some, agony for others and astonishment from all. But whether you're a lifelong supporter or newly hooked to ...
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For comparison, here's last year's version.
Fairly similar, horrific results, but more home draws leading to fewer points. Huzzah!
versus club:
• United (1st --> 2nd) = -2
• Chelsea (2nd --> 6th) = 0
• City (3rd --> 1st) = -2
• Arsenal (4th --> 3rd) = +1
• Tottenham (5th --> 4th) = +1
• Everton (7th --> 7th) = +5
• Fulham (8th --> 9th) = -6
• Villa (9th --> 16th) = +1
• Sunderland (10th --> 13th) = -3
• West Brom (11th --> 10th) = 0
• Newcastle (12th --> 5th) = 0
• Stoke (13th --> 14th) = -2
• Bolton (14th --> 18th) = -3
• Blackburn (15th --> 19th) = -2
• Wigan (16th --> 15th) = -1
• Wolves (17th --> 20th) = +3
• Relegated/Promoted 1 (Birmingham 18th --> QPR 17th) = -1
• Relegated/Promoted 2 (Blackpool 19th --> Norwich 12th) = +4
• Relegated/Promoted 3 (West Ham 20th --> Swansea 11th) = -2
Better against Arsenal, Tottenham, Everton, and one of the relegated/promoted sides.

Jonjo Shelvey has revealed how he is hoping to begin next season by picking up where he left off in 2011-12 and continue to challenge for a regular first-team berth.
The 20-year-old has started six of Liverpool's last seven Barclays Premier League games and claimed his first top-flight goal with a well-taken long-range effort in the 4-1 victory over Chelsea in midweek.

Championship Play-Off Final Preview: Hammers and Seasiders seek immediate Premier League return - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

When you get relegated from the Premier League, it's not easy to get back there quickly. And sometimes, it gets worse before it gets better. Just ask Southampton, who are headed back to the top flight after seven years away and after being in League One only last year.

Birmingham vs Blackpool 2-2 Highlights 2012 Dobbie Phillips Zigic Davies Goals Video Championship Playoffs 2012 Second Leg is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Birmingham vs Blackpool 2-2 Highlights 2012 Dobbie Phillips Zigic Davies Goals Video Championship Playoffs 2012 Second Leg is a post from Soccer Blogger.

Foy and Moss!
The choice of the officials in this Birmingham/Blackpool event is akin to a rigged horserace.
Penalty denial against Ince and an offside goal for Zigic.
But fuck you ######### with your fake degree and your match rigging - the Pool will not be denied.
One Scott Dobbie, one Thomas Ince.

We're now only one match away from learning who will be in the 2011-12 Championship Playoff Final. Birmingham City plays Blackpool today at 2:45pm ET/7:45pm BST (for viewers in the USA, live on FOX Soccer Plus/FOX Soccer 2Go) in the ...
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U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann wants his players competing in high-pressure, big-time matches. Sometimes that's a championship final. Other times it can mean a relegation fight. And for Jonathan Spector today, it means a chance at perhaps the biggest single pay day any club can receive in football.

Championship playoffs in England: Birmingham City - Blackpool at 2:30pm on Fox Soccer. Blackpool lead 1-0. Copa Libertadores on Fox Deportes: Union Espanola - Boca Juniors at 6:30pm and Corinthians - Emelec at 9pm. Clausura playoffs semifinal first-leg on TeleFutura: Club America - Monterrey at 10pm.

On the heels of a campaign in which Sacha Kljestan was a focal point in helping lead Anderlecht to a Belgian league championship, the club is hoping to lock up the U.S. midfielder for the long term.

Kljestan's current deal with Anderlecht runs through 2014, but according to Belgian outlet Het Niuewsblad, Anderlecht is looking to extend Kljestan's stay in Belgium for two or three more years beyond then.

West Ham beat Cardiff on an aggregate score of 5-0 in their Championship playoff semifinal as they try to make a quick return to the Premier League. Russell Brand was in attendance for their successful second leg at Upton Park and so was the man holding the sign in the above photo.

Apparently confident that West Ham wouldn't blow their first-leg lead, this man brought a sign breaking the news that he wouldn't be serving as best man at his pal Chris' wedding due to a conflict with the Hammers' trip to Wembley for a final against Blackpool or Birmingham City on May 19.

Birmingham: Premier league dreams, play-off anguish and losing your head - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

This is a funny old time of year for any team in the Championship. Depending on how you've fared, you could be singing, crying, or just plain tearing your hair out. Any team from the Championship can be sorted into one of these categories:

1) Promoted this is the holy grail of this league, you're going to be playing Premier League football next season.

We have been shown information suggesting that the match between Birmingham City and Blackpool in the Championship Play Off Second Leg is fixed AGAINST the interests of the Seasiders.
Some people who think they are powerful wish for the Brummies to reach Wembley.
A club agent with close links to Chris Foy and 4th Official Jon Moss (the refs on Wed) wants Brum to get to Wembley because he is lining up Chris Hughton for the West Brom job - inflate the price and the percentage as part of the Fleece Peace Strategy.

Blackpool vs Birmingham 2012 Highlights 1-0 Tom Ince Curtis Davies own Goal Video Championship Playoffs is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Blackpool vs Birmingham 2012 Highlights 1-0 Tom Ince Curtis Davies own Goal Video Championship Playoffs is a post from Soccer Blogger.

Blackpool vs Birmingham 2012 Highlights 1-0 Tom Ince Curtis Davies own Goal Video Championship Playoffs is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Blackpool vs Birmingham 2012 Highlights 1-0 Tom Ince Curtis Davies own Goal Video Championship Playoffs is a post from Soccer Blogger.

Today we have the first leg of the nPower Championship Playoff semi-final between former Premier League sides Blackpool and Birmingham City kicking off at 2:45pm ET/7:45pm BST (available live in the United States on FOXSoccer2Go and FOX Soccer...
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The Championship playoffs are on Fox Soccer Plus: Blackpool - Birmingham City at 2:30pm. MLS on ESPN Deportes: Chivas USA - Chicago at 11pm. Both Times Eastern

Npower Championship 2011/2012: Promotion and Relegation Review - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The 2011-12 Championship league fixtures have come to an end and finally the automatic promotion positions have been confirmed. However, at the other end of the table, the relegation picture had been clear for some time.

Kenny Dalglish has confirmed that Charlie Adam will miss the remainder of Liverpool's season through injury, and does not expect the Scotland international to feature in this summer's Olympic Games.
Adam has not played for the Reds since the defeat to Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road in late March, and his knee injury will keep the 26-year-old out until next term.