One More Shot at Promotion

In the United States, Memorial Weekend is when Americans remember those who have died while serving in the armed forces. In 2015, the weekend will prove to be a memorable one for three different English soccer clubs, as the Football League holds its promotion play-off finals at the iconic Wembley Stadium.

Saturday’s League Two play-off final features Wycombe Wanderers and Southend United. Both clubs just missed out on direct promotion to League One – the third tier of the English system – but one of them will be 90 minutes from a win that fans will likely talk about for many years. Both clubs finished with 84 points, although Wycombe may have a psychological edge, winning their home fixture against Southend 4-1 and then getting a point in Essex in March. Wembley may not be sold out for this match, but expect just as much passion from the two fan bases.

Sunday showcases the League One final between Preston North End & Swindon Town. Swindon was the second team in history to be promoted to the Premier League via the playoffs back in the mid-1990s, although that feat was a generation ago. Preston North End have never made it to the top flight in the EPL era, so the incentive to move within one tier of the Premier League will be huge. This game has a lot to live up to if it’s to compare with last year’s League One final; after being down 2-0 at halftime to Leyton Orient, Rotherham United stormed back with two second-half goals before winning on penalties, in a game highlighted by this incredible strike from Alex Revell:

Monday’s match, the Championship play-off final, has been called the richest game in the sport, with the winning club in 2015 set to receive at least 120 million pounds (roughly $186 million) in television cash alone from its status as a Premier League club. Middlesbrough and Norwich have both been in the top flight in recent years, with the Canaries seeking an opportunity to return to the EPL just one year after being relegated, exactly what Queens Park Rangers did in 2014. Middlesbrough was relegated to the Championship in 2009; this is the closest they’ve come to a top-flight return since then, so the club will be desperate to take advantage of every chance presented to them.

One thing to keep an eye on is how the losers of these matches move forward. Take Leyton Orient, for example; as mentioned above, last year they were 2-0 up at halftime of the League One final, before losing on penalties. This year, the O’s finished 23rd, meaning relegation to League Two in 2015-16. A wild weekend is in store at Wembley, with the next several days in line to be memorable ones for three different clubs.

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