Did someone say Premier League? On Tuesday night, after a frankly unbelievable past three months, what every Royals supporter dared to dream finally became a reality when the team clinched promotion to the top flight of English football with a 1-0 defeat of Nottingham Forest.
For me it capped off a truly wondrous season, and I felt immense pleasure not only in knowing I could watch my team get picked apart by Hansen, Shearer et al. on Match of the Day every weekend, but for our boys who have performed admirably in getting the club back into the league it dropped out of four years ago. People outside the Reading supporter circle must be sick and tired of hearing it, but the bunch of boys we’ve got at the club really are second to none. They work hard for each other, there’s great relationships between them all and the manager, and most importantly they have such a passion to get to the Premier League.
Kaspars Gorkss and Matt Connolly, statistically the Championship’s most effective defensive pairing last season, both joined our cause from QPR after being deemed surplus to requirements for their Prem campaign, whilst Leigertwood joined the season prior. Neil Warnock was seemingly intent on breaking up his team that romped to the Championship title and replacing them with big money signings, and look where that left him.
He cheekily takes credit for our success too. Jobi McAnuff, made captain in summer, has never played in the top flight, despite trying with five other teams. Noel Hunt follows his brother’s footsteps in gaining promotion with us, and could play against Stephen if Wolves beat the drop. Adam Federici was the Royals’ reserve goalkeeper during their last Premier League stint, and the likes of Jem Karacan, Alex Pearce (two of three players up for Player of the Season), Simon Church and Hal Robson-Kanu have all made their way up through the club’s fantastic academy. Andy Griffin, Ian Harte and Jason Roberts provided the experienced heads, whilst Adam Le Fondre will become a top flight player less than a year after being picked up from League Two and chipping in with 12 goals.
I can honestly say that I didn’t think I’d see a team I loved more than the fabled 106ers of 2005/06, but here they are. It’s a perfect combination of players with varying careers who have such a fantastic bond, and I know that Brian and the rest of the staff will be keen on keeping them together next year. You only have to look at the likes of Swansea and Norwich, and on the flip side QPR, to know which transfer policy works best.
In my last piece, I wrote how the run-in to the season’s end could make or break Reading’s season. It featured five of the top ten at the time, and despite our good form, I was concerned for how well the players would cope with such a tough set of games. What I didn’t anticipate, was that Reading would win 6 of the final 8 fixtures – we face Birmingham next weekend – including games against the top two in West Ham and Southampton, and playoff challengers Leeds, Blackpool and Brighton.
Each and every game was momentous, and with each three points my belief grew. McDermott’s men wrapped it up on Tuesday with a well-fought win against Forest, and as news filtered through that Bristol had held West Ham, the Mad Stad went mental. I really advise checking out some of the promotion videos online, they’re absolutely fantastic. Jem Karacan discharging himself hours after an operation on his broken foot showed what it meant to him, and despite being high as a kite on the medicine, the boys welcomed him like a hero.
Although yesterday’s game against Palace maybe showed traits of complacency in the team, we wrapped up the title later in the day, watching Middlesborough beat Southampton in the late kick off. It would have been nice to have done it with a win at the Madejski and at the same time as the Saints game, but a title is a title, especially considering our position but three months ago, and I ain’t moaning.
What remains important is that we don’t act like there’s nothing to play for at St. Andrew’s in a week’s time. Technically there isn’t, but let’s make it a fine finish to a finer season. Remember 2008/09 boys? We’d been fighting with Wolves and Birmingham for automatic promotion the whole season, and Birmingham condemned us to the playoffs on the final day with a 2-0 victory. Perhaps it’s time to return the favour.
The media have already started paying attention now that Reading are back in the limelight of the Barclays Premier League, and it’s about time too. We’d slipped under the radar, and many people didn’t quite trust in our promotion credentials over West Ham and Southampton’s until it was confirmed. The outright favourites are still battling for that 2nd position, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one to drop into the ridiculously strong playoffs this year. Birmingham, Blackpool and Cardiff? No thank you. I don’t imagine Reading would have fared too well in that cauldron. The stats don’t lie though: 47 points gained out of a possible 54 in the last 18 games is promotion form of the finest. That, my friends, is unreal. I’m hella’ proud of the lads, the manager, the chairman, and the club, and there’s just one thing left to say.
Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw with bitter rivals Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday night was fairly indicative of what to expect from the Eagles for the remainder of the season. They put on a tentative display interjected with enough flashes of excitement to keep the supporters satisfied. A second half penalty apiece ensured those fans in attendance had something to clutch onto after witnessing a game that largely failed to live up to the pre-match hype. Barring the two penalties and a bit of man-bags at ten paces that resulted in referee, Stuart Attwell, brandishing four yellow cards in the space of as many minutes, there was little to warm the cockles of the 17,271 hardy souls who had braved the sub-zero temperatures.
The Palace-Brighton rivalry has always been considered something of an oddity by the wider football world. It is viewed by those outside of the two clubs in much the same way World of Warcraft enthusiasts perceive The Only Way Is Essex; they’re aware of its existence but are unsure where it came from or what exactly the point of it is. A dearth of encounters between the two clubs in recent years has seen the rivalry fade somewhat from its peak during the 1970s and ‘80s. For the majority of Palace and Brighton supporters though, whenever the teams do meet, it is still the biggest game of the season.
Now that the Eagles have completed fixtures against both Brighton and their more geographically logical rivals, Millwall, Palace fans find themselves at a bit of a loss as to what they can look forward to for the remainder of the season. This feeling was exacerbated when their chance of playing in the Carling Cup final evaporated into Welsh air. Not since Peter Taylor piloted a mass curse for insomnia at Selhurst Park in 2006/07 have Palace approached the final third of the season without a play-off push or relegation dogfight to look forward to.
Few Palace fans would trade the position they are currently in with the one they were in this time last year; a time when they were frantically analysing upcoming fixtures to see which games would yield the points needed for survival. Settling into mid-table mediocrity so early in the season is just not something Palace supporters are used to, leading to a little restlessness creeping on to the terraces.
Some of this restlessness emanates from the tactics Palace manager, Dougie Freedman, chooses to employ. Freedman’s insistence on playing two defensive midfielders, even in home games, has frequently seen Palace open the scoring in matches and then attempt to defend a one-goal lead for anything up to 90 minutes. These tactics were effective in avoiding relegation last season but the fans have come to expect more after witnessing the club reach the dizzy heights of third place during October last year on the back of some swaggering displays.
Since sweeping Ipswich Town aside with a swashbuckling 1-0 victory at Portman Road, putting Palace within touching distance of the automatic promotion places, there has been little consistency to the Eagles’ league results. Narrow victories every few games since have kept the club in no real danger of dropping towards the relegation places. At the same time, it has been Palace’s failure in keeping hold of one goal advantages that has prevented them from flirting with the play-off places.
This lack of consistency can be attributed in part to the absence of teenage prodigy Jonathan Williams. It seems slightly ludicrous that a team could be so reliant on an 18-year old midfielder who only made his debut last August but Williams’s performances contributed greatly to the club’s blistering start to the season. Much like his illustrious Hollywood namesake, Williams has the ability to orchestrate the midfield and together with fellow academy products Wilfred Zaha and Sean Scannell, he formed a youthful triumvirate capable of tearing opponents apart. When Williams suffered a broken leg in November, Palace were suddenly deprived of the creative spark required to unlock most Championship defences. The win percentage of 62% for games in which Williams played compared to 35% in those he hasn’t goes some way to demonstrating his importance to the side.
Williams’s absence has underlined the fact that although Palace have come a long way in 12 months, they still have a little further to go before they’re likely to seriously challenge for promotion. With players such as Zaha, Scannell and the erratic Darren Ambrose, Palace have the talent that is more than capable of propelling them up the league. The challenge for Freedman though is working out how best to utilise them in his favoured systems.
So what’s left for the Eagles to look forward to this season then? The prospect of finishing above Millwall (probable) and Brighton (possible) should keep the players, management and fans alike motivated to have as strong a final third of the season as possible. A top 10 finish is probably a realistic aim but with young Williams due to return to the first team in late February, maybe the Eagles will dare to soar a little higher.
Written by Martin Fitzgerald, We Are Going Up’s Crystal Palace blogger
It’s impossibly hard to believe that we’ve gotten this far. Crystal Palace were supposed to be in an incredibly down year. After almost losing the team altogether a couple of years ago through administration and narrowly avoiding relegation by a single point two years running, Dougie Freedman wasn’t supposed to take the Eagles to anything resembling glory this quickly.
Yet, here we are. Two wins away from the first ever trophy in the long and sometimes painful history of Crystal Palace Football Club.
Once again, this dream season for the Eagles has plugged another notch into its proverbial belt. Even as Palace were ravaged by a viral infection across the team that knocked them swiftly out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 loss to Derby County, the team managed to sneak off their sickbeds and defeat a far more talented Cardiff City side 1-0 in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-finals.
Paddy McCarthy in particular played a heroic role despite being clearly ill, the way that a true captain should. Other players like Nathaniel Clyne were forced to miss the match completely, which seemed to spell an unfortunate end to the Eagles’ cup hopes. Just like they’ve done all year though, Dougie Freedman has driven Palace to something they by all accounts shouldn’t have done.
This season has been dotted with ‘I can’t believe it’ moments for Palace. The 2-1 comeback win in stoppage time over Coventry City. The 3-1 comeback win at the Amex to hand fierce rivals Brighton and Hove Albion their first ever league loss at their new stadium. Darren Ambrose’s heart-stopping goal to lead Palace over Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford. This almost seems like a team of destiny, the team that the Palace faithful have been craving since the all too short dominance of the early 1990′s faded away.
It seems too good to be true, and truthfully it might just be. Palace legend Dougie Freedman comes into the club for his first ever managerial gig with the team hanging by a thread, makes a couple of brilliant transfers in the offseason and suddenly is fending off a team-wide virus but still up a goal in the Carling Cup semi-finals? And among all of this, the playoff race is not out of hand either with Palace a mere three points from fifth in the table? If you believe in any supernatural deities, you have to think that at this point they’re simply toying with the fans. It’s impossible yet it’s happening before our very eyes.
And now, Palace are left with two more games to go. With a 1-0 lead going into Wales, a win or draw will take them through. Even a 2-1 loss in extra time will carry the Eagles through thanks to away goals. Palace in fact have been quite proficient in recent years at getting 0-0 draws away to Cardiff, so perhaps it’s not quite a pipe dream. After that, it’s Liverpool or Manchester City at Wembley.
It’s too hard to get excited about Palace after the past few years have force fed supporters agonizing loss after agonizing loss. Even this season there has been a fair share of heartbreakers. The FA Cup loss so recently still stings even as we celebrate the 1-0 success over Cardiff. Palace have looked simply lost in games this season during league play. The attack is simply not there sometimes, with Palace scoring fewer goals in the Calendar year of 2011 than any other Championship side.
To see those let-downs combined with the last few years of futility and then to see this year’s victories is almost impossible to comprehend. Two wins away from the first major trophy in club history, in a year when relegation was supposed to be knocking on our door. Two wins away from a cup that the Eagles were knocked out of before they could even blink in 2010. Two wins away from being able to change the chants of Freedman saving the Eagles from absolute loss into chants of him leading them to glory. It’s all so hard to believe.
But again, here we are. Dougie Freedman is already a legend in the eyes of Crystal Palace’s supporters. He is two wins away from becoming absolutely the greatest Eagle that there ever was.
Written by Chris White, We Are Going Up’s Crystal Palace blogger
As we are a few days into 2012, there’s no better time to reflect on the previous year in the Football League. 2011 served up some memorable moments, with unexpected promotions, great relegation escapes, controversies and goals aplenty.
A resurgent East Anglian outfit upset the odds to claim their second promotion in two seasons and top flight football returned to South Wales for the first time in nearly 30 years. A Premier League legend turned up in Wiltshire to begin his managerial career while two former England managers were hired and fired in the East Midlands.
Plenty more took place in 2011 and this week Toppo’s Top Ten takes a look back at some of the most memorable events of the past twelve months in the Football League.
10: Stevenage are promoted again
Stevenage were promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history in 2010 and made a decent start to life in League Two, hovering around mid-table for the first six months of the campaign. In January the club were sat in 18th place but went on a remarkable run of form in February and March, winning nine out of eleven games to propel themselves into the play-off spots. They may have come to the attention of many for their ‘timewasting’ tactics and the hard work put in by the team on the training field, but Graham Westley’s side were on the up.
They finished sixth and defeated Accrington Stanley 3-0 in the play-off semi-finals, to set up a meeting with Torquay United at Old Trafford in the final. Stevenage had the better of the first-half and made their dominance count four minutes from the break as John Mousinho rifled in a shot from the edge of the area after a fine run from midfield. The goal would prove to be the decider and Stevenage saw out the match to secure a famous double promotion into League One, emulating Exeter’s back-to-back promotions from the Conference into the third tier in 2008 and 2009.
9: Crystal Palace shock Manchester United
Having struggled at the wrong end of the Championship table early in 2011, Crystal Palace made a much better start to the 2011-12 season under manager Dougie Freedman, challenging for the play-offs and having a good run in the Carling Cup.
In the quarter-finals on November 30 they travelled to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, with the home side considered big favourites, despite Sir Alex Ferguson fielding some fringe players. After a dull first half, the game sparked into life when Palace midfielder Darren Ambrose thumped a brilliant 35-yard strike into the top corner at the Stretford End. United equalised thanks to Federico Macheda’s penalty but they could not find another goal, so the match went into extra-time.
Eight minutes into extra-time Palace won a free-kick which Ambrose swung into the penalty area, Glenn Murray escaped the attentions of his marker and nodded the ball into the back of Ben Amos’ net to restore Palace’s lead. The Londoners came under pressure in the closing stages of the game but defended resolutely to seal a last-four spot for the first time in ten years.
8: That Clarke-Di Canio bust-up
Former Sheffield Wednesday and West Ham United striker Paolo Di Canio was appointed manager of Swindon Town in May, not long after the club’s relegation into League Two had been confirmed. The Robins got off to an inconsistent start under the Italian, who was known for his short temper and hot-headed moments as a player. At the end of August we saw this side of Di Canio return as he had a furious bust-up with striker Leon Clarke on the touchline at the County Ground after losing to Southampton in the Carling Cup.
Clarke had an argument with one of the club’s fitness coaches before manager Di Canio stepped in. He asked the striker to leave the field but Clarke refused, Di Canio tugged at his shirt which seemed to wind the striker up more. Eventually the pair headed down the tunnel where the confrontation continued and became more heated with the two having to be pulled apart. Clarke had only joined Swindon from QPR 11 days later, and he was soon heading for the exit – farmed out to Chesterfield on loan.
7: Darren Ferguson returns to Peterborough
In January 2011, fourteen months after leaving the club by mutual consent, Darren Ferguson strolled back into London Road to become Peterborough United boss for a second time. He had just been sacked by Preston North End, who were bottom of the Championship – which was where Ferguson took Peterborough from League Two thanks to successive promotions in 2008 and 2009 during his first stint as manager.
Posh were in the play-off mix when he arrived and he eventually guided them into the end-of-season shootout for a place in the Championship. After overcoming MK Dons in the semi-finals they would face Huddersfield Town at Old Trafford on May 29, where Ferguson began his playing career and where his father Sir Alex, is a club legend. Huddersfield were considered favourites having just been pipped to automatic promotion by Southampton but the game was a tight affair until the late stages.
In the 78th minute Peterborough broke the deadlock when Tommy Rowe headed Grant McCann’s free-kick into the back of the net, before striker Craig Mackail-Smith’s 35th goal of a memorable season made it 2-0. Posh sealed the victory five minutes from the end thanks to a great free-kick from McCann to seal promotion back to the Championship and a remarkable comeback for manager Ferguson.
6: Huddersfield’s unbeaten run
In 2011 Huddersfield Town came close to securing a place in the Championship, being beaten to an automatic promotion spot in League One to Southampton, before losing the play-off final to Peterborough United. Lee Clark’s side were tipped to go one better in the 2011-12 season and pushed for the play-offs again from the start as they carried on a long unbeaten run from the previous season.
After losing in the league to Southampton on December 28th 2010, Huddersfield picked up 24 wins and 18 draws from their next 42 league games to equal Nottingham Forest’s Football League unbeaten streak of 42 matches. In their next game at home to Notts County on the 19th of November, Town would make history as they ran out 2-1 winners thanks to a brace from Jordan Rhodes and make it 43 unbeaten.
In this time they had lost matches in the FA Cup, Carling Cup and most notably, in the League One play-offs, so some felt the record should have been ended much sooner, however it was an impressive feat from the Terriers which came to an end with a 2-0 loss away to leaders Charlton Athletic in their next game.
5: Brighton move to their new home
Fourteen long years after leaving the Goldstone Ground and playing at the Withdean Stadium since 1999, Brighton and Hove Albion finally moved to a new stadium of their own, the impressive Falmer Stadium (named the AMEX Stadium due to sponsorship) which was in construction since 2008.
The move coincided with Gus Poyet’s side winning the League One title last season to be promoted to the Championship and the feel good factor was back amongst the Seagulls and their supporters. Their first competitive match at their new ground was a home league fixture against Doncaster Rovers and it would be a memorable afternoon for the home side. The teams took to the field amid a great atmosphere and the sell-out 20.219 crowd waving flags, but it was Doncaster who threatened to spoil Brighton’s afternoon as they took the lead through Billy Sharp.
Brighton tried to find a goal and finally equalised on 83 minutes as Will Buckley, a summer signing from Watford, hit a shot from the egde of the penalty area after Doncaster had failed to clear a free-kick. Injuries meant there were eight minutes of injury time and in the final minute, Buckley converted an excellent pass from Craig Noone to complete a brilliant turnaround and send the home fans into wild celebration.
4: Fans Reunited
Plymouth Argyle began the season in financial turmoil and had just suffered back-to-back relegations from the Championship into League Two. The club were £13 million in debt and placed in Administration. On the pitch the club’s fortunes continued to slide as the Pilgrims sat bottom of the whole Football League after nine games and manager Peter Reid was sacked.
A ‘fans reunited’ day was organised for Plymouth’s home match against Macclesfield Town on September 24th, led by Brighton and Hove Albion fans, hundreds of well-wishers pledged to descend on Home Park in their own teams’ shirts to support Plymouth’s plight. Albion themselves went through a similar situation in 1997 when they were evicted from the Goldstone Ground, docked points and nearly dropped out of the Football League.
Over 6,000 people attended Plymouth’s match with Macclesfield, with fans from clubs all over the country making the long trip South to be at the game. Argyle’s players responded and ran out 2-0 winners to pick up their first win of a difficult season. Two weeks later a second ‘fans reunited’ day was staged on an International weekend to encourage even more fans to support Plymouth, and the Home Park attendance swelled to over 8,000 as the Pilgrims drew 2-2 with Accrington Stanley.
3: Norwich City reach the Premier League
Norwich City’s rise into the Premier League is remarkable. Defeated 7-1 at Carrow Road by Paul Lambert’s Colchester United on the first day of the League One season in 2009, the club dismissed manager Bryan Gunn and appointed Lambert as the new boss. The Scot galvanised the team as they regained their form and went on to win the League One title later that season, immediately bouncing back into the Championship.
Norwich carried on their winning momentum into the second tier and the club were in and around the play-off spots for most of the season. Thanks to the goals of striker Grant Holt the Canaries were very much in the promotion shake-up and moved into the top two, maintaining consistent form in the process – not losing back-to-back matches all season.
On May 2nd the club went into their penultimate match of the campaign away at Portsmouth needing a win to guarantee promotion. The game was a scrappy affair with neither side fashioning many chances, however in the 50th minute they did find the net. David Fox curled a free-kick into the penalty area and Simeon Jackson met it with a close-range header to give the Canaries a priceless lead.
Norwich held on to secure the win and with it a second consecutive promotion into the Premier League as the players ran towards the travelling supporters to celebrate a remarkable triumph. The club became the first since Manchester City in 2000 to win back-to-back promotions into the top flight.
2: Brendan Rodgers takes Swansea City up
Having narrowly missed out on a Championship play-off place the season before, Swansea City appointed former Watford and Reading boss Brendan Rodgers as manager in the wake of Paolo Sousa’s departure for Leicester City. The Swans developed a reputation for playing attractive, attacking football and this would continue under Rodgers. He moved to bring Scott Sinclair to South Wales for £500,000 from former club Chelsea before the season began and he would be one of the club’s key players throughout the campaign.
After a slow start, Swansea picked up form and were soon in the play-off places, moving into the top two on occasion before falling away to allow Norwich to finish second. They eventually finished third to secure a play-off spot and face Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals. After a goalless first leg at the City Ground, Swansea won the return at the Liberty Stadium 3-1 to reach the Wembley final, where they would face Reading for a place in the Premier League.
On May 30 the two sets of fans descended on Wembley to witness what would be a pulsating encounter. Swansea took control of the first half as two goals from Scott Sinclair and a strike from Stephen Dobbie saw the Swans go into the half-time break 3-0 ahead. Reading looked out of it but they pulled a goal back when Joe Allen deflected a header into his own net four minutes after the restart, and eight minutes later the Royals got another when Matt Mills headed home from a corner to put Brian McDermott’s side right back in the contest.
Swansea had to see out Reading pressure as they pressed for an equaliser, being denied by the post and some last-ditch defending from Garry Monk, before they were awarded a penalty with ten minutes to go when Fabio Borini was brought down in the Reading penalty area. Sinclair stepped up and converted the spot-kick to complete his hat-trick and send Swansea on their way to promotion. At the final whistle they returned to the top flight after a 28 year absence and became the first Welsh team to reach the Premier League – quite a feat considering the club won promotion from League Two six years before.
1: Barnet’s great escape
On the final day of the 2010-11 League Two season Barnet and Lincoln City were locked in a battle to remain in the Football League. Lincoln were two points ahead of the Londoners with a home game against Aldershot, while Barnet faced Port Vale at Underhill. Barnet began the season with Mark Stimson as manager but he left with the club bottom at New Year and they turned to former boss Paul Fairclough as caretaker manager.
However after 15 points from a possible 48 the club were staring the Conference in the face and Fairclough left, with another former manager, Martin Allen returning as Bees’ manager on an eight game deal. He gave the side the lift they needed as they won two and drew one of his first three matches in charge, before he shocked everyone by agreeing to join managerless Notts County, just 19 days after his return to Underhill.
Giuliano Grazioli, a Barnet legend and assistant manager to Allen was placed in charge until the end of the season. After a win, a draw and two defeats from his first four games as boss, Barnet went into the final day of the season needing a victory whilst hoping Lincoln lost. Three minutes into the second half, Izale McLeod scored from the penalty spot to give Barnet the lead, but it would be meaningless unless Lincoln conceded against Aldershot.
Midway through the second-half at Sincil Bank Aldershot themselves won and converted a penalty to take the lead, with the news gradually filtering through at Underhill amid chants of “We are staying up!” from the Bees’ supporters. Fifteen minutes later Aldershot doubled their lead and the Barnet fans began cheering once more. Aldershot made it 3-0 with five minutes left, while at Underhill there were six minutes of injury time which only added to the tension, but Barnet held on to survive in the Football League, climb up to 22nd place in the table and condemn Lincoln to non-league football.
At the final whistle the Bees fans poured onto the pitch to celebrate with the players and coaching staff. Barnet had saved themselves by the skin of their teeth.
Written by Steven Toplis, We Are Going Up podcast member and blogger
Tweet Steven at @steven_toplis with your suggestions for Toppo’s Top Tens
The League Cup has, in recent years, been written off by some observers as a second rate competition which creates unwanted congestion on an already hectic fixture calendar. However many Football League clubs have enjoyed successful runs in the competition, with some reaching the semi-finals, the final or even winning the cup itself on occasion.
It is no secret that many of the country’s biggest clubs use the League Cup as an opportunity to play the reserves or field their youngsters, which can lead to some unexpected results and allow lower ranked sides to reach the latter stages of the tournament.
Last week Dougie Freedman’s Crystal Palace upset the odds by defeating Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford to reach the semi-finals – where they will meet fellow Championship side Cardiff City after they beat Premier League Blackburn Rovers in the last eight. Since the League Cup’s inception in the 1960/61 season there have been plenty of other upsets and this week Toppo’s Top Ten looks at some of the most memorable….
10: Sheffield Wednesday 1 Manchester United 0 1991
Wembley has seen its fair share of cup final upsets down the years and the 1991 League Cup Final was no different. Manchester United went into the game as FA Cup holders and huge favourites as they faced Sheffield Wednesday, who would go on to win promotion from the Second Division that season.
Former United manager Ron Atkinson was the Owls’ manager, pitted against Alex Ferguson, the man who replaced him in the Old Trafford hotseat five years before. It would be Big Ron who would be smiling by the end of 90 minutes as a ferocious volley from midfielder John Sheridan settled the game. The second tier outfit pulled off a shock by beating United to claim the League Cup for the first time in their history.
9: Norwich City 0 Milton Keynes Dons 4 2011
Premier League new boys Norwich City crashed out of this season’s Carling Cup in the first round with a humiliating 4-0 home defeat to an MK Dons side two divisions below them. Canaries manager Paul Lambert made eleven changes for this match and his side fell behind on 21 minutes to a goal from former Norwich player Luke Chadwick. Striker Sam Baldock, in one of his final Dons appearances before his transfer to West Ham United, doubled the lead seven minutes later with a powerful strike having been played in by Stephen Gleeson.
In the second half Karl Robinson’s side extended their lead further as Chadwick combined with Dean Bowditch before netting his second of the game and substitute Daniel Powell capitalised on some poor home defending to make it four on 67 minutes. A memorable win at Carrow Road for MK Dons which is Lambert’s heaviest defeat during his two year tenure as Norwich boss.
8: Queens Park Rangers 3 West Bromwich Abion 2 1967
By 1967 the League Cup had been running for seven years but this year’s final was the first to be played at Wembley – up until then the final consisted of a two-legged affair with a match played at the home ground of each team. The first final underneath the Twin Towers proved to be a cracker, as First Division side West Bromwich Albion met Third Division Queens Park Rangers, playing at Wembley for the first time.
The favourites lived up to their pre-match billing as as they took a 2-0 lead into half-time thanks to former QPR winger Clive Clark’s brace. However the Hoops fought back in twenty second half minutes as Roger Morgan scored with a header to make it 2-1, then a great individual run and strike from Rodney Marsh equalised. Rangers eventually won 3-2 thanks to Mark Lazarus’ late goal and in doing so they became the first club from the third tier to win a major trophy.
7: Southend United 1 Manchester United 0 2006
Manchester United won the Carling Cup in the 2005/06 season and were looking to reach the quarter-finals the following campaign. In their way were Championship side Southend United and a capacity crowd packed into Roots Hall to witness this fourth round encounter.
Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a United side including ten internationals in the hope of avoiding an upset with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney on the field for the whole 90 minutes, but they would end the night humbled. On 27 minutes Southend frontman Freddy Eastwood lined up a free-kick some distance from goal before running up and unleashing an unstoppable, bending drive which beat Tomas Kuszczak in the United goal to put Southend a goal up.
Despite United pouring forward in search of an equaliser, Southend goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan kept them at bay with a string of great saves while Eastwood threatened on the break at the other end. However the Premier League outfit could not find a way through and it was Southend who knocked out the holders, progressing to the last eight of the competition.
6: Chelsea 1 Burnley 1 (Burnley win 5-4 on penalties) 2008
In the 2008/09 season Championship side Burnley reached the semi-finals of the Carling Cup, where they were knocked out by top-flight Tottenham Hotspur over two legs. On their way to the last four, Burnley beat Premier League leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Fourth Round in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Didier Drogba looked to set Chelsea on their way to the next round as expected when he finished expertly having been played in by Frank Lampard in the first half. However after the break Burnley fought their way back into the game and equalised through Ade Akinbiyi – sending the 6,000 travelling Clarets fans mad.
The game went into extra-time where Chelsea had a goal disallowed and missed several opportunities to win, but with no goal forthcoming the tie would be settled on penalties. After five-spot kicks each, both sides missed one and scored four before Michael Duff converted Burnley’s sixth. Jon Obi Mikel stepped up next for Chelsea and Clarets goalkeeper Brian Jensen made himself a hero, diving full length to his right to palm the effort away and send the second tier club into the next round.
5: Liverpool 1 Grimsby Town 2 2001
In the 2001/02 season, Division One side Grimsby Town pulled off a famous result at Anfield, knocking Worthington Cup holders Liverpool out of the competition in the third round. After a goalless 90 minutes, the match headed into extra-time and a David Beharall handball gave the hosts the chance to go in front from the penalty spot eleven minutes in. Gary McAllister slotted home the spot-kick, but in the second period of extra-time Grimsby hit back.
Centre-back Marlon Broomes volleyed a 113th minute equaliser in front of the travelling Grimsby support and, in amazing fashion it was the visitors who would take the lead late on. Liverpool were pushing for the winner but Town went up the other end where, from 35 yards out, Phil Jevons unleashed a piledriver which flew into the top corner of Chris Kirkland’s net. Jevons, a boyhood Liverpool fan, had joined the Mariners from Everton in pre-season and instantly became a hero at Blundell Park with an incredible 120th minute strike.
4: Arsenal 1 Walsall 2 1983
Fifty years before this 1983 Milk Cup fourth round tie, Walsall stunned Arsenal by beating them in the FA Cup and they would go on to do something similar at Highbury. At the time Arsenal were in trouble both on and off the pitch, with fans calling for manager Terry Neill to be sacked, however a home cup tie against Third Division Walsall should have provided some respite.
Things looked to be going to plan as Stewart Robson put the Gunners ahead just after the half hour, although Walsall were enjoying most of the play. The Saddlers got their reward fifteen minutes into the second half as Mark Rees netted after Ally Brown’s shot came out to him for the equaliser. Then with five minutes to go, the underdogs took the lead as David Preece’s left-wing cross was not dealt with by the Arsenal defence and the ball fell to Brown who slammed it high into the net to win the tie.
A great result for Walsall and their player-manager Alan Buckley as his side progressed to the quarter-finals. This result spelled the end of Neill’s tenure as Arsenal boss, paving the way for George Graham to take charge.
3: Liverpool 2 Northampton Town 2 (Northampton win 4-2 on penalties) 2010
In the third round of last season’s Carling Cup, Northampton Town pulled off arguably the shock of the tournament by knocking out Premier League Liverpool at Anfield. Reds boss Roy Hodgson made many changes to his side, picking mainly fringe players but they got off to a good start as Milan Jovanovic gave them the lead on nine minutes.
In the second half a Cobblers free-kick was knocked down to Billy McKay who rifled it into the roof of the net as the Town fans behind the goal celebrated wildly and that was how the scores remained after 90 minutes. Northampton, 17th in League Two and three divisions below their opponents, took the lead in extra-time when the ball broke to Michael Jacobs who stuck it into the top corner in front of the Kop. As the visitors sensed a famous victory, David Ngog equalised for Liverpool with four minutes left, to the relief of Hodgson and the Reds fans inside Anfield.
The match went to penalties and in the teaming rain, Town striker Stephen Guinan and Ngog missed their penalties before Nathan Eccleston hit Liverpool’s fifth against the crossbar to hand Northampton a chance of victory. Under great pressure, Abdul Osman stepped forward and sent Brad Jones the wrong way to clinch Town’s place in the fourth round – a great achievement from Ian Sampson’s side.
2: Manchester United 0 York City 3 1995
It is a great achievement for many sides to come away from Old Trafford with a win – for a fourth tier side to do it is quite remarkable, especially by the margin York City defeated Manchester United in the second round of the League Cup in 1995.
Alex Ferguson brought in some of his fringe players – including David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville – alongside proven players like Ryan Giggs and Gary Pallister but they could not stop their visitors crusing to victory. Alan Little’s York took the lead through Paul Barnes’ deflected strike and in the second half Barnes doubled it from the penalty spot, before Tony Barras made it three from a header in front of a stunned Old Trafford crowd.
In the return leg United fielded a stronger lineup and levelled the tie – but conceded one goal to be knocked out 4-3 on aggregate in one of York’s greatest ever victories.
1: Swindon Town 3 Arsenal 1 1969
One of the greatest upsets in any English cup competition. The 1969 League Cup final pitted Third Division Swindon Town against First Division Arsenal, under the stewardship of Bertie Mee, who would lead them to the League and FA Cup double two years later. However Danny Williams’ Swindon were out to cause an upset in the showpiece match at Wembley.
It was the Robins who took a shock lead through Roger Smart after a mix-up in the Arsenal defence left goalkeeper Bob Wilson stranded, presenting Smart with an easy finish. Swindon held on until the 86th minute when goalkeeper Peter Downsborough failed to clear the ball and Bobby Gould punced to head home the equaliser and seemingly dash the underdog’s hopes of an upset. However in extra-time Swindon had the better of the play and regained the lead as Don Rogers netted after a corner was not cleared by the Gunners.
In the second period of extra-time Arsenal went forward in search of another equaliser but lost the ball and Swindon broke on the counter-attack. The ball was played through to Rogers who, in acres of space, carried the ball towards goal before cooly rounding Wilson to score and make it 3-1. Arsenal could not find a way back and it was Swindon who pulled off a famous victory, lifting major silverware for the first time in their history.
Written by Steven Toplis, We Are Going Up podcast member and blogger
Tweet Steven at @steven_toplis with your suggestions for Toppo’s Top Tens
The upcoming week promises to be one of the most interesting and fun weeks to be a Crystal Palace fan in a very, very long time. Though the results are likely to be off keel of what Eagles fans will be looking for, Palace have shown enough power in their side this year to make Eagles fans interested in what might happen. The coming week will be a three course meal of delicious football and guaranteed some of the most intriguing games that Palace will play all season long.
The week will begin on Saturday with a 3pm match against rivals Millwall at Selhurst Park. After getting utterly thrashed by the Lions last season 3-0 away on New Year’s Day and dropping a disappointing 1-0 match at Selhurt to boot, Palace will be looking for revenge on a Lions side that they have not defeated since way back in 2002, partially due to Millwall’s stay in the third division for a spell.
It’s prudent to remember though that last season’s Palace side was one that scraped the relegation zone all season long and were once again a single point away from dropping by season’s end while Millwall were an up and coming team that surprisingly finished 9th in the table and looked to perhaps challenge for a playoff position in 2011 if the momentum was kept up. Those roles have been reversed this year with Palace surprisingly surging up to 10th in the table and Millwall sinking down to 20th. Both clubs are currently not in their best form as both are on two game losing streaks.
Wednesday will be the real treat, as Palace have a chance to keep their improbable Carling Cup run going if they can defeat perennial powerhouses Manchester United at Old Trafford. United are unlikely to field their best side for the match but even a second team from Man Utd is going to give fits to the first team for the Eagles. Palace fans have to be very satisfied with the results that their team has brought them so far in the Carling Cup but a win over United would likely make dreams of a major trophy finally dance in Eagle eyes for the first time since the early 1990′s.
It’s going to be a bit of a maze for Dougie Freedman to navigate through those two matches, both of almost equal importance and both tough tests to meet. Freedman will for sure have his players ready for the match against United but will he have players that are ready to play a full 90 against some of the best footballers in the world if he starts them all against Millwall? Palace are not a side renowned for their depth so it will be intriguing to see who plays against the Lions so we can start to piece together who will be available to take on the gargantuan task of the Red Devils four days later.
With those two games being the main course, a match against Derby County for dessert is almost a letdown on Friday – though I suppose asking for a West Ham derby would have been a bit too much. Derby are only a single place behind Palace in the table and will have a full extra day of rest compared to Palace, playing games on Saturday and Tuesday. With Palace also likely wiped out stamina-wise from the United match, we’ll never know what to expect against Derby.
We haven’t seen quite as intriguing a week of football around Selhurst Park in a very long time and it’s unlikely that we’ll see anything quite so much fun again for a while. This should be a week to remember for the Eagles, hopefully they can make it truly memorable with a 3-0 record when these six crazy days have met their end.
Written by Chris White, We Are Going Up’s Crystal Palace Blogger
After three unwelcome years of relegation scraps and desperate performances, a quarter of the way through the 2011/12 campaign can give Crystal Palace fans reason to be cheerful. As a Palace fan, I’d forgotten what it’s like to look up the league table rather than endlessly working out how many points we need to beat the drop. But in his rather matter of fact, efficient manner Dougie Freedman has assembled a team playing with confidence, picking up some impressive results and performances and getting the best out of 3 impressive youngsters in particular; Sean Scannell, Wilfried Zaha and Jonathan Williams.
The recent Palace turnaround has been assembled with the minimum of fuss and for the Championship at least, a small outlay. No big earners, no significant transfer fees, but we still find ourselves above Leicester City, Leeds United and Birmingham City. The key difference between Palace of today, compared with the last few years appears to be a new found confidence. In matches where the team has fallen behind, or been pegged back like Coventry City (home), notably against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion (away) or at home against West Ham, previous Palace teams would have surrendered and left empty handed. But on each occasion, the team has fought back to take at least 1 point from the match, and aside from an unlucky defeat against Middlesbrough in the league, are unbeaten at home, as well as three away wins in succession which has taken their points tally away from home to more than they managed to secure all last season.
But looking to the future, Freedman’s foundations have been laid on the talent of three promising players in particular. These talented youngsters, already securing the attention of scouts from a host of Premier League teams will almost certainly mean Crystal Palace have to fend off bids in the January transfer window. Whereas in the past Palace have tended to cash in, with the likes of Routledge, Watson and Moses all leaving for sizeable transfer fees (and wage packets) but rarely enhanced careers, the current trio of previously mentioned youngsters at Selhurst Park would be well served to further their development in south London.
This is a division where consistency rather than out and out quality is often the key to climbing the league and ultimately promotion as the likes of Swansea, Norwich and Blackpool have shown in recent years. And with a Premier League which has an astonishing 7 Scottish managers already, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they could be joined by another come next year.
Written by Aaron Porter, We Are Going Up’s Crystal Palace Blogger
We may only be three league games into the new season, but it’s clear that the new Championship season is already looking like it will be another rollercoaster for Eagles fans.
Understandably Palace fans went into the first league game of the season at London Road against newly promoted Peterborough United with high expectations. Expectations were even higher when impressive young forward Sean Scannell gave the lead. But just as Palace took the lead and the rollercoaster started to look like it was soaring, fans were subjected to the first crash of the season as second half goals from McGann and Ball gave Peterborough a home win, and subjected Palace to opening day defeat once again. Whilst it was a shattering of dreams for many Palace fans new season optimism, there were enough flickers of hope to think that Palace will do more than be dragged into a demoralising relegation dogfight.
Dougie Freedman may be a newcomer to the management merry-go-round, but he’s already getting the Palace faithful onside. It helps that he had a successful career as a Palace forward (1995–1997 & 2000–2008), with highlights including an 11 minute hat-trick against Grimsby Town in 1996 , 2 goals in the play-off semi-final against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1998 and a stoppage time winner against Stockport County in 2000 to ensure Palace beat the drop down to the third tier. And in the same way that Dougie always showed he was a bright, wily and hard-working player he is demonstrating those same traits as a manager.
Palace’s first home match of the season, after the Carling Cup match with Crawley Town was postponed, was against Burnley. Although it was hardly the most memorable game Selhurst Park has ever seen, Palace turned in a thoroughly professional performance with goals from debutant Jonathan Parr and a penalty from Owen Garvan, after Scannell was brought down in the box. A comfortable 2-0 win, which never really looked in doubt meant South Londoners points account was open, and the rollercoaster started on its upward trajectory once more.
But if the Burnley match was solid and rather unspectacular, the next match just three days later also at Selhurst Park against visitors Coventry City was the complete opposite. Midweek evening matches at Selhurst Park have a special atmosphere about them, and Tuesday 16th August certainly matched some of the best of them. For 45 minutes Palace got better and better, Scannell looked particularly lively but a combination of failing to find the final ball, and a some last-ditch defending saw the two teams go in at half-time level. The rollercoaster then went into overdrive, as against the run of play Coventry City took the lead against the run of play through Jutkiewicz after a momentary loss of concetration from Julian Speroni who found himself in no-mans land. But spurred on by conceding, Palace then went into overdrive as they pushed and pushed for an equaliser. Impressive youngster Wilfred Zaha joined the action along with debutant Jon Williams, and livened things up further. But no matter how hard Palace pushed, the Coventry defence somehow managed to stave off the threat.
And then, in stoppage time, in what is undoubtedly the best 5 minutes of the season so far – for a Palace fan, an equaliser was found through Scannell and Selhurst Park roared. With 5 minutes of stoppage time to be added, it seemed Palace weren’t sure whether to stick or twist. But with one final throw of the dice, a goal mouth scramble led to a late, late winner from Jermaine Easter. The celebration was electric, and the usually restrained Freedman found himself streaming away from the dugout to share in the celebrations with fans from the Main Stand.
The best rollercoasters leave you exhilarated, but feeling a little dizzy and sick too. That’s certainly what the first three matches have done to me so far this season, heaven knows what it could be like by May!
Written by Aaron Porter, We Are Going Up’s Crystal Palace Blogger
Not even the dreary sounds of Chris Martin going through his perpetual midlife crisis resonating from the PA system could put a downer on today. It was the first day of the new season and even the grey clouds which covered the sky that morning soon dispersed and London Road was bathed in the afternoon sunshine just as kick off approached.
Dougie Freedman’s Crystal Palace were the opening day visitors and bookmakers up and down the land were confident that Palace would beat the favourites to go straight back down. But being the underdog isn’t all bad, you’ve got no pressure to deal with and players feel more relaxed. And things were looking bright. As we kicked off we looked comfortable on the ball and were hardly giving Palace a sniff. Grant McCann underlined our domination in the early stages of that first half by striking a powerful ball causing Julian Speroni in the Palace goal to really stretch to keep it out. As strange as it was, Posh weren’t simply keeping Palace at bay but they were doing it with ease and with attacking flair (almost).
Unfortunately, relaxed at Peterborough United can take a very literal meaning at times. With a little over half an hour gone a long ball from Palace’s goalkeeper beat Ryan Bennett in the Posh defence and allowed Irishman Sean Scannell to slip past and lob the hapless Paul Jones. It had begun to turn bleak, especially since Nicky Ajose had to depart the field when he picked up a hamstring injury. He was replaced with the man with the rather aptly named David Ball. But to the London Road faithful, it was a dream start.
I know what you’re thinking; a goal down due to the defence daydreaming and our striker limping off doesn’t seem like the recipe for success but Posh relish in the unconventional. Perhaps the moment the ball hits the back of the net and they find themselves behind they realise they’re going to get the hairdryer treatment from Fergie. He learnt from the best after all. Posh quickly re-found their momentum, discipline and vigour, most likely with this in mind, and ended the first half brightly. Apart from the goal, Palace hadn’t really had any other chances while we had quite a few attacks on goal. Yet we didn’t have that crucial equaliser. I tried to put it out of my mind but I couldn’t help thinking at half time were we missing a certain Craig Mackail-Smith’s goal scoring ability?
I didn’t have to wait too long for an answer in the second half. A George Boyd free-kick was played across where it was struck firm and low first time by Grant McCann just outside the penalty box. This time Speroni couldn’t prevent it from going in and Posh found themselves with their deserved equaliser. All the tension that had built up amongst the Posh fans was emphatically released. If we kept playing how we were, could we do the impossible and take three points? No one dared say it aloud considering the last time we were in the Championship it took ten games to get that precious win. But you can hope right?
As we were reaching the final quarter we were increasingly bearing down on goal but, rather frustratingly, trying to walk the ball into the net with some rather slick passing for a newly promoted Championship club. Ultimately Palace buckled under our relentless pressure when David Ball connected with a low cross at the far post to grab what would be the winner.
With a well earned win under our belts we now have the bragging rights of being above all the teams relegated from the Premiership, at least until next Saturday. More importantly thought, we can’t get ahead of ourselves. It is after all only one game and as good as it feels to prove a few (alright many, many) people wrong about us we are still the favourites to end up at the foot of the table. We’ve got two extremely difficult games coming up next in the league as we take on Blackpool and Ipswich. Games like that certainly won’t be as smooth as perhaps it was against Palace and even getting a point against the likes of Ipswich will be a massive achievement. But for now, we can celebrate with smiles on our faces and maybe, just maybe, hold off the inevitable Great Escape theme at least until February or March.
Life without Mackail-Smith doesn’t seem too bad after all; I can’t even remember what all the fuss was about anyway.
Written by Liam Smith, We Are Going Up’s Peterborough United Blogger
It’s been a tough few seasons for South London’s Crystal Palace. 2009-10 saw the Eagles save themselves from relegation on the final day of the campaign at the expense of Sheffield Wednesday in a tense and nail biting climax to the season.
Last season wasn’t much better, which like the year before turned into a long and drawn out relegation fight. Manager George Burley was sacked on New Years’ Day to be replaced with Palace legend, but managerial rookie Dougie Freedman. Freedman himself was no stranger to relegation great escapes, having scored a stoppage time winner against Stockport County in 2001 to save Palace from dropping out of what was then Division One, now The Championship, in a truly momentous day for Palace fans up at Edgeley Park.
Dougie Freedman brought the hard work, professionalism and courage which he demonstrated as a player to the management of Palace last season, and slowly but surely, managed to ensure that the Eagles were safe with two games to go. Which given what he’d inherited was a real achievement for his first spell as a manager. The foundations for survival were built on a tremendous home record in the second half of the season, which included a 13 match unbeaten sequence at Selhurst Park between November 9th and April 16th.
Off the field, Crystal Palace have had their problems in recent years too. They have gone into administration twice in just 13 years, but are now under the steady co-chairmanship of Steve Parish and Martin Long. The days of chairmen like Ron Noades, Mark Goldberg and Simon Jordan are behind us, and in their very different ways, that’s probably good news for the club. Given their turbulent financial past, it comes as no surprise that the summer hasn’t seen Palace able to splash the cash like some others in the division. Freedman has had to be astute and calculated in the transfer market, and in picking up three full internationals Norwegian Jonathan Parr (signed from Aalesund), Australian Mile Jedinak (signed as a free agent, having left Genclerbirligi), South African Kigasho Dikgacoi (signed from Fulham after a loan spell last season) as well as hitman Glenn Murray from rivals Brighton the squad has been bolstered in key departments, without huge amounts of money being spent.
Just as important as the new arrivals, has been the retention of some key players too. Rising star Nathaniel Clyne has certainly been watched by a number of Premiership clubs, as has the ever reliable keeper Julian Speroni. The club have also been able to retain the services of other key players Paddy McCarthy, Darren Ambrose and Sean Scannell as we approach the first league game of the season.
In keeping with his style as a manager, Dougie Freedman has overseen a relatively low key pre-season. Unlike in recent years where the Eagles have faced glamorous pre-season opponents like Inter Milan, Chelsea and Anderlecht, Norwich City were the biggest match on the pre-season schedule. After a relatively underwhelming performances against Basingstoke in the first pre-season match (won 2-1), followed by a disappointing 0-0 draw with Wycombe Wanderers and a similarly disappointing goalless draw at Crawley the performance against the Canaries was much improved. Scannell in particular looked lively throughout, and Norwich couldn’t complain too much that Palace went onto win the match 1-0 with a late goal from Nathaniel Pinney. You would certainly wouldn’t have believed it was Norwich that finished 40 points above Crystal Palace last season to earn their place in The Premiership.
Sadly for all the positives in the Norwich game, Palace then crashed to a 3-1 at Dean Court against Bournemouth in their final pre-season match before the season begins on Saturday. Freedman cited ‘defensive frailties’ as the key to the defeat. So with the start of the season just days away, only the very bravest Eagles would dare to bet that we will finish in the top 6. But this is a very tight and competitive division, a good start will be important and a reliable goalscorer means anyone can be the surprise outfit to surge their way through the division. And given the battles Palace have had at the wrong end of the table for the last few years, who is to say we shouldn’t dream about a promotion push this year? Unfortunately the bookmakers don’t agree, and at 80/1 we’ve got the 3rd longest odds for the title!
Written by Aaron Porter, We Are Going Up’s Crystal Palace Blogger
