The 2005 Play-Offs Thread

If West Ham win they should be allowed back in the play offs next year to defend their title.

If we win, we get into play-off Europe and face a tricky tie against Den Haag.

I want Sheffield Half Day Closing to win so that Luggy gets to beat Southampton next season and say "Who's the useless old codger with the dodgy cardigans now eh eh?"

i dont mind who goes up, out of preston and west ham, but itd be good to have a 3rd northern team go up, especially with 3 southern teams dropping down

i hope hartlepool mow down wednesday

Southend vs Lincoln: tough one because I like both towns. Lincoln's a fan-owned club and they wear a smashing kit so I'm backing them. Geddon you Imps!

Wednesday vs Hartlepool: battle of the Tesco Bags. Don't care, won't care.

West Ham vs Preston: come on you Irons, partly because I want Mikey G to be happy and partly because I haven't yet forgiven Preston for 1996.

yea, i cant decide between southend and lincoln either

Cheers Tim, I want me to be happy too. Then we can spend the whole of next season desperately trying to finish 4th from bottom.

I fancy Sarfend and t'Wednesday in the other ties.

Come on Preston!

It's not that I paticualarily have anything against West Ham, but I really, really hate the media bias towards "poor" West Ham.

Explain.

I was going to be supporting Preston, as I think it would be hilarious to have preston, wigan, bolton, blackburn, liverpool and everton all in the premiership, but i have a horrible feeling that last night I said I would support West ham if Liverpool won

I want Wednesday to win

When West Ham were relegated it seemed like all the papers and TV pundits could only talk about was how unlucky West Ham were to have fallen from their natural position in the top flight of English football. About how they deserved better, Ignoring the fact that relegation is something that happens to many teams every year.

And to this day you still get a London bias towards any coverage - It seemed like they Sky team "covering" the first leg of the Ipswich/West Ham play-off semi-final got every single Ipswich players name wrong at some point. Kenny Miller, Lee Naylor... it's TOMMY Miller and RICHARD Naylor you muppets.

Now West Ham are seemingly inevitably going-up according to most pundits, ignoring the fact that Preston are an extremly efficient, tidy team easily capable of beating the hot'n'cold merchants.

(I'm not bitter...)

See you lads in the play-offs next season...

I am going to teh Millennium Stadium on Monday and cheering on the Lillywhites. I hope Preston do themselves proud; they'll doubtless be relegated, but they will finfish their stadium if they go up. I like Billy Davies too, and David Nugent is a cracking young prospect.

Dave, do you want to meet for a drink on Monday in the Diff?

Don't really agree about London bias. The last couple of games I've seen us play on Sky had Chris Kamara as co-commentator. He got everyone's name wrong (irrespective of team) and even called us West Brom.

Assume you're an Ipswich fan, Chewybloke. I thought you had us for the plucking after the first leg. Sometimes we pull these performances out of a hat. That's just how it works sometimes. I honestly thought Ipswich would get promoted. Tommy Miller is one of the best midfielders in the division.

I should support West Ham as they're my nearest club now, but I would like to see Preston go up.

Don't mind out Hartlepool and Wednesday but leaning towards the Hartle. Would prefer Lincoln over Southend.

why is everyone in favour of wednesday?

She's everyone's favourite Addams.

They are less cruel to animals than Hartlepool.

They have an owl. Owls are good.

G - What's the Diff?

Happy to meet - what train are you getting? I'm getting the 10.45 from Paddington. Got to meet family in Cardiff, but train there and back might be a good plan - if you're doing it that way.

why is everyone in favour of wednesday?

Paul Sturrock will get to visit St Mary's again.

Sory, the Diff is Cardiff, but no-one calls it anyway.

We're driving down Sunday and staying two nights. I will be in the pubs around the ground from about midday onwards, but we're in the south end (near the station) so one of those pubs. Quite happy to meet somewhere more neutral for a drink.

I'll email my mobile number to your gmail account and hopefully we can sort something out on the day.