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Friday, 10 May, 2002, 10:51 GMT 11:51 UK
Your say on play-off promotion
Birmingham clinch promotion to the Premiership with a 4-2 penalty win over Norwich in the play-off final.
Are you a fan of the play-off system?
This debate is now closed.
Stoke broke Brentford hearts - and the curse of the south stand dressing room - to seal promotion to Division One with a deserved win at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
And the south stand luck held out for 18-year-old Darren Carter as he netted home the vital spot kick to put Birmingham into the top flight and end Norwich's promotion dreams.
It's been an emotional season for all involved and many will feel a penalty shoot-out to be a particularly harsh way to resolve the issue of promotion.
Have your say on the play-offs?
A certain six points for most Premiership sides - I'll be surprised if Birmingham even match Leicester's 28 points this season.
As a Blues supporter, I was an avid hater of the play-off system for obvious reasons! Even though I'm ecstastic about the win, I really feel for Norwich fans because we were minutes away from being in their position. No-one should be asked to take a penalty kick that could cost the club £40 million!
As a Norwich supporter, I'm proud of how the whole team played on Sunday. All credit to the penalty takers - it wasn't easy stepping in front of the sea of blue. Well done to the two sets of supporters for the friendly atmosphere and good luck to the Blues next season. Never mind lads, we can do it next season (can't wait to see Andy Marshall and Ipswich again!)
Finally Birmingham City return to where the club belong after a historic win against Norwich! Well done to Steve Bruce, he's done us proud! Good Luck Blues.
Congratulations to the Birmingham team and to Stern John most of all. I haven't felt so proud in such a long time. We in Trinidad have not had a lot to shout about since Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy abandoned us in the midst of our hopeful World Cup campaign. Stern has been loyal to us and a wonderful find for Birmingham. We look forward to seeing you in the next season of the EPL.
Well done you Mighty Blues, back where you belong. Can't wait to play those boys in the park!
I am a Norwich fan, and I just want to say that I am so upset by our defeat - penalties are such a hard way to lose. I believe that we played better on the day, but at least we have a match against Ipswich next season! Well done city on a great season!
The play-offs make the leagues much more exciting and tense for the fans - it is all for entertainment after all. As a Blues fan I am relieved that we managed to win a penalty shootout at long last! Norwich did well and we can empathize with them.
However, the team I feel sorriest for is Wolves - they blew it at the end, but I am sure they will be up with us after next season, so long as Rangers and Celtic stay in Scotland where they belong!
Everyone knows the rules at the start of the season! So why do people keep on moaning the play-offs are unfair? The rules are there in black and white people! If people do not like it, then they can go and watch netball!
I disagree with the whole play-off scenario. When a team works so hard over 42 games and is in the top three of their division, they deserve promotion. It is unfair for clubs like Wolves who achieved that, and were 11 points clear of their nearest rivals. It's farcical and does not make sense.
Well Done Blues! What a great day. The atmosphere inside the ground from both sets of supporters could not have been better if it had been a World Cup final.
Best wishes to Norwich for the coming season - we know how you are feeling from past experience. Yet again the play-off finals provide probably the best games and action of the entire season.
As a Norwich fan, I'm gutted that we lost on penalties. Defeated but unbeaten, the lads played magnificently. With a young manager and young side, things can only improve for us! Well done Brum, good luck in the Premiership. Roll on the Anglian Derby!
I am so proud of the Blues - what a great game. It could have gone either way, but I'm glad it went ours.
Well done to Steve Bruce, and of course the lads!
Well done Blues, particularly Geoff Horsfield, who suffered greatly at the hands of the referee. The equalising goal could not have been scored by a more deserving player. I'm looking forward to your visit to Villa Park next season! Claret and blue forever!
Finally! After supporting the Blues for over 30 years, I now have tears of joy! I missed the first half of the game, but saw the rest via satellite.
No disrespect to a fine Norwich side, but we needed this win so badly - for the club and the Board, but most of all for the true Blues fans. The Nationwide has got to be the hardest league to get out of, but now comes the big test - the Premier League!
Well done Brummies, and well-played Norwich. It was a great game and a good advert for football. Special mention for Graham Barber, who had a superb game and let the action flow.
It is harsh to have lost on penalties, and to see the whole season to have come down to a few spot kicks. However; excitement, drama, tension, things to play for - the play offs are great for the game.
It seemed a great occasion for both supporters, and I just hope Norwich can bounce back from this in a couple of months' time for the start of the next season.
The play-offs are a complete joke. How many times have we seen team 10 points or more behind the third placed team, sneak into sixth place and then go on to win the play-off final? The main reason for this is having the luck to hit the right form at the end of the season. I know its all about money and keeping the season alive for mid table teams but it just isn't fair.
If we still want to keep the playoff system, a 'fairer' system in my opinion would be for the third placed team to automatically go into the final and face a one off match against the winners of a playoff between 4th and 5th placed teams.
Poor Brentford must hate the play-offs, having finished third and stayed down whilst the fifth placed side got promoted in their place. As a Gills fan though, there's nothing better than a day out a major stadium - it might be the only chance that clubs like Brentford get to visit stadiums like the Millennium, and it all adds to the footballing experience.
Surely the promotion and relegation positions should be decided on the entire season's performance, not some three ring circus at the end of the season. Where is the justice when a team finishes nine points ahead of their third placed opposition, and doesn't get promoted?
Yes, I am a Wolves fan, and proud of it! Sort it out FA, and let's go back to the old system, where everyone knew come the end of the season where they stood, and the teams who succeeded over the whole season gained promotion.
Well done to Stoke City and their loyal fans on the play-off victory against Brentford. I hope this win is the first step along the way to where Stoke City FC truly belongs - the English Premier League, and the chance to relive those golden moments of the Waddington Years. City are on their way back!
Thank God for that - now will all you soccer-heads please shut up about the 'south changing rooms curse.' Far more rugby has been played at the beautiful Millennium Stadium and there's no stupid childish superstition about which changing room you get changed in! And your off side rule is simplicity itself compared with ours! Please get a grip.
As happy as I was back in 1972, this day feels just the same for us older Stoke City-fans!
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