While attention last week was naturally on the final day of the Premier League, we must not overlook some intriguing playoffs that have been going on at Wembley. A playoff final can be a stressful experience for both club and fans alike. The very fact they are at Wembley means the club have experienced a decent season, but everything comes down to one game. A defeat feels like it has been another wasted year, so near and yet so far.
As has been experienced in the three playoff games last week, it has been joy for some supporters while others have been as sick as the proverbial parrot.
There is one more playoff final to go. Tomorrow National League teams Southend United and Oldham Athletic battle it out to see who will return to the Football League along with already promoted Barnet. More on that later.
It is understandable that playoff finals tend not to dish up quality football. The teams involved just want to get over the line and it's the result that counts, not the performance. That does not necessarily mean the games lack drama.
There was certainly late excitement in the Championship playoff when Sunderland's Tommy Watson scored an injury-time winner to beat Sheffield United 2-1. The result puts the Black Cats back in the top flight after eight years in the lower divisions. Sunderland join Leeds United and Burnley in what will be a huge challenge next season. They are well aware that for the last two seasons the three newly promoted clubs to the Premier League were all promptly relegated.
Moving into the Championship are Charlton Athletic who managed a 1-0 win over fellow Londoners Leyton Orient thanks to an excellent free-kick by Macaulay Gillesphey. It was not a memorable game but the Addicks won't care. They are back in the Championship along with Birmingham City and Wrexham.
The League Two playoff saw another 1-0 result with AFC Wimbledon overcoming Walsall. It was a bitter blow for the Saddlers as earlier this year their team was 12 points clear at the top of the table and had looked assured of automatic promotion. The only goal of the game came from Myles Hippolyte whose slick first-half finish had the Wombles supporters celebrating.
Tomorrow's Wembley clash between Oldham and Southend could be a fascinating encounter. Oldham had finished fifth in the National League while Southend were seventh. When Oldham were relegated from League Two in 2022 they became the first former Premier League club to drop out of the Football League. They had been in the top flight under manager Joe Royle from 1991-94 having won promotion to the old Division 1 in 1991 and spending the next two seasons in the newly formed Premier League.
Southend have performed remarkably well to make the final having beaten Rochdale and Forest Green in nail-biting matches. It's amazing that the Shrimpers still exist as they have suffered extraordinary financial difficulties and ownership problems in recent years and several times were on the brink of liquidation.
There is some talk of a "lucky end" at Wembley because this season all the successful playoff finalists plus FA Cup winners Crystal Palace had their fans allocated in the West Stand. That's the stand Oldham fans will be occupying tomorrow. But don't write off the Shrimpers.