Survival Sunday
Encyclopedia
Survival Sunday is a term used to refer to final day coverage of the Premier League in England
. The phrase is primarily used by Sky Sports
, when relegation places are still to be decided, and is used on all the adverts for the end of season football coverage. The phrase has since been used by other media to refer to the final matches.
had been decided. Norwich City
, Southampton
, Crystal Palace
and West Bromwich Albion
were all separated by just a couple of points going into the final match. It was the first time since the establishment of the Premier League in 1992 that no team was assured of relegation going into the final matchday, and the closest dogfight in the top flight since 1927–28, when 11 teams were separated by a total of two points going into the final matchday—in an era when a win was worth two points instead of today's three
.
, Bolton Wanderers, Fulham
& Reading
. Fulham were level on points with Reading but had slightly a better goal difference. Matches kicked off at 16:00 GMT. In the end Birmingham City went down by a point to Fulham despite having a better goal difference to Fulham and despite winning 4–1 against Blackburn Rovers. Reading beat Derby County 4–0 at Pride Park but still went down on goal difference by 3 goals to Fulham who beat Portsmouth 1–0 at Fratton Park to stay up before Bolton Wanderers equalised in the 92nd minute against Chelsea to confirm their Premier League status.
, Middlesbrough
, Newcastle United
& Sunderland
. The matches were played on 24 May 2009 at 16:00 GMT. There four teams were separated by four points before kick-off. At 18:00 GMT Middlesbrough & Newcastle United were relegated despite having a better goal difference than Hull City. None of the four teams won on the final day. Hull losing 1–0 to Manchester United. Middlesbrough losing 2–1 to West Ham United. Newcastle United losing 1–0 Aston Villa & Sunderland losing 3–2 to Chelsea.
, Blackburn Rovers
, Birmingham City, Blackpool and Wigan
—battled to avoid the two open relegation spots (West Ham
were already assured of relegation). All five teams were separated by one point, marking the first time since 1995–96 that five teams had entered the season's final day in danger of relegation, and the first time ever that five teams facing the drop were separated by one point going into the final matchday.
After 37 matches, Blackburn and Wolves were each on 40 points, with Blackburn having the edge on goal difference (–14 to –19). The other three sides were on 39, separated only by goal difference (Birmingham City –20, Blackpool –21, Wigan –22).
Wolves hosted Blackburn; both sides entered the match knowing that if they won, they were assured of staying up. The other teams facing relegation played away to teams whose motivation for a peak performance was arguably limited. Birmingham were at fifth-placed Tottenham
. While Spurs could secure a Europa League
place with a win, their manager Harry Redknapp
suggested prior to the match that he would rather avoid the fixture congestion that comes with that competition. On the other hand, Spurs entered the final matchday atop the Premier League Fair Play table, which would have given them a Europa League berth regardless of their result. However, if they had entered by that method, they would start their European campaign in the first qualifying round on 30 June, giving them an incentive to win. Blackpool were at champions Manchester United
, who would face FC Barcelona
in the Champions League final
the following Saturday. In the remaining match, Wigan played at mid-table Stoke City
. All games except Wolves v Blackburn were shown live on the Sky Sports channels.
The day proved almost as dramatic as the 2004–05 dogfight.
, Blackburn took a 3–0 lead into the halftime break. At the same time, two of the other key matches—Stoke–Wigan and Spurs–Birmingham—were both scoreless, and Blackpool were level 1–1 at Old Trafford
.
At that moment, Wolves and Wigan were in the drop zone.
, Roman Pavlyuchenko
scored to give Spurs a 1–0 lead, sending Birmingham into the drop zone. Then, in the 57th minute at Old Trafford, Gary Taylor-Fletcher
gave Blackpool a stunning 2–1 lead against a United team that had dropped only two points at home all season—but five minutes later, Anderson
equalised.
In the 73rd minute at Molineux, Jamie O'Hara pulled back one goal for Wolves, although at that moment they were still in the drop zone. Then, in the 74th minute, Blackpool suffered a shattering turn of fortune when Ian Evatt
deflected a United cross into his own goal
, putting Blackpool into the drop zone and taking Wolves out of it.
The next turn of fortune came in the 78th minute at Britannia Stadium
, where Hugo Rodallega
scored for Wigan to give them a cushion of safety, and ultimately a 1–0 win. One minute later at White Hart Lane, Craig Gardner
equalised for Birmingham, which took Birmingham out of the drop zone at Wolves' expense. In the meantime, Michael Owen
sealed the Seasiders' fate with a goal for United in the 81st minute, giving them a 4–2 lead. Although the Old Trafford crowd sincerely applauded Blackpool post-match, it was scant consolation for their supporters.
Wolves would exit the drop zone in the 87th minute, when Stephen Hunt pulled back a second goal against Blackburn, narrowing the deficit to 2–3 (which proved to be the final score). At that moment, they would have stayed up on goal difference over Birmingham. Finally, in stoppage time, Pavlyuchenko scored his second goal to give Spurs a 2–1 victory and seal Birmingham's fate. When word came of Pavlyuchenko's second goal, both sets of fans at Molineux celebrated, first by singing songs in the stands and then storming the pitch
after the match.
In the end, Birmingham and Blackpool joined West Ham in the Championship
in 2011–12.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The phrase is primarily used by Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, when relegation places are still to be decided, and is used on all the adverts for the end of season football coverage. The phrase has since been used by other media to refer to the final matches.
2004–05 season
On the final day of the 2004–05 FA Premier League, none of the three sides to be relegatedPromotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
had been decided. Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
, Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
and West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
were all separated by just a couple of points going into the final match. It was the first time since the establishment of the Premier League in 1992 that no team was assured of relegation going into the final matchday, and the closest dogfight in the top flight since 1927–28, when 11 teams were separated by a total of two points going into the final matchday—in an era when a win was worth two points instead of today's three
Three points for a win
Three points for a win is a standard used in many sports leagues and group tournaments, especially in association football, in which three points are awarded to the team winning a match, with no points to the losing team. If the game is drawn, each team receives one point...
.
2007–08 season
On the final day of the 2007–08 Premier League season four teams could go down. Birmingham CityBirmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Bolton Wanderers, Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
& Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
. Fulham were level on points with Reading but had slightly a better goal difference. Matches kicked off at 16:00 GMT. In the end Birmingham City went down by a point to Fulham despite having a better goal difference to Fulham and despite winning 4–1 against Blackburn Rovers. Reading beat Derby County 4–0 at Pride Park but still went down on goal difference by 3 goals to Fulham who beat Portsmouth 1–0 at Fratton Park to stay up before Bolton Wanderers equalised in the 92nd minute against Chelsea to confirm their Premier League status.
2008–09 season
On the final day of the 2008–09 Premier League season four teams could go down. Hull CityHull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
& Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. The matches were played on 24 May 2009 at 16:00 GMT. There four teams were separated by four points before kick-off. At 18:00 GMT Middlesbrough & Newcastle United were relegated despite having a better goal difference than Hull City. None of the four teams won on the final day. Hull losing 1–0 to Manchester United. Middlesbrough losing 2–1 to West Ham United. Newcastle United losing 1–0 Aston Villa & Sunderland losing 3–2 to Chelsea.
2010-11 season
On the last day of the 2010-11 season, five teams—WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, Birmingham City, Blackpool and Wigan
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
—battled to avoid the two open relegation spots (West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
were already assured of relegation). All five teams were separated by one point, marking the first time since 1995–96 that five teams had entered the season's final day in danger of relegation, and the first time ever that five teams facing the drop were separated by one point going into the final matchday.
After 37 matches, Blackburn and Wolves were each on 40 points, with Blackburn having the edge on goal difference (–14 to –19). The other three sides were on 39, separated only by goal difference (Birmingham City –20, Blackpool –21, Wigan –22).
Wolves hosted Blackburn; both sides entered the match knowing that if they won, they were assured of staying up. The other teams facing relegation played away to teams whose motivation for a peak performance was arguably limited. Birmingham were at fifth-placed Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. While Spurs could secure a Europa League
2011–12 UEFA Europa League
The 2011–12 UEFA Europa League is the third season of the competition since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup. It began on 30 June 2011 with the first legs of the first qualifying round, and will end on 9 May 2012 with the final to be held at Stadionul Național in Bucharest, Romania...
place with a win, their manager Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
suggested prior to the match that he would rather avoid the fixture congestion that comes with that competition. On the other hand, Spurs entered the final matchday atop the Premier League Fair Play table, which would have given them a Europa League berth regardless of their result. However, if they had entered by that method, they would start their European campaign in the first qualifying round on 30 June, giving them an incentive to win. Blackpool were at champions Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, who would face FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in the Champions League final
2011 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
the following Saturday. In the remaining match, Wigan played at mid-table Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
. All games except Wolves v Blackburn were shown live on the Sky Sports channels.
The day proved almost as dramatic as the 2004–05 dogfight.
First half
At MolineuxMolineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, Blackburn took a 3–0 lead into the halftime break. At the same time, two of the other key matches—Stoke–Wigan and Spurs–Birmingham—were both scoreless, and Blackpool were level 1–1 at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
.
At that moment, Wolves and Wigan were in the drop zone.
Second half
The second half of all matches saw many twists and turns, with changes in the virtual table occurring several times. First, in the 49th minute at White Hart LaneWhite Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
, Roman Pavlyuchenko
Roman Pavlyuchenko
Roman Anatolyevich Pavlyuchenko is an footballer who currently plays as a centre forward for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and for the Russian national team.-Spartak Moscow:...
scored to give Spurs a 1–0 lead, sending Birmingham into the drop zone. Then, in the 57th minute at Old Trafford, Gary Taylor-Fletcher
Gary Taylor-Fletcher
Gary Taylor-Fletcher is an English footballer. He plays for Blackpool and is a midfielder who can also play as a forward...
gave Blackpool a stunning 2–1 lead against a United team that had dropped only two points at home all season—but five minutes later, Anderson
Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira
Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira , best known as Anderson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Manchester United and the Brazil national team....
equalised.
In the 73rd minute at Molineux, Jamie O'Hara pulled back one goal for Wolves, although at that moment they were still in the drop zone. Then, in the 74th minute, Blackpool suffered a shattering turn of fortune when Ian Evatt
Ian Evatt
Ian Ross Evatt is an English footballer who currently plays for Blackpool.He began his professional career in 1999 at Derby County and has also played for Northampton Town , Chesterfield and Queens Park Rangers.-Early life:...
deflected a United cross into his own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
, putting Blackpool into the drop zone and taking Wolves out of it.
The next turn of fortune came in the 78th minute at Britannia Stadium
Britannia Stadium
The Britannia Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England and the home of Premier League club Stoke City Football Club. With space for 27,598 spectators . The name is taken from the sponsors of the Stadium the Britannia Co-operative Bank...
, where Hugo Rodallega
Hugo Rodallega
Hugo Rodallega Martínez is a Colombian footballer who plays for English Premier League club Wigan Athletic. He primarily plays as a striker, but can also play on the wing....
scored for Wigan to give them a cushion of safety, and ultimately a 1–0 win. One minute later at White Hart Lane, Craig Gardner
Craig Gardner
Craig Gardner is an English footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Sunderland. A versatile midfielder, Gardner can play in many different positions, although central midfield is his preferred position...
equalised for Birmingham, which took Birmingham out of the drop zone at Wolves' expense. In the meantime, Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
sealed the Seasiders' fate with a goal for United in the 81st minute, giving them a 4–2 lead. Although the Old Trafford crowd sincerely applauded Blackpool post-match, it was scant consolation for their supporters.
Wolves would exit the drop zone in the 87th minute, when Stephen Hunt pulled back a second goal against Blackburn, narrowing the deficit to 2–3 (which proved to be the final score). At that moment, they would have stayed up on goal difference over Birmingham. Finally, in stoppage time, Pavlyuchenko scored his second goal to give Spurs a 2–1 victory and seal Birmingham's fate. When word came of Pavlyuchenko's second goal, both sets of fans at Molineux celebrated, first by singing songs in the stands and then storming the pitch
Pitch invasion
A pitch invasion or field invasion, known as rushing the field in the United States, occurs when a crowd of people who are watching a sports game run onto the field, to celebrate or protest about an incident...
after the match.
In the end, Birmingham and Blackpool joined West Ham in the Championship
2011–12 Football League Championship
The 2011–12 Football League Championship is the eighth season of the league under its current title and nineteenth season under its current league division format....
in 2011–12.