Six South Yorkshire football clubs are in action tomorrow, with promotion and relegation permutations in place as the 2022-23 season looks to reach a thrilling climax.
With Sheffield United already up to the Premier League, promotion and relegation is still on the line for Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Chesterfield.
In this piece, ShefNews will be giving you a guide on how tomorrow’s fixtures could impact your club’s season – whether that means the hope of nail-biting play-offs with a trip to Wembley on the line, or the desperate hope of survival.
Sheffield United
Sheffield United’s victory over West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday night saw Paul Heckingbottom’s side win promotion back to the Premier League.
Tomorrow’s final home game of the campaign against Preston North End will act as a celebration of a tremendous campaign that saw the Blades regain a place at English football’s top table after two campaigns away.
Callum Cheswick, a commentator for Sheffield Sports Commentaries and a keen Sheffield United fan, believes that the Blades have done well to secure themselves promotion in a season like no other.
“With the World Cup break halfway through the season – it could easily knock any team out of stride. It could have easily been derailed.
“Overall, there’s been fantastic memories made and some fantastic performances along the way in a pretty odd season.”
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>SHEFFIELD UNITED ARE PROMOTED TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE! 📈 <a href=”https://t.co/0nyFysd6Wo”>pic.twitter.com/0nyFysd6Wo</a></p>— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SheffieldUnited/status/1651329829604671491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Rotherham United
Rotherham’s fears of relegation may still be prevalent with two games in the Championship remaining. Last night’s 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City sees The Millers three points clear of the relegation zone, and would need Reading and Huddersfield to pick up practically maximum points from their remaining fixtures.
They welcome Middlesborough on Monday as underdogs against Michael Carrick’s high-flying Boro, with Matt Taylor’s men keeping all eyes on the Madejski Stadium where Reading host Wigan Athletic.
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday have it all to do in the final two matches of the campaign – they must win both of their remaining games, with a trip to mid-table Shrewsbury tomorrow and a clash with fellow promotion-hopefuls Derby County on the last day.
James Mappin, a host of the Wednesday ‘Till I Die Podcast, believes that despite slim hopes of automatic promotion, the Owls should be going into the play-off picture with a lot of hope.
“We’ve been in the playoffs four times and won once – in 2005.
“Everybody wants to go up top – if you could say definitively you will win the play-off final that’s preferable to finishing second.
“Looking at the points we’ve picked up, we should be going in there with quite a lot of hope – it’s just the disappointment of not going up automatically in second.
“If it is to be play-offs, we should go in there with confidence.”
Besides needing to beat Shrewsbury and Derby, they must hope Ipswich Town slip up in their remaining two games – though a victory for Kieran McKenna’s side against Exeter City will see them claim automatic promotion.
Barnsley
A defeat against Ipswich Town in midweek saw the end Barnsley’s already-slim hopes of automatic promotion.
An impressive campaign has seen them ensure at least a fourth-placed finish and with it, the advantage of playing one of the supposedly weaker clubs with a date with Wembley potentially on the line.
Doncaster Rovers
Despite a disappointing month that sees them winless in five, Doncaster Rovers have mathematically secured League Two football for another season.
They play host to fellow strugglers Colchester United tomorrow afternoon, though the U’s are another club who have secured survival in League Two.
The Dons were tipped for exciting things this season after relegation from League One – but another year in the Football League’s basement tier awaits.
Chesterfield
In the confusing National League play-off system, the two highest-placed finishers outside of champions Wrexham secure a bye to the semi-final round, while the teams from 4th-7th contest an ‘eliminator’ round.
Notts County’s staggering 106 points means they’ve definitely achieved second place, but Chesterfield will be looking to secure third-place and with it, a bye and home play-off semi final.
Chesterfield realistically only need a point against already-relegated Maidstone United tomorrow at The Technique Stadium due to their superior goal difference – but a win will remove any doubts about their final league position.