I was hoping for at least a draw since the last away game against them finished 1-1 back in October. And we played pretty well in the first half but my defense was a nightmare, we were making huge errors and Southampton didn’t need an invitation to score. At half time the scoreboard indicated a disaster for us, it was 3-1. I made all three substitutions at half time, we had to show some determination out there. Immediately after the break one of the players that came in as a substitute, midfielder Adam Kay, stepped up and banged in a shot from 25 yards out! His first goal of the season! We kept piling up the pressure but also kept on missing shots from all around their penalty area. That was the game until the 77th minute when the unlikely hero stepped up again – another shot from 25 yards out and another goal from Adam Kay! He didn’t score all season long and now he was making an exhibition!

It finished 3-3 but we could have won it if we would have paid more attention in defense. However, it was a good result that gave us a lot of confidence for the second leg.

A few words about our unlikely hero, Adam Kay. I brought him on a free transfer in 2010 from Burnley and he was a constant presence in our team throughout the last few season. This year he was a backup for the first team but he did well every time I needed to send him in. He never argued about deserving more first team football, he continued to work hard in training and I guess he got what he deserved, a moment of glory for the anonymous midfield worker.

We had to win the second leg at Croft Park and I felt that it was entirely possible, we defeated Southampton 3-1 with only 10 men in our last league game. They looked better in the first half and even scored the opening goal in the 25th minute. We reacted well and the first 45 minutes ended all square, 1-1. We had to do more in the second half, it was a big opportunity for us and we just couldn’t afford to miss it. My players fully understood that and produced a thrilling display in the second half, superb 45 minutes of football. Southampton were looking powerless as we scored 3 goals! A great victory, and we were through to the final!

The bad news was that we had to play against Stoke in the final, they defeated Cardiff quite heavily in the other semifinal (2-0 away and 3-1 at home). Stoke were the only Championship team that defeated us both home and away in the league games. In fact, they were the only side that defeated us at Croft Park, 2-0 in September. I knew their team by heart, their numerous strengths and the few weaknesses but in the end it was all up to my players, they had to prove that they deserved promotion. We had good morale and I hoped that it could make a difference in what I expected to be a very even game at Wimbledon.

It began perfectly for us, left back Kris Paterson sent in a shot from 25 yards out and their keeper could only push it off the underside of the bar! We continued to push forward and we scored again in the 9th minute! But the linesman had nothing better to do than flagging, it was offside, the goal was disallowed

Stoke seized control and they pegged us back immediately, Danny Pugh placed a perfect shot from 25 yards out in the 12th minute.

Seven minutes later my left back managed to ruin everything he did by scoring a goal, a big marking error and Nikola Drincic made it 2-1 for Stoke.

We went back to attack and we did pretty well, we were creative and determined enough to create chances. But unfortunately we missed three huge ones before half time, it ended 2-1.

I expected my lads to keep on going forward in the second half but for some reason Stoke took control of the game again. We just couldn’t find the right tempo, they were winning all the tackles in midfield. Things were looking bad and they got even worse in the 70th minute… Alan Smith picked up a through ball, everybody thought he was offside! Everybody except the linesman… Smith banged it in, it was 3-1.

I wasn’t hoping for anything at that point but my players showed a great deal of determination, they immediately went forward and we were piling up the pressure on the Stoke defense again.

75th minute… Dimitriu Copil curled in a perfect cross from the right, it went past the keeper, Christian Short was in the box, ready to push the ball in… Tordoya got to the ball first but could only push it into the net! We clawed one back!

Three minutes later Christian Short was running on the left wing behind their defenders, he passed the ball into the middle, Gary Horner blasted it on the volley… Westwood pushed it away with a fantastic reflex… But it only went a few yards to the right… Copil was there and couldn’t miss… It was 3-3! Get in!

Stoke were looking shocked! Their manager changed the tactic, they switched to a 4-2-4 immediately after our third goal, they desperately wanted to score.

But they just couldn’t get forward, my defense and midfield were intercepting everything!

Only two minutes to go and we are still attacking. Chaurant picks up a ball, takes a look and then sends in a through ball into the penalty area. Perfect pass, Christian Short picks it up, swivels on the ball to get clear of their centre back… And shoots! It’s past the keeper, heading for the far post… It hits the post… and goes in! It’s in! 4-3! Magnificent fightback! Superb!

The referee signals 3 minutes of injury time, we’re hanging on in there… The clock shows 94 minutes and 30 seconds… Come on, ref, blow that damn whistle! Just breathe in and out, into that whistle! 94 minutes and 46 seconds… What’s that sound? The whistle, it’s the final whistle! We’re through, my Blyth Spartans will play in the Premier League! It’s a dream that is finally coming true, fantastic!

I just can’t describe the joy, it’s beyond words. From Blue Square North to the Premier League in 5 seasons, that’s what I call a fairytale!

Striker Christian Short, our hero from the final game, was also our top goalscorer this season. He scored 13 goals but I expected much more from him.

Our Colombian right winger, Mario Garay, made the most assists, 17, and also scored eight times!

But our best player was undoubtedly Rhys Williams, our rock-solid centre back. He scored six goals and finished a season with an average rating of 7.19, the best in our squad.

Here’s our squad, the 24 men that made history!

Take a good look because I’m sure you won’t see many of them again next season. After getting promoted I checked my assistant’s team report, and all those fancy 6 and 7 stars that he displayed at the beginning of the season turned into 3 or 4 stars for the Premier League. I agree that the squad needs to be heavily strengthened, but I’ll need some money to do that…

To prepare for the big stage of English football my board announced that the stadium will be expanded. Until the completion of the work we will play our home games at Sunderland.

I was happy that the board decided to expand our Croft Park, our fans deserved that. But the investment put a big hole into the club’s finances, we were 13.5 million euro in debt! I decided to sell a couple of players right away and that gave me some transfer money in return, before the new season. With that money I made the first signing, let me introduce young regen Spanish left back Andres Lara. He’s way better than my current centre back and I only paid 375000 euro to Barcelona for him! (I competed with Celtic for his signature) He is also very likely to improve in the future, he’s only 19 years old!

I’m waiting to find out how the transfer budget will be. As far as I know the club will get around 30 million euro in TV rights for the Premier League season and I hope the board will give me at least half of that for transfers. I don’t think that any of my current players have what it takes to be a first team regular in the Premiership, so right now I think that I’ll try to get at least eleven better players. My scouts already recommended me a plethora of great Brazilians but I’ll have to wait for the transfer budget to decide. If it will be around 15 million euro I’ll have an average of 1.5 million for a player and that’s not luxurious by any means… What would you recommend, sign only 3 or 4 good players or go for a full first eleven?

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Our first game was a less difficult one, away at 17th placed Bristol City, a team that we defeated 3-0 at home back in November. And it all went smoothly this time too, my centre back took advantage of the poor marking and of his height and strength by scoring twice in the first eleven minutes! We dominated the game quite easily and we scored another one after the break, a good start for the final dash towards promotion. The bad thing was that we had 3 injured players after that game, including our main right winger, Mario Garay

The next game was going to be a difficult one, away at 12th placed Swansea. They had a solid team and we had a lot of trouble with them at home, we won 2-1 after a hard fought game in December. We also had a few first team players injured, so it was going to be even tougher. Swansea scored the first goal after a marking error from my defenders but we managed to get the equalizer before the break, Sandor Vaida provoked an own goal. Both teams showed some good football in the second half but neither of them converted any of the chances, so it finished 1-1. I was satisfied with the result, it was quite OK given the circumstances. With that point we secured a playoff place but Stoke were now 4 points ahead of us in 2nd place, while Portsmouth climbed up to the 3rd place, 2 points ahead of us.

The next game was the most difficult of them all, at home against the league leaders, West Bromwich Albion. They certainly were the best team in the league, unbeaten in the last five games. On the other hand, we were unbeaten in the last 11 league games! The problem was that most of my first eleven players were very tired and I had no replacements due to the recent injuries. I told my lads to fight for their future and for the fans, we had to give everything out there, every last drop of energy. It was a beautiful football game, with both teams looking to score. My boys were doing great, even heroic at some points, they fought for every ball and tried to get it forward. When it seemed we were heading for a certain draw attacking midfielder Dimitriu Copil invented a great shot from inside the penalty area, it went straight under the bar! It was his 10th goal of the season and he picked the perfect moment to score it. The last 10 minutes were like scenes from a battlefield, WBA kept coming forward and my lads fought with everything they had to get that ball away from our area! The last four minutes of injury time seemed endless, West Brom were attacking desperately while my defenders were pushing themselves to the limit to keep them away. It was a heroic victory, a great display of determination and love for the club by my players. We had a week to patch our wounds and get ready for the next battle.

After this great result the table was even tighter at the top:

1. West Brom – 89 points

2. Portsmouth – 88 points

3. Stoke – 88 points (they drew 2-2 at home against Q.P.R.!)

4. Blyth – 86 points

We had another home game coming up, the last match at Croft Park this season. We had to play against 7th placed Bradford, the team that won the League One title last season. They were fighting for the last playoff place, 3 points behind Southampton, so they had to get something out of this game to stay close to that 6th place. It was an even game and in these kinds of games the best players can make a difference. Luckily for us we had two players in great shape: Christian Short, our striker, and Fraser Forster, our goalkeeper. Short scored two great goals to give us a 2-0 lead and Forster made some miracles to keep that lead. It wasn’t the best game but we just had to get those three point, it didn’t matter how.

Portsmouth drew 1-1 at home with Southampton, so the situation was even tighter.

1. West Brom – 92

2. Stoke – 91

3. Blyth – 89

4. Portsmouth – 89

There were two more games to be played and the situation was still wide open. Our next game was away at Plymouth, a team that was having great difficulties. They were in 20th place with a terrible run of 14 games without a win. It was one of their last chances to get some points to stay clear of relegation. But we had higher goals and honestly we just couldn’t miss the opportunity to beat a suffering team. Everything went OK, we were 2-0 up just before the break. That’s when I should have decided to pull back and play on counter attacks but, for some reason, I wanted to score one more goal. It went wrong and it was my mistake. They made it 2-2 after the break but we had the strength to make it 3-2 immediately. My left winger got injured 20 minutes before the end of the game and I had already made all the substitutions. We did well to hang in there and finally we got the three points. We should have won by a bigger margin and it was only my fault that we didn’t After the game I received some terrible news, Martin Panik‘s leg was broken, so he’s going to be out for at least 7 months!

But there were some good news too. Stoke lost their away game at Reading, it finished 4-2! Unfortunately Portsmouth scored a lot of goals in their game, so they had a better goal difference than ours now!

1. WBA – 95

2. Portsmouth – 92 (+ 44 goal difference)

3. Blyth – 92 (+ 42 goal difference)

4. Stoke – 91

There was only one more game to be played and our chances of getting that 2nd place were quite slim. Portsmouth had to play at home against Reading, everybody predicted and easy win for them. West Brom were playing away at Peterborough, so they were in for at least a draw. We had to win our game, away at 16th placed Coventry, and hope.

We defeated Coventry 3-0 in December and they had nothing to play for now, they were not threatened by relegation. We did just enough to secure a win, we scored through a deflected shot in the first half. We couldn’t do more than 1-0 and our chances of finishing 2nd were almost zero.

In fact, Portsmouth won their game 2-1 and West Brom drew 1-1, so we finished 3rd because of… two goals The good thing was that this 3rd place gave us a better chance of reaching the playoff finals. I’m a bit disappointed by the way it went, we were very close, too close to that 2nd place…

We will be playing against Southampton in the semi finals and the first leg will be away. If we’ll repeat the league results against them, 1-1 away and 3-1 at home, we’ll have no problems in getting to the final. I’d prefer to meet Cardiff in the final, but since Stoke had a poor run lately we could be able to beat them too. We’ll see how it’ll go, stay tuned to find out!

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First we had to play away from home at 23rd placed Sheffield Wednesday. You could say we had an easy one ahead of us, but after I checked their latest results I was quite worried. They just defeated Portsmouth 2-1 at home! However, I told my players that we had to win this. They didn’t play particularly well but it was just enough to secure a 1-0 win and three important points.

The next game was against one of the biggest disappointments of the season, Nottingham Forest. They were in 14th place but they still had very good players that could cause problems to any team in the league. They defeated us 2-1 in October, so we had to get revenge with the help of our fantastic fans. I had to bring in several backup players in the first eleven for this game, many of my first team regulars were beginning to show signs of fatigue after the last tough games. We had the game under control throughout the 90 minutes but we conceded two goals which we could have easily avoided. We could even have scored more,  but at the end of the day it’s the three points that matter. However, our defensive display was a bit concerning.

Next up, a very difficult away game at 12th placed Derby County. We defeated them 2-1 back in November but it wasn’t easy, so I expected a very tough game at Pride Park. Derby were all over us in the first half but didn’t do enough to score a goal. We had a few good chances on counter attacks but we just couldn’t get it in. The second half was the exact opposite of the first. We came out all guns blazing, it seemed like we were going to score but a quick counter attack gave Derby the lead. We continued to pile up the pressure and we finally hit the net when there were less than 10 minutes to be played. It was a very good game, highly entertaining with both teams playing well.

After the good away draw we had to win the next home game but it wasn’t going to be easy. We had to play against 13th placed Reading, a team that defeated us 2-1 in November. The game began in the worst possible way for us, Reading scored exactly 16 seconds after the first whistle! We scored the equalizer pretty fast after a good run on the right wing from Mario Garay, he forced Shittu to put the ball into his own net. Shane Long punished us again after 20 minutes, it seemed that my defenders just couldn’t keep him at bay. We came back again before the break so the first half ended 2-2. We were losing the ball easily in midfield, maybe because Oswaldo Chaurant was out due to an injury… The game was quite even in the second half but Rhys Williams was determined to compensate his errors in defense with a good performance in the opposition box. He was absolutely outstanding in the last 20 minutes, he scored two identical goals from corner kicks! He also played a lot better in defense after scoring the first one We suffered a lot in this game but we earned another three points.

Next up, an easier away game at newly promoted Swindon. They were in 18th place and we had a lot of fun with them in November at Croft Park, we defeated them 3-0. We controlled the game from the first minute to the last and it was young striker Christian Short that opened the scoreboard with a powerful shot from 25 yards out. We played economically in the second half, not spending too much energy because we were going to need that later on. A solid away win that kept us in 4th place.

The last game of the month was going to be another easier one, at home against last placed Doncaster. They were almost relegated and everybody thought that they were by far the weakest team in Championship. However, we had to do enough to secure a win and since I had first team players away on international duty it wasn’t going to be that easy. I felt more relaxed after the first 15 minutes, we were already up 2-0 and playing well. We conceded a free kick goal but we kept their defense busy throughout the match.

And now, take a look at the table! The biggest surprise is that Stoke had a bad run of results lately so they lost the first place to West Bromwich Albion. We were in 3rd place, only 2 points behind Stoke! It’s going to be a tough battle in the last six games and we have a chance to get automatic promotion to the Premier League! Somebody please pinch me, I might be just dreaming

My very young Lithuanian midfielder, Linas Urbsys, was picked as Young Player of The Month, a good achievement for the youngster. He’s one of the best prospects in my team and I hope that he will become a very good player in a few years.

There was an award for me too, Championship Manager of the Month. Five wins and a draw, I guess I deserved a medal

We have another 6 games ahead of us and the bad thing is that only two of these will be at home. And one of those two is against WBA, so it’s going to be incredibly tough to get a win. The away games are not against very good teams, most of them are mid-table sides, but every one of these matches will be very difficult to win. Considering the fixtures I don’t think that we have a big chance to get that 2nd place, it would be very good if we could hang on to the 3rd in order to play against Southampton or Bradford in the playoff semifinal.

What do you think? Can we get the second place and automatic promotion?

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But before that we had to play a less difficult home game, against 19th placed Huddersfield. We drew 1-1 when we played against them away from home in September, so I was expecting a less problematic home game. In fact, we didn’t have too many problems with Huddersfield, we scored 5 goals! Unfortunately one of them was past our own keeper However, it was a good win that gave us a good morale for the tough challenges ahead of us. With these three points we also made a step forward in the league table, we were 4th.

Portsmouth were right behind us in 5th place and we had a difficult game against them away from home. Back in September we won the home game 2-1 and that gave me some confidence for the away game. We played well in the first half, it was an even game and I hoped it would finish all square after we managed to equalize in the 28th minute. Unfortunately we conceded a goal from a corner kick right before the break. We played quite OK in the second half too but we were not able to create anything important. I guess a draw would have been fair considering that it was an even game but that’s football, you have to take your chances when you have them.

A win in the next game was absolutely essential, we had to beat Q.P.R. at home to get the three points and keep the 5th place. Queens Park Rangers were in 11th place and in the previous meeting we drew 2-2 away from home. The game started well for us, we were 2-0 up at the break and we even made it 3-0 after half time. At that point Q.P.R. attempted a furious comeback and they went pretty close, it finished 3-2 with my players looking very tired in the last 20 minutes of the game.

Next up, another decisive game, away at 4th placed Cardiff. We managed to beat them 2-1 in the previous meeting but this time I expected a much more difficult game. They played very well in the first part of the game and it seemed that we had very little chances to get something out of this match. Fortunately we managed to score one goal before the break so the first half ended 2-1. We came out looking way better after the break and we scored another one right in the first minute of the second half. We kept on pushing forward and Sandor Vaida rewarded our efforts in the 76th minute with a superb left footed shot from 20 yards out! We just had to keep cool and defend the lead. There was less than one minute to go when their veteran striker Bobby Zamora picked up a ball in our penalty area and did what he knows best, scoring. It was a crazy game that we could have won, we went very close…

The last game of the month was another difficult one, at home against 6th placed Southampton. We had to win this to consolidate our 5th place. Unfortunately my one of my centre backs, Rhys Williams, picked up two yellow cards in the first 16 minutes of the game! I think that the second card was a bit harsh, he got that one for barging a player in the back… Fact is that we were down to 10 men and the game was looking even more difficult than it was supposed to be. At that point I would have been happy with a draw but what happened after that 16th minute shocked both me and our opponents. Right winger Mario Garay and striker Gary Horner were looking like extra terrestrials, they were making their opponents look like amateurs. That was the best display of football I ever saw at Croft Park and the scoreboard at half time was showing a thrilling 3-0. Southampton tried to make a comeback in the second half but my lads continued to play very well despite the one man disadvantage and it finished 3-1, one of the most beautiful games in my career.

That result relegated Southampton to 7th place and pushed us up in 4th! There are still 12 games to be played and a lot of things can change in the league table but I think that the playoff place is well within our reach now.

Young striker Gary Horner was our main man this month, he scored 4 goals in the last 5 games! I brought him last summer from Burnley to provide decent backup for the striker role but this month I decided to give him a chance to play after he showed some good performances for the Reserves squad lately. He took his chance and now I have a fierce competition for the striker place between him, Chris Short and Kunihiro Yoneyama.

We have to play 6 games in March and if we could get around 12 – 15 points from these the playoff place would be virtually in our bag. If we keep playing like we did against Southampton we’d have nothing to fear, but I’m sure that some setbacks are waiting to happen just around the corner.

P.S.: I just noticed that this is the 100th post that gets to be published on this blog! It all started at the end of 2008, on the 28th of December… I was sick and the doctor said that I had to stay inside the house for about 10 days. A bit sad and with nothing better to do, I started this blog I didn’t expect back then that it would become an addiction, for me and for quite a few other people. Right now there are around 400 to 500 people from all over the world that come to visit this blog every day, some to read the stories, others to download graphics or tactics. I’m very grateful for that and I wish to thank you, my readers, for keeping this blog alive and for spreading the word about it. I’ll do my best to give you great things to read or download from now on too.

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But we had a chance to improve that record right on the 1st of January 2013, we had to play away at Blackpool, a team that we defeated 3-0 in August. Blackpool was in 22nd place before the game and I definitely hoped for an away win. We dominated the first half and it finished 2-1 as Oswaldo Chaurant celebrated his return after an injury with a great goal. We had a lot of fun in the second half and young attacking midfielder Josh Bell had the chance to score his first goal for the club. And he didn’t miss it. A good solid away win, just what the doctor prescribed

The draw for the FA Cup was made and we were quite unlucky with that: we got to play against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium! Well, we had nothing to lose and I told my lads to have fun out there and maybe learn a few tricks from their illustrious opponents. We fought bravely, we even were quite heroic in defense at some points but finally we were not able to get more than a 2-0 defeat. The man of the match was French striker Kevin Gameiro, bought by Arsenal for 10 million euro from Lorient, he scored two fantastic goals. The big and nice surprise came after the game when I checked my club’s financial status again. We received around 1.3 million euro in gate receipts from this game! Hurray! We were no longer in debt!

After the nice trip to London we had to get back down to earth as we had a crucial home game ahead of us, against 7th placed Preston. They defeated us 3-1 back in August, so I was sure that it was going to be a tough game. We played very well in the first half and Oswaldo Chaurant was again the main threat to their defense. By the time the first half was finished he scored a goal and produced an assist, a great performance. Unfortunately we conceded again just after the break and it was all square, 2-2, although we were playing better than our opponents. My young striker Gary Horner decided to show a bit of courage and a glimpse of his talent in the 76th minute and scored a wonderful goal, a powerful shot from the edge of the area. An important win for us and another 3 points that took us to the 4th place in the Championship table!

We were looking good and playing well, we had to keep up the good form in the next game. Fortunately it was an easier task, a home game against 21st placed Ipswich, a team that we defeated away from home 2-0 in September. The game was pretty quiet indeed, we didn’t have to show too much skill to win it 2-0. It was our third win in a row and that brought us to the 3rd place in the table!

The last game of the month was again the most difficult, away at the leaders of the league, Stoke. They were the only team that managed to beat us at home, a clear 2-0 defeat in September at Croft Park. They were in great form, unbeaten in the last 10 league games, it was going to be a tough match. It got even tougher after Alan Smith proved his skills by scoring an early goal. I was pleased to see that my players reacted well and dominated the game after conceding the goal. We managed to score an equalizer before the break and things were looking good, we were dominating Stoke in front of their own fans! The second half began pretty well too, we created some chances but we just kept missing. Stoke punished us in the 68th minute and we were not able to react again, they dominated the rest of the game. Maybe we deserved to get a draw but that’s football, you can’t score if you don’t get the shots on target.

The defeat, our first in 8 league games, brought us back in 5th place. Still looking good for a playoff place but we had to be more accurate in attack.

The player that impressed me this month was Czech regen left winger Martin Panik. I bought him last season because I believed in his talent and he seems to develop nicely although he had a few injuries that kept him out for quite some time in the first half of the season. Now he seems to be back in top form and I hope that his great pace will produce a lot of goals for us from now on.

I tried again to get a few players on loan to make my squad better but unfortunately I didn’t have any luck, all the good listed for loan players refused to come on loan to Blyth. And now I made offers for players all over Europe, from England to Scotland, Italy, France, even Romania. It seems that I have to do my best with the current squad and so far it went quite OK as we didn’t have too many injuries. If my lads will be in good health until the end of the season I think that we have a good chance of getting a playoff place. Next month will be decisive because we have three crucial games: away at Portsmouth (3rd) and Cardiff (4th) and at home against Southampton (6th).  It’s important not to lose any of these games, I’d be happy with two draws and a win but I’d settle for three draws

Thanks for following the story, I’m looking forward to reading your comments

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