Birm C v Black R | Derby C v Read | Ports v Fulh

As per most seasons, the majority of final-day drama will again concentrate itself on the foot of the table, as 3 sides - by the names of Fulham, Reading and Birmingham City - scrap for one position of survival. Even as the Premier League title is yet to be concluded.


As they stand:

POS--TEAM---------------PLD---GF----GA--..GD---PTS
-17.-Fulham---------------37----37---.-60-----23----33
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-18.-Reading--------------37----37.....66-----29----33
-19.-Birmingham City---37----42-----61-----19----32


Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers

Can the Blues defy the odds to come from the back of the trio, defying Blackburn's outside chances of European football in the process, to avoid relegation? That will be the telling factor, that Blackburn still remain with something to play for. Just a point behind Aston Villa, a win for Rovers with the Villains' failure to do so away to West Ham would ensure Intertoto Cup football for a second successive season. That is what makes Birmingham, already in deep uncertainty, look beyond help.

Derby County v Reading

Can the long relegated Derby County leave one final mark on their brief Premier League return by executing Reading to the same, dismal fate? On face value Reading have the easiest match of the three by some distance – but with Derby not quite the hapless walkovers that woefully arose earlier in the season, and Reading astonishingly without a single goal in their last six league games, it is anything but a foregone conclusion.

Portsmouth v Fulham

Can Fulham, with either of Harry Redknapp’s eyeballs confessed to already be firmly on the FA Cup final, continue their remarkable resurgence, reaffirming their status as the team that season after season refuses to lie down and surrender? Undoubtedly the form team of the desperate trinity, timed to absolute perfection i might add, but they’ll have to win three back-to-back away league matches to exercise their position of having the situation within their own hands. Something they have never done since making the illustrious step-up to top-flight football in 2001.


Bar a relative miracle, Bolton Wanders cannot be relegated, if mathematically able... so who of Birmingham, Reading and Fulham do you think will be spared and who will be joining League One Champions Swansea in the Championship next year?

it is always a lottery these last weekend matches ......very hard to judge who will be up for it .....Blackburn ...will the possibility of european football via the Intertoto Cup be enough to counter the presumed desire and fight of Birmingham to avoid relegation and the loss of millions in revenue .
Probably not ....even with a win Birmingham would need other results to go their way to avoid the drop .



Reading do have the easiest game of the three and deserve relegation if they cannot score against and beat a team that has conceded 85 goals so far this season .
The only possible downer for Reading is they could win and still get relegated ....much like Birmingham .

The Portsmouth v Fulham game ...possibly on current form Fulham should feel confident enough to get the win that will keep them up . However Harry Redknapp will i am sure tell his players they are fighting for a Fa Cup Final place ...he will also not want to continue the recent bad run of 4 games without a win ...
So again ...not easy to pick a winner .....and like the other two matches ....Fulham could win and still get relegated ...


Bolton would be very unlucky to get relegated as it would take a thumping defeat by Chelsea and an annihalation of Derby by Reading to see Bolton go down ..as in the example below

Chelsea 4 Bolton 1
Derby 0 Reading 7


But football is a funny old game ....

Well it's going to be very interesting. I love these relegation tournaments.

I can see a win for Reading, a loss for Fulham and a draw for Brum.

who voted for Birmingham ......they are doomed i feel......doomed .

I just love to be in the minority

so why are you a Man United fan


oh wait, you must be in the minority of Man United fans that know what they are talking about

well i voted for reading. I know they have not played that well in the last few weeks but they have the easiest game out of the rest of them. Plus if Fulham go down, we might get Jimmy Bullard

i'm keeping my fingers crossed that fulham will be the ones who stay up, because i really like them (more specifically Jimmy Bullard) but i think that Reading will be the ones who survive.

i cant, under any circumstances, see them losing to Derby. i'm not sure that Fulham can beat Pompey away and i also don't think that b'ham can beat Blackburn,i think they'll at best, get a draw.

i voted reading for obvious reason.. they're one of the few teams i fear this season.. so it'd be nice to see them again for the next season.. lol..

and they're playing against relatively easy team for the closing season.. hope kitson could score something like a hattrick.. and a clean sheet for shorey's high points in my fantasy team too.. lol..

come on royals.. XD

if reading go down Coppell must be 100% accountable. his lack of imagination and ambition in the transfer maket and the fact its blindingly obvious he will leave in the summer regardless of what happens make it pretty difficult for the players to be motivated.

defensively Reading are about as mobile as a brick wall and their only saving grace is that they play one of the worst teams to ever grace the top flight. i can only see a draw in that game though

the other two clubs have had managers enter at an already precarious stage and so cant take too much flak for their current predicament.

fulham i feel will not have enough in them to pull off a victory even though of course Portsmouth have bigger fish to fry.

strangely enough i can see birmingham winning and thus staying up.

I strongly believe Fulham will stay up, they are in the ascendancy at the moment and this is the kind of Dog-fight Portsmouth don't want to be in with the FA cup final around the corner. A win for Fulham at Fratton Park

I'll predict a draw between Birmingham and Blackburn, Birmingham will have the fighting spirit but are vulnerable at the back and Roque Santa Cruz will break their hearts with his finishing.

I think Reading will drop points at Derby and ultimately be relegated. Reading just can't seem to get a result at the momant and Derby may even get their first win under Paul Jewell.

Fulham to stay in the premier league. Birminghan & Reading to go down

I think I'd agree with that.

Paul Jewell was a little riled this week after comments by some of the Reading players - they may be up for this game a little more than Coppell & Co realise.

I feel Birmingham won't have enough to take out Rovers.

Pompey will have one eye on Wembley - a great opportunity for Fulham to complete their Great Escape.

Having said all that, it will be a 90 minute lottery and great entertainment, hopefully, for the neutral fans.

Reading 1 - 0 up vs Derby.

Fulham going down as it stands.

Brum score!!!

1-0 over Blackburn

Birmingham are 1 - 0 up!!

Edit: BJ in before me.

Why is the United/Chelsea thread not working?

Click on the page before the one that isnt working.

Back to normal now anyway.

Bit of controversy with the Brum goal, the free kick was given to them on the half way line and it was taken about 5 yards away from the foul and Brum went onto score.

Come on Fulham!!!

Need Blackburn to better or equal Pompey's result to win my £££.