2007 Football League Championship play-off final
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Football League Championship play-off Final, also known as the 2007 Coca-Cola Championship play-off Final due to sponsorship from Coca-Cola
, was a football match played at Wembley Stadium
on 28 May 2007, at the end of the 2006–07 season. It was the third Championship play-off
final since the Football League
's 2004 rebranding, the 21st play-off final in all at the second level of English football and the first of these matches to take place at the rebuilt Wembley. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion
from the Championship
to the Premier League, and was contested by Derby County
, who had finished third during the league season, and West Bromwich Albion
, who had finished fourth. The teams reached the final by defeating Southampton
and Wolverhampton Wanderers
respectively in the two-legged semi-finals.
Stephen Pearson
scored the only goal of the final to ensure that Derby County returned to the top division of English football after a five-year absence.
Derby County
finished the season in third place in the Championship, four points behind champions Sunderland
and two points behind runners-up Birmingham City
. With new ownership, Derby had been able to compete in the transfer market for the first time in a number of years, with Luton Town
's Steve Howard
becoming the club's first £1 million singing since François Grenet
six years previously and, alongside captures from Premiership club's such as West Ham United
's Stephen Bywater
and Fulham
defender Dean Leacock
, Davies began shaping a side capable of competing at the right end of the table. This wasn't apparent from the off, however, and a return of just 5 points from the club's opening 6 fixtures did not hint at instant success for Davies, leaving influential and creative players such as Tommy Smith and Iñigo Idiakez
to depart the club prior to the closing of the August transfer window. However, a Steve Howard header in a 1–0 win at Wolves
on 12 September 2006 proved a catalyst as the club lost only 4 of its next 27 fixtures (a run which included winning all 6 league fixtures in November 2006 and an 8 match winning streak, 6 league and 2 FA Cup, from 30 December 2006 up until 10 February 2007). After a 2–2 draw at home to Hull City
on 10 February 2007, Derby were 7 points clear at the top of the table and had strengthened for the promotion run in with the signing of Tyrone Mears
, Jay McEveley, Gary Teale
, David Jones, Craig Fagan
, Stephen Pearson
and Jon Macken
for a combined £5 million. However, a 0–2 defeat away to Plymouth Argyle
in the FA Cup Fifth Round preceded a notable wobble in results and the club recorded a return of just 6 points from the next 5 games, conceding top spot to Birmingham City
after a 0–1 defeat at St. Andrews on 9 March 2007. A resounding 5–1 win against Colchester United
(by far the biggest win of a campaign which saw victory by a two-goal or above margin on just 6 occasions) looked to have put the club back on track but after taking just 12 points from the next 10 fixtures, the club slipped out of the automatic promotion places altogether and a 0–2 defeat at Crystal Palace
in the penultimate game of the season confirmed a 3rd placed finish and entry into the 2006–07 Championship playoffs.
West Bromwich Albion
were a permanent fixture in the top six from late December onwards and led the division briefly in February, but a run of four defeats in five games at home saw them fall out of contention for automatic promotion. They secured their play-off place with a 7–0 home win against Barnsley
on the final day of the league season, finishing fourth in the process. This was one place above Wolverhampton Wanderers
, by virtue of a superior goal difference
, but eight points behind Derby. Albion scored 81 league goals during the campaign, the highest tally of any team in the Football League in 2006–07.
In the play-off semi-finals, Derby beat sixth-placed Southampton
2–1 away in the first leg, but lost the second leg at home 3–2. With the aggregate scores level after 180 minutes of play, and no further goals in extra time, the tie went to a penalty shootout. Former Derby player Iñigo Idiakez
missed Southampton's fifth penalty to send Derby into the final.
Albion meanwhile faced local rivals and fifth-placed team Wolverhampton Wanderers, winning the first leg 3–2, and the second 1–0 to progress 4–2 on aggregate. The second leg was the fifth meeting between the two sides during 2006–07, setting a new record for the most times that the Black Country derby
has been contested in a single campaign, while Albion's four wins against their rivals was also a season record for matches between the two.
The two teams were competing for promotion
to the Premier League, the top division of the English football league system
. Both clubs had been founder members of the Football League
in 1888 and had spent the majority of their respective histories competing in English football's top division. During the 2006–07 league season, each club had recorded a home win against the other, Derby beating Albion 2–1 at Pride Park
in early November and Albion winning 1–0 at The Hawthorns
a month later.
The match was the first Championship play-off
final to be held at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium
. Both clubs were competing at the rebuilt Wembley for the first time, though Derby County had played at the original Wembley Stadium four times and West Bromwich Albion seven times. The attendance of 74,993 was significantly higher than the 64,736 registered at the 2006 final, yet still far short of Wembley's 90,000 capacity. Football League
chairman, Lord Brian Mawhinney
, commented that "We could have sold the tickets but Wembley weren't able to, didn't want to, couldn't allow us to sell the tickets." Wembley Stadium however, said that empty Club Wembley seats could have been re-sold, but that they were unable to reach an agreement with the Football League on the matter. Both clubs received a ticket allocation of around 33,500, which was insufficient to meet the demands of supporters. Prior to kick-off, the United Kingdom's national anthem
, "God Save the Queen
", was sung by Garðar Thór Cortes
.
The final was the last domestic game in the career of referee Graham Poll
before his retirement.
scored the only goal of the game, in the 61st minute. It was his first goal for Derby since his move from Celtic
four months earlier.
said that his players "showed great courage" and added that winning promotion was "a dream come true". Davies emphasised the importance of scoring the first goal and pointed out how organised and well-prepared his side had been. Tony Mowbray
, the manager of West Bromwich Albion, believed that his team were the better side in a tight game, but said that "you don't always get what you deserve."
The final was regarded as the most financially lucrative single match in world club football according to accounting firm Deloitte
, who estimated that Derby's promotion would earn them in the region of £
60 million. A prior agreement between the chairmen of the two clubs, Peter Gadsby
and Jeremy Peace
, meant that as losers, West Bromwich Albion took the entire £3 million in gate receipts
from the final. The day after the game, thousands of Derby County supporters lined the streets of the city as the club's staff and players took part in an open top bus tour.
Upon their return to the top division, Derby County recorded the lowest points total since the Premier League began, thus were relegated back to the Championship. Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion won the Championship title in 2007–08 to achieve automatic promotion to the Premier League, though they were also relegated after a single season.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
WEST BROMWICH ALBION:
|
GK
31
Dean Kiely
RB
20
Paul McShane
CB
4
Chris Perry
CB
34
Sam Sodje
LB
3
Paul Robinson (c)
RM
19
Jason Koumas
CM
8
Jonathan Greening
CM
11
Zoltán Gera
LM
16
Robert Koren
CF
15
Diomansy Kamara
CF
21
Kevin Phillips
Substitutes:
GK
30
Luke Daniels
DF
5
Neil Clement
MF
12
Richard Chaplow
MF
17
Darren Carter
FW
9
Nathan Ellington
Manager:
Tony Mowbray
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
, was a football match played at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 28 May 2007, at the end of the 2006–07 season. It was the third Championship play-off
Football League Championship play-offs
The Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following...
final since the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
's 2004 rebranding, the 21st play-off final in all at the second level of English football and the first of these matches to take place at the rebuilt Wembley. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion
Promotion 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...
from the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
to the Premier League, and was contested by Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, who had finished third during the league season, 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...
, who had finished fourth. The teams reached the final by defeating 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...
and Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton 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...
respectively in the two-legged semi-finals.
Stephen Pearson
Stephen Pearson
Stephen Paul Pearson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Bristol City, on loan from Derby County in the English Championship. He is a full international for Scotland, and also played for Motherwell, Celtic and Stoke City.-Early career:Pearson was born in Lanark...
scored the only goal of the final to ensure that Derby County returned to the top division of English football after a five-year absence.
Route to the final
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 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... |
46 | 27 | 7 | 12 | 76 | 47 | 88 |
| 2. | Birmingham City Birmingham 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... |
46 | 26 | 8 | 12 | 67 | 42 | 86 |
| 3. | Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 62 | 46 | 84 |
| 4. | 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... |
46 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 81 | 55 | 76 |
| 5. | Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton 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... |
46 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 59 | 56 | 76 |
| 6. | 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... |
46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 77 | 53 | 75 |
| Pos=Position P=Games played W=Wins D=Draws L=Losses F=Goals for A=Goals against Pts=Points |
||||||||
Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
finished the season in third place in the Championship, four points behind champions 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...
and two points behind runners-up Birmingham City
Birmingham 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...
. With new ownership, Derby had been able to compete in the transfer market for the first time in a number of years, with Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
's Steve Howard
Steve Howard
Steven John "Steve" Howard is a Scottish-English footballer currently playing for Championship side Leicester City.Howard is renowned for his aerial strength...
becoming the club's first £1 million singing since François Grenet
François Grenet
François Grenet is a retired French football defender. He played most of his career for FC Girondins de Bordeaux, including the 1996 UEFA Cup Final.-External links:*...
six years previously and, alongside captures from Premiership club's such as West Ham United
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...
's Stephen Bywater
Stephen Bywater
Stephen Michael Bywater, is an English professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He has made appearances for seven clubs, most notably his current club Derby County, where he won the 2007 Championship Playoff final and West Ham United, where he spent eight seasons and made over 60...
and 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...
defender Dean Leacock
Dean Leacock
Dean Leacock is an English footballer of Barbadian descent. He currently plays for Championship side Derby County, primarily as a centre back, but he can also play as a right back or a defensive midfielder....
, Davies began shaping a side capable of competing at the right end of the table. This wasn't apparent from the off, however, and a return of just 5 points from the club's opening 6 fixtures did not hint at instant success for Davies, leaving influential and creative players such as Tommy Smith and Iñigo Idiakez
Iñigo Idiakez
Iñigo Idiákez Barkaiztegi is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder .During 13 years, he played for Real Sociedad, with relative impact with the first team...
to depart the club prior to the closing of the August transfer window. However, a Steve Howard header in a 1–0 win at Wolves
Wolverhampton 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...
on 12 September 2006 proved a catalyst as the club lost only 4 of its next 27 fixtures (a run which included winning all 6 league fixtures in November 2006 and an 8 match winning streak, 6 league and 2 FA Cup, from 30 December 2006 up until 10 February 2007). After a 2–2 draw at home to Hull City
Hull 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...
on 10 February 2007, Derby were 7 points clear at the top of the table and had strengthened for the promotion run in with the signing of Tyrone Mears
Tyrone Mears
Tyrone Mears is an English professional footballer of Sierra Leonean descent who currently plays as a right-back for Bolton Wanderers. His previous clubs include Preston North End, West Ham United, Derby County, Olympique de Marseille and Burnley...
, Jay McEveley, Gary Teale
Gary Teale
Gary Teale is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a winger for St. Mirren.Teale started his career in Scotland in 1995 with Clydebank before spending three years with Ayr United...
, David Jones, Craig Fagan
Craig Fagan
Craig Anthony Fagan is an English footballer who plays for Bradford City. He can play as a forward or on the wing.-Early career:Fagan began his football career as an under-nine with Birmingham City...
, Stephen Pearson
Stephen Pearson
Stephen Paul Pearson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Bristol City, on loan from Derby County in the English Championship. He is a full international for Scotland, and also played for Motherwell, Celtic and Stoke City.-Early career:Pearson was born in Lanark...
and Jon Macken
Jon Macken
Jonathan Paul "Jon" Macken is an English-born Irish footballer who plays as a striker and currently plays for League One Walsall...
for a combined £5 million. However, a 0–2 defeat away to Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in the FA Cup Fifth Round preceded a notable wobble in results and the club recorded a return of just 6 points from the next 5 games, conceding top spot to Birmingham City
Birmingham 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...
after a 0–1 defeat at St. Andrews on 9 March 2007. A resounding 5–1 win against Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
(by far the biggest win of a campaign which saw victory by a two-goal or above margin on just 6 occasions) looked to have put the club back on track but after taking just 12 points from the next 10 fixtures, the club slipped out of the automatic promotion places altogether and a 0–2 defeat at 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...
in the penultimate game of the season confirmed a 3rd placed finish and entry into the 2006–07 Championship playoffs.
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 a permanent fixture in the top six from late December onwards and led the division briefly in February, but a run of four defeats in five games at home saw them fall out of contention for automatic promotion. They secured their play-off place with a 7–0 home win against Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
on the final day of the league season, finishing fourth in the process. This was one place above Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton 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...
, by virtue of a superior goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
, but eight points behind Derby. Albion scored 81 league goals during the campaign, the highest tally of any team in the Football League in 2006–07.
In the play-off semi-finals, Derby beat sixth-placed 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...
2–1 away in the first leg, but lost the second leg at home 3–2. With the aggregate scores level after 180 minutes of play, and no further goals in extra time, the tie went to a penalty shootout. Former Derby player Iñigo Idiakez
Iñigo Idiakez
Iñigo Idiákez Barkaiztegi is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder .During 13 years, he played for Real Sociedad, with relative impact with the first team...
missed Southampton's fifth penalty to send Derby into the final.
Albion meanwhile faced local rivals and fifth-placed team Wolverhampton Wanderers, winning the first leg 3–2, and the second 1–0 to progress 4–2 on aggregate. The second leg was the fifth meeting between the two sides during 2006–07, setting a new record for the most times that the Black Country derby
Black Country derby
The Black Country derby is most commonly the local derby between the English football teams West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The term 'Black Country derby' can also be given to a match between either of these teams and Walsall F.C., though such matches are less common as a result...
has been contested in a single campaign, while Albion's four wins against their rivals was also a season record for matches between the two.
| Derby County | Round | West Bromwich Albion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Legs | Semi-finals | Opponent | Result | Legs |
| 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... |
4–4 (4–3 pens) | 2–1 away; 2–3 home | Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton 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... |
4–2 | 3–2 away; 1–0 home | |
Build-up
Promotion 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...
to the Premier League, the top division of the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
. Both clubs had been founder members of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
in 1888 and had spent the majority of their respective histories competing in English football's top division. During the 2006–07 league season, each club had recorded a home win against the other, Derby beating Albion 2–1 at Pride Park
Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium located on the Pride Park business park on the outskirts of Derby, England. It is the current home of Football League Championship club Derby County, who moved to the stadium from the Baseball Ground upon its opening in 1997...
in early November and Albion winning 1–0 at The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, Sandwell, England, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League ground to be built in the...
a month later.
The match was the first Championship play-off
Football League Championship play-offs
The Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following...
final to be held at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. Both clubs were competing at the rebuilt Wembley for the first time, though Derby County had played at the original Wembley Stadium four times and West Bromwich Albion seven times. The attendance of 74,993 was significantly higher than the 64,736 registered at the 2006 final, yet still far short of Wembley's 90,000 capacity. Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
chairman, Lord Brian Mawhinney
Brian Mawhinney
Brian Stanley Mawhinney, Baron Mawhinney PC is a British Conservative Party politician. He was a member of the Cabinet from 1994 until 1997 and a Member of Parliament from 1979 until 2005.-Early life:...
, commented that "We could have sold the tickets but Wembley weren't able to, didn't want to, couldn't allow us to sell the tickets." Wembley Stadium however, said that empty Club Wembley seats could have been re-sold, but that they were unable to reach an agreement with the Football League on the matter. Both clubs received a ticket allocation of around 33,500, which was insufficient to meet the demands of supporters. Prior to kick-off, the United Kingdom's national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
, "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
", was sung by Garðar Thór Cortes
Garðar Thór Cortes
Garðar Thór Cortes , is an Icelandic tenor of Icelandic and English parentage. A former child actor, Cortes subsequently trained as a singer in Vienna, Copenhagen and London. He has performed various leading tenor roles in operas, as well as a leading part in The Phantom of the Opera in London's...
.
The final was the last domestic game in the career of referee Graham Poll
Graham Poll
Graham Poll is an English former football referee in the Premier League and is considered the best English referee of the last 25 years in a list maintained by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics...
before his retirement.
Second half
Stephen PearsonStephen Pearson
Stephen Paul Pearson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Bristol City, on loan from Derby County in the English Championship. He is a full international for Scotland, and also played for Motherwell, Celtic and Stoke City.-Early career:Pearson was born in Lanark...
scored the only goal of the game, in the 61st minute. It was his first goal for Derby since his move from Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
four months earlier.
Post-match
Derby County manager Billy DaviesBilly Davies
William McIntosh "Billy" Davies is a Glasgow-born Scottish football manager, noted for his achievement in the Football League Championship with East Midlands Rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest and Preston North End which has led him to be described, in 2011, as "probably the best manager at...
said that his players "showed great courage" and added that winning promotion was "a dream come true". Davies emphasised the importance of scoring the first goal and pointed out how organised and well-prepared his side had been. Tony Mowbray
Tony Mowbray
Anthony Mark "Tony" Mowbray is an English former professional football player, who is currently the manager of Middlesbrough...
, the manager of West Bromwich Albion, believed that his team were the better side in a tight game, but said that "you don't always get what you deserve."
The final was regarded as the most financially lucrative single match in world club football according to accounting firm Deloitte
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited , commonly referred to as Deloitte, is one of the Big Four accountancy firms along with PricewaterhouseCoopers , Ernst & Young, and KPMG....
, who estimated that Derby's promotion would earn them in the region of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
60 million. A prior agreement between the chairmen of the two clubs, Peter Gadsby
Peter Gadsby
Peter Gadsby is a millionaire property developer and lifelong Derby County fan who led a consortium to buy out Derby County football club in 2006.- Derby County takeover :...
and Jeremy Peace
Jeremy Peace
Jeremy Roland Peace . Since June 2002 he has been the chairman of West Bromwich Albion F.C., a professional football club in the West Midlands, England.-Biography:...
, meant that as losers, West Bromwich Albion took the entire £3 million in gate receipts
Gate receipts
Gate receipts is the sum of money taken at a sporting venue for the sale of tickets.Traditionally, gate receipts were largely or entirely taken in cash. Today, many sporting venues will operate a season ticket scheme, which will mean they allocate a proportion of season ticket moneys when...
from the final. The day after the game, thousands of Derby County supporters lined the streets of the city as the club's staff and players took part in an open top bus tour.
Upon their return to the top division, Derby County recorded the lowest points total since the Premier League began, thus were relegated back to the Championship. Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion won the Championship title in 2007–08 to achieve automatic promotion to the Premier League, though they were also relegated after a single season.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | DERBY COUNTY: | |||
| GK | 43 | Stephen Bywater Stephen Bywater Stephen Michael Bywater, is an English professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He has made appearances for seven clubs, most notably his current club Derby County, where he won the 2007 Championship Playoff final and West Ham United, where he spent eight seasons and made over 60... |
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| RB | 24 | Tyrone Mears Tyrone Mears Tyrone Mears is an English professional footballer of Sierra Leonean descent who currently plays as a right-back for Bolton Wanderers. His previous clubs include Preston North End, West Ham United, Derby County, Olympique de Marseille and Burnley... |
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| CB | 5 | Dean Leacock Dean Leacock Dean Leacock is an English footballer of Barbadian descent. He currently plays for Championship side Derby County, primarily as a centre back, but he can also play as a right back or a defensive midfielder.... |
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| CB | 23 |  Darren Moore |
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| LB | 4 |  James McEveleyJames McEveley James Michael "Jay" McEveley is a professional footballer who currently plays for Barnsley, as a defender.-Blackburn Rovers:... |
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| RM | 11 | Craig Fagan Craig Fagan Craig Anthony Fagan is an English footballer who plays for Bradford City. He can play as a forward or on the wing.-Early career:Fagan began his football career as an under-nine with Birmingham City... |
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| CM | 22 | Matt Oakley (c) |
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| CM | 18 | Seth Johnson Seth Johnson Seth Art Maurice Johnson is a former England international footballer, who is currently without a club after his second spell as a player with Derby County ended in 2007.-Playing career:... |
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| LM | 25 | Stephen Pearson Stephen Pearson Stephen Paul Pearson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Bristol City, on loan from Derby County in the English Championship. He is a full international for Scotland, and also played for Motherwell, Celtic and Stoke City.-Early career:Pearson was born in Lanark... |
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| CF | 9 | Steve Howard Steve Howard Steven John "Steve" Howard is a Scottish-English footballer currently playing for Championship side Leicester City.Howard is renowned for his aerial strength... |
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| CF | 10 |  Paul PeschisolidoPaul Peschisolido Paolo Pasquale Peschisolido , commonly known as Paul Peschisolido, is a Canadian association football manager and former player... |
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| Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 13 | Lee Camp Lee Camp Lee Michael John Camp is an English-born Northern Irish footballer who plays for Nottingham Forest and internationally for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper. He has also played for the England under-21's.-Derby County:... |
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| DF | 2 | Marc Edworthy Marc Edworthy Marc Edworthy is a former English professional footballer. He started out playing as a right winger before being moved to right back... |
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| MF | 7 | David Jones |
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| MF | 28 | Giles Barnes Giles Barnes Giles Gordon Barnes is an English professional footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Doncaster Rovers. He is most notable for his spell at Derby County, where he won the club's Young Player of the Year award in 2007 and was Championship Player of the Month in March 2007. He qualifies for the... |
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| FW | 12 | Jon Macken Jon Macken Jonathan Paul "Jon" Macken is an English-born Irish footballer who plays as a striker and currently plays for League One Walsall... |
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| Manager: | ||||
| Billy Davies Billy Davies William McIntosh "Billy" Davies is a Glasgow-born Scottish football manager, noted for his achievement in the Football League Championship with East Midlands Rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest and Preston North End which has led him to be described, in 2011, as "probably the best manager at... |
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Dean KielyDean Kiely
Dean Laurence Kiely is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently goalkeeping coach at West Bromwich Albion. He has won 11 caps for the Republic of Ireland, but has more often than not been on the bench as their substitute goalkeeper...
Paul McShane Chris PerryChris Perry (footballer)
Christopher John "Chris" Perry is a former English footballer. He was a defender and retired from the game after having been released from Southampton.-Football career:...
Sam SodjeSam Sodje
Samuel Okeremute Sodje is an English-born Nigerian footballer who plays as a defender for Notts County. Sodje also represents Nigeria at international level.-Early years:...
Paul Robinson (c) Jason KoumasJason Koumas
Jason Koumas is a Welsh professional footballer who is currently a free agent after being released by Wigan Athletic. Formerly of Tranmere Rovers, Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion, he is a former Welsh international...
Jonathan GreeningJonathan Greening
Jonathan Greening is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Nottingham Forest.He began his career in 1996 with York City, but moved to Manchester United in 1998, with whom he won the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League as a non-playing substitute in the final...
Zoltán GeraZoltán Gera
Zoltán Gera is a Hungarian footballer who currently plays for West Bromwich Albion. He usually plays as an attacking midfielder, though he has also played on both the right and left wings throughout his career...
Robert KorenRobert Koren
Robert Koren is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Hull City and as the captain for the Slovenian national team.-Early career:...
Diomansy KamaraDiomansy Kamara
Diomansy Mehdi Moustapha Kamara is a professional football striker, currently playing for Eskişehirspor...
Kevin PhillipsKevin Phillips (footballer)
Kevin Mark Phillips is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Blackpool.Phillips was the Premier League top scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 30 goals for Sunderland, a tally which won him the European Golden Shoe. He remains the only Englishman to win the trophy...
Luke DanielsLuke Daniels
Luke Matthew Daniels is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Southend United on loan from West Bromwich Albion.-Career:...
Neil ClementNeil Clement
Neil Clement , is an English former professional footballer who spent the majority of his career playing for West Bromwich Albion. He participated in a club record three promotions. His customary position was in defence, but he was also a versatile player who occupied several different positions...
Richard ChaplowRichard Chaplow
Richard David Chaplow is an English professional footballer. He currently plays for Championship club Southampton.-Burnley:...
Darren CarterDarren Carter
Darren Anthony Carter is an English football midfielder who is a free agent after his contract with Preston North End expired at the end of the 2010–11 season.-Career:...
Nathan EllingtonNathan Ellington
Nathan Levi Fontaine Ellington is an English footballer who plays a striker for Championship side Ipswich Town.-Non-league and Bristol Rovers:...
Tony MowbrayTony Mowbray
Anthony Mark "Tony" Mowbray is an English former professional football player, who is currently the manager of Middlesbrough...
MATCH RULES
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See also
- 2007 Football League One play-off Final2007 Football League One play-off FinalThe 2007 Football League One play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 27 May 2007, at the end of the 2006–07 season. It was the third League One play-off final since the Football League's 2004 rebranding, the 21st play-off final in all at the third level of English football,...
- 2007 Football League Two play-off Final2007 Football League Two play-off FinalThe 2007 Football League Two play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 26 May 2007, at the end of the 2006–07 season. It was the third League Two play-off final since the Football League's 2004 rebranding, the 21st play-off final in all at the fourth level of English football...
- 2007 Conference National play-off Final