Top 10 - Final days

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Ahead of the climax to the 2008/09 campaign, skysports.com looks at memorable final day moments

No season is allowed to enter the final throes without some sort of Eastenders-esque cliffhanger hanging over it - and the 2008/09 campaign has proven to be no different.

The destination of the Premier League title may already be known, with Manchester United securing their vice-like grip on the crown for a third consecutive season, but there will be four teams entering Survival Sunday with their destiny still very much hanging in the balance.

For two there will be cause for mass hysteria and manic pitch invasions from delirious supporters, while for the others there will be nothing but doom and gloom as they begin to contemplate the prospect of a trip to Plymouth next season.

That, though, is what makes English football so entertaining - nothing is ever certain.

Over the years there have been countless examples, at both ends of the table, where every outcome appeared to be set in stone entering the final round of fixtures, only for logic to be thrown out of the window by last-gasp heroics.

Here then we take at look at 10 such occasions, five at the top and five at the bottom, where fingernails were gnawed to the bone and most of those in attendance were fortunate to avoid some sort of coronary failure.

West Brom - 2005

Bryan Robson's managerial CV may not make for the most impressive reading, but his exploits at West Brom in 2005 offer a welcome distraction to the near misses he experienced while in charge at Middlesbrough. Cup final defeats and relegation despair marred his time in the North East and he appeared to be heading down a similar route during his days at The Hawthorns. The opportunity to land silverware may not have come into the equation on this occasion, but succumbing to the dreaded drop remained a distinct possibility. The Baggies were bottom of the Premier League at Christmas and, as everybody knows, history suggests that is game over. Relegation was considered to be a nailed-on certainty, with the formalities of relegation set to be played out over the second half of the season. However, Robson was singing to his own hymn sheet by the time West Brom welcomed Portsmouth to the Black Country on a glorious final day in sunny May. The Baggies had remained within touching distance of safety, without ever really looking like grasping it by the collar, in the weeks building up to the grand finale and entered the Pompey contest in buoyant mood. Goals from Geoff Horsfield and Kieran Richardson saw them secure the three points they hoped would be enough to pull off a miracle, and low and behold, results elsewhere went in their favour as they scraped out of the bottom three and ensured they will forever be synonymous with the term 'Great Escape'.

Everton - 1994

All had appeared rosy in the Goodison Park garden as the 1993/94 season got underway, with Everton climbing to the Premier League summit after taking maximum points from their opening three games. However, their luck soon turned and they began to nosedive down the table in alarming fashion. Manager Howard Kendall then decided to jump a sinking ship in December, with the Toffees languishing in mid-table. Mike Walker was brought in from Norwich to help bring about a reversal in fortune, but he was unable to halt the slump. They therefore entered the final fixture of the season occupying the final relegation place and knowing they needed to beat Wimbledon at home to have any chance of staying up. Things looked bleak when they fell 2-0 behind early on, but Graham Stuart handed them a lifeline from the penalty spot before the break. Barry Horne then scored a 30-yard screamer to pull the scores level, which would have been enough with results elsewhere taken into account, but Stuart ensured there would be no nervy conclusion to the contest as he grabbed his second of the game with just under ten minutes remaining. The final whistle brought inevitable scenes of jubilation, while luckless Oldham and Sheffield United suffered the indignity of slipping into the second tier.

West Ham - 2007

Rarely has one man been so responsible for dragging a team to safety than Carlos Tevez was in 2007. Having arrived at West Ham with a slightly bemused look on his face early on in the 2006/07 campaign, the Argentine forward initially took time to settle into life in the East End. He was making slightly more of an impression than his Argentine compatriot Javier Mascherano, who was duly sent off to Liverpool to become a superstar, but there was no suggestion that he was going to be the one to rescue the ailing Hammers heading down the final stretch. Alan Curbishley's side looked doomed, with a tough run-in suggesting they would once again find themselves slipping through the top-flight trapdoor. Tevez, though, then started to find his shooting boots and suddenly the unlikely appeared possible. The goals continued to flow from the combative South American striker as the weeks went on, and priceless victories duly followed. Such was his impact that by the time West Ham headed to Old Trafford on the last day they were in with a shout of clawing their way to safety. The newly-crowned champions may not have been their ideal choice of opposition for such a crucial contest, but nothing appeared to faze Tevez as he snatched the only goal of the game and proceeded to catch Sir Alex Ferguson's eye in the process. With relegation rivals Sheffield United slipping up against Wigan across the Pennine Way at Bramall Lane, the Hammers were safe. That, though, was not the end of the matter as pandemonium regarding Tevez's eligibility duly ensued, with the Hammers finding themselves embroiled in a lengthy, and costly, legal battle with the Blades. The issue does appear, finally, to have been laid to rest and the exploits of Tevez can now rightly be honoured with the distinction they surely deserve.

Coventry - 1977

Coventry City have made a habit of saving their best for last down the years, with the Sky Blues entering a number of final day contests with their fate hanging in the balance. Miraculous escape acts were pulled off against the odds in back-to-back Premier League seasons in 1996 and 1997, while they achieved a similar feat in three consecutive campaigns in the mid-80s. It is, though, the finale to the 1976/77 season which offered up the most intriguing spectacle. While a 2-2 draw against Bristol City did not include any last-minute drama or unlikely heroes, the game will forever be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Both Coventry and the Robins knew a point would be enough to keep them safe ahead of their relegation decider, providing Sunderland lost to Everton on the same night. Kick-off in the crucial contest was delayed as Sky Blues officials fought to cram over-exuberant supporters into Highfield Road. That meant that with the scores tied heading into the final few minutes news had already filtered through of Sunderland's defeat at Goodison. As a result both teams took it in turns to indulge in needless bouts of keep-ball in order to run down the clock. Sunderland, unsurprisingly, appealed to the Football Association in an effort to have their relegation overturned, but their calls fell on deaf ears.

Bradford - 2000

Few people gave Bradford hope of enjoying anything more than a one-season dalliance with the Premier League following their promotion in 1999, but the Bantams silenced the critics in spectacular style. Written off as also-rans before a ball had even been kicked, Paul Jewell set about instilling a never-say-die attitude among his troops which he hoped would serve them well. Initially it looked as though his ambition would be shattered by English football's elite, with the West Yorkshire outfit struggling to make inroads against illustrious opposition. They soon found themselves marooned inside the drop zone, with the pre-season doom-mongers seemingly spot on with their forecast of woe. Jewell, who would go on to mastermind a similar miraculous escape while in charge at Wigan some years later, refused to give in, though, and ensured Bradford's fate would be in their own hands heading into a crunch clash with Liverpool. The Reds were chasing a UEFA Champions League spot at the time and had no intention of taking things easy on their visit to Valley Parade, but Gerard Houllier's galaxy of stars were extinguished by a resilient Bantams side. David Wetherall grabbed what proved to be the only goal of the game with a trademark towering header, helping the Bantams to preserve their top-flight status and preventing Liverpool from joining European football's top table.

Blackburn - 1995

Much like Martin Luther King, Sir Jack Walker had a dream when he took ownership of unglamorous Blackburn Rovers in 1991. He too wanted equality and the opportunity to stand proudly alongside the Manchester Uniteds and Arsenals of this world. In 1995 his dream came true. Perhaps quite fittingly, Anfield - the home of so many glorious title memories down the years - proved to be the stage for Rovers' finest hour. Liverpool, though, almost stole the limelight as they proceeded to put what looked like being a serious dent in former Kop hero Kenny Dalglish's title aspirations with a 2-1 win on a topsy-turvy final day. Rovers had taken the lead on Merseyside through Alan Shearer and appeared to be coasting towards the Premier League crown. However, goals from John Barnes and Jamie Redknapp left them sweating as time ticked agonisingly away. Their prayers would be heard at Upton Park, though, as a resolute West Ham side frustrated Manchester United for 90 minutes, ground out a 1-1 draw and ensured the title would be in Tim Sherwood's, not Steve Bruce's, hands at the end of the day.

Arsenal - 1989

Arguably the most famous final day in living memory, the exploits of Michael Thomas and co. have gone down in football folklore. Unsurprisingly the tale is told with more vigour by Arsenal supporters than it is by those of a Liverpool disposition, but both teams can lay claim to having played a starring role in one of the most memorable games EVER! The Gunners arrived at Anfield knowing any hopes they had of wrestling the title away from their opponents rested on their ability to claim a victory by two clear goals, or better. That would be a mammoth challenge against a Reds side renowned for having one of the best defences in the business and boasting a strike force brimming with goalscoring talent. Alan Smith broke the deadlock just after half-time, but a second goal appeared unlikely with Arsenal unable to force a further breakthrough and Liverpool looking dangerous when they ventured forward. With the scoreline still locked at 1-0 to the visitors as the game entered stoppage-time it looked for all the world as though the title would go to the Merseysiders. The Gunners looked to launch one last throw of the dice and as Thomas bustled his way into the box the watching world held their breath. Perhaps the coolest man on the planet, the Arsenal man then proceeded to loft the most delicate of efforts over the onrushing Bruce Grobbelaar and into the back of the net. Cue the biggest pile-on in top-flight history as the Arsenal players went berserk, while somewhere a certain Nick Hornby had an idea for a best-selling book and accompanying mediocre film.

Derby - 1972

Lapping up a few rays, beer in hand, with your feet up on the beach sounds to me like the perfect way to be confirmed as a champion, and that is precisely how Derby County took the title in 1972. With the legendary Brian Clough at the helm at the Baseball Ground in those days, it should really come as no surprise to hear that the Rams took the crown in slightly eccentric fashion. Old Big 'Ead liked to do things a bit differently to everybody else, forging a career out of doing the complete opposite to what people wanted him to do. His success with the Rams in the early 70s represented the first major honour of his career and allowed him to usurp the established managerial giants of Don Revie at Leeds and Bill Shankly at Liverpool. Derby only clambered above the men from Elland Road and Anfield after securing maximum points from their final game of the 1971/72 campaign (against Liverpool), but headed off for a well-earned break fully expecting to be overhauled when their two rivals rounded off their fixture list. However, the Whites and Reds failed to take the required results from their final games and surrendered the crown to Clough's Derby.

Manchester United - 1999

The first step is always the hardest, we are told, and that sentiment can certainly be applied to Manchester United's Treble-winning heroics in 1999. Quite whether FA Cup and UEFA Champions League glory would have followed had they failed to land the Premier League crown (the first instalment of said Treble) that year we will never know, because they did and the rest is history. Lady luck was most definitely smiling upon the Red Devils that season, though, as they came within a whisker of ending the campaign with just a nice day out at Wembley to show for their efforts. Before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bundled home the most dramatic of late winners against Bayern Munich on a memorable European night in Barcelona, in a game which could have gone either way, United had been pushed all the way by old adversaries Arsenal in their pursuit of domestic dominance. They entered the final day of the 1998/99 campaign knowing three points at home to Tottenham would be enough to take the crown, but they did their best to throw it away. Les Ferdinand fired the Londoners in front at Old Trafford, much to the despair of those who had turned up with their party hats at the ready. However, spectacular strikes from David Beckham and Andy Cole turned the tie on its head and saw United pip the Gunners to the post by a mere two points.

Liverpool - 1986

Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool went toe-to-toe throughout the 1980s as they exchanged title successes and regularly met each other at the business end of Wembley Way. The Toffees took the top-flight title in comfortable fashion in both 1985 and 1987, but in between they were involved in a right old ding-dong with their neighbours from across Stanley Park. The destiny of the title remained a mystery up until the last day of the season, with the red and blue divide in a football-mad city never more evident. Everton struck the first blow as they enjoyed a 6-1 romp over hapless Southampton, firing the ball back into Liverpool's court with a vengeance. The Reds knew they could afford to drop two points at Chelsea, and still come out on top, but in the end they rounded off the campaign in style. Player-manager Kenny Dalglish was the hero at Stamford Bridge as he volleyed home the only goal of the game and secured local bragging rights for followers of his side.

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