Celtic Joy Is Rangers' Agony
Scottish League Round-Up
Relegation Battle And Race For Europe
Adams: I Nearly Quit
Everton v Coventry
Head-To-Head: Duncan Disorderly v Neon Dion
Chelsea v Bolton
West Ham v Leicester
Derby v Liverpool
A Villa v Arsenal
Blackburn v Newcastle
Barnsley v Man United
Crystal Palace v Sheff Weds
Soton v Spurs
Leeds v W'don
Ipswich v Charlton Preview
Sheff Utd v Sun'land
Bristol Rovers v Northampton Town
Fulham 1 Grimsby 1
Barnet v Colchester Preview
Scarborough v Torquay Preview
Kids Win Ireland's First Title
Oasis Star On City Slump
Edwards: United Shouldn't Be In Champions League
Tiverton Scrape Vase Win
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Saturday 09 May 1998 (Evening Edition)
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News 2
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THE FINAL COUNTDOWN RELEGATION AND EURO BATTLES
Confused by all the possible permutations on the Premiership's final day? Here's an easy guide…
RELEGATION BATTLE
Bolton's wins against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have plunged Everton into the relegation zone at the last. Each team has one match left and the position is straightforward:
P Pts GD Gls
Bolton 37 40 -18 41
Everton 37 39 -15 40
Barnsley* 37 35 -43 37
C Palace* 37 30 -35 36
*already relegated
Chelsea v Bolton
If Bolton win, they are safe. If they draw, they are safe if Everton do not win. If they lose, they need Everton to lose.
Everton v Coventry
Everton need Bolton not to win. If Bolton draw, Everton have to win. If Bolton lose, a draw would be enough for Everton as they have better goal difference.
EUROPEAN BATTLE
England has two Champions League places, and four UEFA Cup places. One of these goes to the Coca Cola Cup winners but if Chelsea win the Cup-Winners' Cup, then they will not need that place so it will revert to the next highest-placed league team. So at the end of the day, Chelsea will suddenly acquire a massive number of new fans who follow the team who finish seventh. One other thing: if teams are level on points and goal difference, then goals scored determines places. P Pts GD Gls
Arsenal* 37 78 +36 68
Man Utd* 37 74 +45 71
Liverpool@ 37 65 +27 68
Chelsea# 37 60 +26 69
Leeds@ 37 58 +11 56
Blackburn 37 55 +4 56
Aston Villa 37 54 0 48
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Leicester 37 53 +11 48
West Ham 37 53 -2 52
Derby 37 52 +2 51
Coventry 37 51 +2 45
*Champions League confirmed
@UEFA Cup confirmed
#UEFA Cup minimum
Cup-Winners' Cup if they win the final
Matches: Aston Villa v Arsenal; Blackburn v Newcastle; Derby v Liverpool; Everton v Coventry; West Ham v Leicester
How Blackburn Can Qualify
If they win they are in the automatic slot. If they draw, they need Villa to not win, and a West Ham win by fewer than six goals or a draw in their game with Leicester. If one of these happens, then they will be relying on Chelsea to create an extra slot. If Blackburn lose, as long as it is not by more than four goals they need Villa not to win, Leicester and West Ham to draw, and Derby not to win, for them to qualify automatically. If one and only one of these events happens, then Rovers will be relying on Chelsea.
How Aston Villa Can Qualify
If they win and so do Blackburn, Villa are in the relying-on-Chelsea slot. If they win and Rovers don't, they will be in the automatic slot, as they will be if they draw and Blackburn lose by five, and there is a draw in West Ham v Leicester and Derby do not win. If Villa draw and only one result (including Blackburn's) go against them they will be in the relying-on-Chelsea slot. If Villa miss out, they have announced an intention to take up an Intertoto Cup place; as the highest-placed team to have done so, they would have that backdoor route into the UEFA Cup.
How Leicester Can Qualify
To get ahead of Blackburn, City need to win and have Rovers draw or lose. This will get them into the automatic slot if Villa have not won, and into the relying-on-Chelsea slot if Villa have won. If Rovers win, but Villa only draw, a City win will get them into the relying-on-Chelsea slot. If Villa lose, then a City draw would get them into the relying-on-Chelsea slot provided that Derby do not win and Coventry do not win by nine goals.
How West Ham Can Qualify
West Ham are in an identical position to their opponents Leicester, except that they have worse goal difference. They would need to beat Leicester by at least six to overtake Blackburn if Rovers draw. A draw is no good to them as they would still be behind at least Rovers and Leicester.
How Derby Can Qualify
Derby need to win. They can get ahead of Blackburn if Rovers lose they will need a two-goal margin in one match, though, as they have scored fewer goals. They can get ahead of Villa if they draw or lose. They can only get ahead of Leicester and West Ham if that match is drawn. If all the results go their way, they can get the automatic slot; if one goes their way they can get the relying-on-Chelsea slot.
How Coventry Can Qualify
Coventry must win, and the best they can get is the relying-on-Chelsea slot. To do this they would need Villa to lose, Derby not to win, West Ham and Leicester draw and they would have to win themselves by nine goals to get ahead of Leicester's goal difference. Errrrrrmmm…
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ADAMS: I NEARLY QUIT AT CHRISTMAS
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Arsenal captain Tony Adams goes to Aston Villa on Sunday celebrating another championship triumph and grateful to manager Arsene Wenger for rescuing his career by sending him on holiday!
Adams has revealed that he almost quit the game before Christmas because he felt his standards had slipped to such an extent that he could no longer do his job. But instead of dropping the England defender, Wenger instead sent him for rest and recuperation in France with a mystery fitness trainer.
Not only had defeat at home to Blackburn signalled the turning point in Arsenal's amazing season, it also was the day that the 31-year-old took emergency action to put a stop to his decline. "On a personal level, it was the Blackburn game," said Adams. "I knew I couldn't play up to the standard that was expected at Arsenal and I was falling below that. My personal pride was hurting to go out there and play okay but not do myself justice.
"I was hurting and hearing things. I heard Don Howe saying to Pat Rice, our youth team coach, 'What's happened with Tony? What is he doing?' It hurt. I put the mask on but little things were creeping in and I thought, 'This is enough'. I went to the manager and said I wasn't going to do it any more, I couldn't put myself out there and keep doing it.
"I wasn't shaking injuries off as I had done before. They were beginning to take their toll. I couldn't get out of bed in the morning because my ankle, back and knee were all aching. I'm supposed to be a professional footballer and I can hardly move. I thought, 'I can't be bothered with this, I can't face going into work and going through all that every morning. Of course if you can't do your job any more, you think it may be time to pack up and those thoughts did go through my head."
But a short chat with Wenger helped put the big defender back on track. "Initially I rested, then Arsene came up with a plan and said, 'Let's take some time out,'" continued Adams. ''I took three weeks over the Christmas period and spent time with my family. I completely chilled out. It was very brave of the manager but he said to me, 'I am protecting my long-term future because I want you for the future, for the next four or five years.'
"There was a very strong personality with us in France who took me through pre-season in a week. It was make-or-break, but I came back and had the confidence. I didn't have a kick left in me two years ago. I was rock-bottom and football was a no-go. I'm a very grateful man today to be okay and doing my job still."
Adams added that he was still thankful for the second chance he got after admitting his alcoholism following Euro 96 and said he feels for anyone struggling with similar problems. "When you've been down there, it's only work,'' he told BBC Grandstand.
"It's only football, it's only a job. I couldn't hack it. It was nothing because it had gone. I was more concerned with saving my life than playing football and that puts it in perspective. There are people out there who are in trouble and in bits through addictions and everything. I'm such a grateful man that I've been given a second chance to go and enjoy myself again.''
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