And This Is How It Ends...

Sunday was the day of the English Premier League decider as the season came to a close.

Neutral football fans had their eyes on five matches, as Manchester United, Chelsea, Fulham, Reading and Birmingham City all played in fixtures which would decide where the premiership would go and who would survive and who would be relegated from the league.

Ultimately though, only two matches mattered but coming into the weekend we weren’t to know that. Indeed, all fantasies of a dramatic final day where amplified when prior to Sunday’s kick-off FoxSports showed highlights of the final day of the 1994-1995 Premier League when Blackburn won the title despite losing after Manchester United could only draw at West Ham.

Excitement levels were up and expectations were for a spectacular finish.

And only a quarter of an hour in, we had our first goal. Reading went ahead against Derby County, which meant if that result stayed the same, Fulham would have to win their difficult fixture at Portsmouth. It was the news Fulham fans had been dreading.

On the half hour, Birmingham too had themselves ahead in their fixture when David Murphy scored against Blackburn. Fulham knew now they really would need to win to stay up.

But the big news wasn’t far away. The most important fixture of them all, Manchester United at Wigan, had a penalty. And it was for the Red Devils after Emmerson Boyce had hauled down Wayne Rooney inside the box. Up stepped that man Cristiano Ronaldo, and he coolly sent Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland the wrong way as United headed to a 1-0 lead. United were on their way to the title.

The sides went into half-time poised like this, with Fulham still 0-0 at Portsmouth but becoming desperate for a goal as Reading and Birmingham both were ready to pounce for survival while Chelsea could see their title hopes fading fast as the Red Devils had the half-time lead they wanted.

Just minutes into the second-half though, Fulham’s fears eased somewhat when Blackburn equalised at Birmingham through Morten Gamst Pedersen. Ten minutes later though, Reading made it 2-0 against Derby, a side confirmed as the worst in Premier League and one hardly capable of coming back from such a deficit. Thus Fulham definitely would have to win at Portsmouth to survive, which heightened the tension.

And while all this was happening, all of a sudden Chelsea had hit the lead against Bolton with Andriy Shevchenko scoring for the Blues. The title race was back on. One goal from Wigan would have Chelsea on top. And Emile Heskey went close for Wigan, it was getting tight.

In the next few minutes though attention swayed back to the relegation fight. All ears were to radio transmitters as the news came through Reading had a third and Birmingham were back in front against Blackburn. For Fulham fans, with fifteen minutes to go, it was getting all too much.

But then up popped a hero. Jimmy Bullard fired in a free-kick for Fulham and Danny Murphy was left virtually unchallenged. The former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder did the rest, heading the ball past Portsmouth goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown to score a priceless goal for the Londoners. The Fulham fans went crazy. Reading and Birmingham heads dropped, it was the news they didn’t want to hear.

Now we were getting to the very end of the Premier League. The very desperate end. But also the very glorious end.

Indeed, with ten minutes to go in Manchester United’s Premier League season, the glory showered upon them, as substitute Ryan Giggs fired home the Red Devils’ second to have them ahead two up against Wigan. It was time for celebration, there was no way back for Wigan, it was all but official, Manchester United were champions of England.

And Wigan didn’t fight back, nor did Portsmouth. Manchester United became champions of England on referee Steve Bennett’s full-time whistle, while Danny Murphy’s header was enough for Fulham to live another day in the top flight. Reading and Birmingham were relegated. Chelsea were runners-up.

For the record, Chelsea ended up drawing 1-1 with Bolton while the two clubs who were relegated on the final day, Reading and Birmingham, both recorded victories 4-0 and 4-1 respectively.

But it didn’t matter. As the records will show after all the trials and tribulations, and all the drama, Manchester United won it and Fulham survived it. What a day! And what a season we have to look forward to next time round!