More tension and drama are guaranteed at Wembley this Bank Holiday weekend as the 2014 Sky Bet Football League play-offs reach their conclusion and you can watch all three finals live on Sky Sports.
The Play-Off Finals get under way on Saturday, May 24 with what is regarded as the most valuable game in world football, the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final.
The last remaining place in next season’s Premier League will be decided at Wembley as Steve McClaren’s Derby County take on Harry Redknapp’s Queens Park Rangers.
This highly anticipated finale to the Championship season will pit the two highest-placed play-off teams against each other, with Derby having finished third in the table and QPR fourth, with five points seperating the teams after 46 games of the regular season.
Derby County were the first team to book their place in a Sky Bet Football League Play-Off Final this season after their emphatic 6-2 two-legged victory over Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Rams recovered from going a goal down at the Amex to beat Brighton 2-1 on the south coast, before running riot at the iPro with a 4-1 demolition of the Seagulls to progress 6-2 on aggregate.
Derby are now eight games unbeaten and face a Queens Park Rangers side who needed extra-time to overcome Wigan Athletic in the semis.
The R’s drew 0-0 in the first leg at the DW Stadium before bringing the Latics back to Loftus Road, where they triumphed 2-1 after extra time.
Harry Redknapp’s men looked like they’d be crashing out after James Perch gave Wigan a ninth-minute lead in West London, only for Charlie Austin to score a penalty on 73 minutes.
The match went to the additional 30 minutes, the only play-off semi-final to go beyond 180 minutes, and Austin netted his second of the night to continue QPR’s bid for an immediate return to the Premier League.
While most of the focus will inevitably be on Saturday’s so-called ‘richest game in football’, the League 1 and League 2 play-off finals on Sunday and Monday respectively also offer up two tantilising prospects.
As with the Championship finale, the League 1 Play-Off Final on Sunday also sees third play fourth, with Leyton Orient taking on Rotherham United.
The O’s haven’t been in the Championship for 32 years and face a Rotherham side looking for back-to-back promotions.
Finally on Monday, the Football League season concludes with the League 2 Play-Off Final as Fleetwood Town play Burton Albion, with teams are looking to secure a first ever season in the third tier of English football.
Sky Sports is the only place to see live coverage of the 2014 Sky Bet Football League Play-off Finals, including the Championship Play-off Final on May 24, dubbed the richest game in football.
Simon Thomas will introduce coverage from the national stadium where he will be joined in the studio by special guests for expert analysis and comment during the afternoon, including Sky Football League regular Peter Beagrie.
The four-hour broadcast will be shown on Sky Sports 1 and in high-definition on Sky Sports 1 HD with a full one-hour of build-up and previews ahead of kick-off at 3.00pm.
Match commentary comes courtesy of Bill Leslie and Don Goodman, while Patrick Davison provides reports and interviews with the players and managers.
Live coverage of the League One final the day after and the League Two final on May 26 will also be shown exclusively live.
Coverage will also be available to watch online via mobiles, laptops and tablets on Sky Go and on the Sky Sports for iPad app.
BBC Sport will screen terrestrial highlights of all three Football League Play-off Finals from Wembley on BBC One.
On Saturday, May 24, Manish Bhasin presents extended highlights from the Championship Play-off Final as Derby County take on QPR.
He will be joined for analysis of the match by Steve Claridge, while commentary comes from Steve Wilson and Phillip Neville.
The programme will be broadcast at 11.30pm on Saturday evening and will be available to view for up to seven days after transmission via the BBC iPlayer.
Highlights of the League One and Two play-off finals will be shown in the final edition of The Football League Show show this season on Bank Holiday Monday at 11.25pm, also on BBC One.
.
