Coventry City and Luton Town will decide the Premier League’s final promotion place.
Coventry’s Gustavo Hamer (left) and Luton’s Jordan Clark have the biggest football game of their lives ahead of them. PDO
Just five years ago, Coventry City and Luton Town were both playing in the bottom rung of the English league pyramid.
League Two was considered by many to be the lowest price for the two former major league clubs. Of course, at that point, Luton had already experienced much worse: in the spring of 2009, it received a penalty of 30 series points, which dropped it completely out of the four league levels.
Everyone will understand how far both clubs have come when they meet at Wembley on Saturday in the Premier League promotion qualifier.
Both Coventry and Luton are exceptions in the current football culture. They have built their success solely on disposable income.
The situation changes radically for whoever wins the qualifying match. Moving up to the Premier League is, according to even the most conservative estimates, a bang for at least 200 million euros.
– People talk a lot about the journey we have both made. This match is for romantics, Coventry manager Mark Robins described.
Robins himself played a decisive role when Alex Ferguson won his first trophy at the helm of Manchester United. According to historians, Ferguson would have even received a boot in early 1990, if Robins’ header had not brought United a further place in the FA Cup.
The story continues after the picture
Coventry manager Mark Robins (right) was involved in winning the FA Cup for Manchester United 33 years ago. PDO
Coventry last played in the Premier League in the spring of 2001. Before that, the club had stayed at the highest league level for no less than 34 years.
Luton’s history goes all the way back to 1992, when it dropped out of the former first division. The club’s last big win in the league cup was 1988, when the current sports director Mick Hartford celebrate with the trophy at old Wembley.
The stadium has changed, but the dreams remain the same. Tonight, it will be decided which football beggar will join the Premier League’s millionaire club.
Coventry and Luton promotion qualifying can be followed on the VSport+ Suomi channel starting at 18:35.