“The prize is not that somebody’s going to clap you or you’re going to get a standing ovation. The prize is the Premier League.”
That was West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic summing up Wednesday’s crucial final round of Championship matches.
After 45 games and almost 12 months of a season interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, almost everything in English football’s second tier is still to be decided.
Who will finish second and claim the huge financial rewards of a place in the top flight? Who will grab the final couple of play-off places? And who will drop down into League One?
Leeds have already wrapped up the title and a place in the top flight for the first time since 2004.
Beneath them, there is an almighty fight between West Brom, Brentford and Fulham for that second automatic promotion place. Last season, it was estimated that promotion could result in a £170m increase in revenue.
The Baggies have had a rollercoaster ride since league fixtures resumed on 20 June. They were six points clear of third-placed Fulham and 10 ahead of fourth-placed Brentford when the season was put on hold because of the pandemic.
It looked like they had blown their chances of going up after losing at Huddersfield Town on Friday, but Brentford’s amazing run of eight successive wins was halted at Stoke a day later to leave West Brom one point clear with a game to go, and Fulham only two points off second spot.
“The Championship is hard anyway,” said Bilic, who is hoping to take Albion back to the top flight after two seasons in the second tier.
“This season is longer than ever and we should be proud of what we have done so far. Now is the time to finish it off, we’ve got to do it