I wouldn't worry too much, I'm sure Steve Bruce will throw the match with dodgy tactics (or whatever it takes to get the job at his hometown club).

Or Hull will win 1-0. Usually, this is time of the year when the Manchester lads are distracted by their summer plans to vacation in St. Lucia, followed by purchasing new Escalades.

I think it's much more likely that Bastard Sam will stick the boot in.

Can't really blame him. It's what I'd do. Just a pity it's not Crystal Palace in the last Premiership match for who knows how long for the Toon.

<ahem>

It was never really in doubt....

Looks like Hull are going down....

Oh, that too, but I meant it was never really in doubt that Newcastle would finish higher up than them reed and white stripey bastards.

Lee Dixon, so profound! (Final piece of commentary on the Hull match.)

"The bottom three teams always go down. What I mean is the three worst teams usually get relegated and the best team wins the league."

Teeth, skin of.

Geordies have thick skin on their teeth too. Oh yes.

We were 15th out of 20. Very promising.

Fantastic result for Stoke today.....beating the bin dippers 6-1 and pooping Gerrards party

They finished above Sunderland, ain't that now classed as a great season

It's really the only point of any season. Especially when we gave them a 12 point swing.

Consider having a few quid on Villa for the cup.

It's pretty common for underdogs to win but for several years England has been sending relegated, about to be relegated or relegation threatened teams to the UEFA Cup/Europa League with some regularity.

Should Arsenal win the final, runners up are no longer qualifying, so Villa will not - like Hull did this season - enter the Europa and the place will go to 7th position in the Prem Southampton.

This will break the pattern of sending no-hopers into a competition that usually features teams like Juventus, Porto, Benfica, Ajax, Seville, even Bayern Munich a few years ago.

So in order to continue sending no-hopers, worst team not to be relegated Villa will have to win.

I believe you can get 5/2 (Hills) and there's even a whisper that Ladbrokes will be offering 5/1 which seems somewhat generous.

What those poor sap teams need is a far-sighted owner of a trash sports paraphernalia business to buy them out.

If they had someone like Mike in charge, they would field their U-14 side in the first round of every Cup competition to ensure that they stay in the Prem.

Thus, for local Canadian readers, MAKING MONEY, like good old Kevin O'Leary.

<and finish above the mackems>

In case (like me) you didn't realise this was on right now:

Championship play-off final: Middlesbrough v Norwich City - BBC Sport

I wanted to go down Novo - it's the only thing that will get to Ashley. Preferably to league 1. I can't see anything else, other than crossing fingers and waiting for a random billionaire, changing the dynamic.