Can Claret and Blue come back to bite the Blades?

So, it's Championship Playoff final day. And I'm only too aware that by declaring myself an honorary Preston North End fan I should be hoping that Burnley crash and burn - but I'm not.

Not least because they are a local side with a modest, yet terrific, fan base and a promising young manager in Owen Coyle - so involved in his side that he actually plays in the reserves to give promising youngsters some on-pitch guidance.

But there is one other reason I do not want Burnley to lose today that eclipses all others, and that is my dislike of Sheffield United.

Since the moment they were relegated last year we have heard nothing but whingeing from the Yorkshire club about the dreaded Carlos Tevez saga.

Clubs like Bournemouth and Luton have all fallen foul of a harsh system. But they have knuckled down and turned poverty into promise, making all the right noises to make the rest of the football world applaud in admiration.

But let's not forget, Sheffield United were not docked points or even hard done-by. Over 38 games they did not accumulate enough points. Which means that they were not good enough, regardless of how many goals Carlos Tevez scored.

But the Blades cried, whined and probably dined all the way to the bank on that massive parachute payment that comes with relegation, as well as the £25million coughed up by West Ham.

They could have kicked up a fuss when West Ham first signed the aesthetically challenged Argentine but no, they waited until their fate was sealed before attempting to wriggle out of relegation on a technicality.

My advice to avoid the drop would have come much earlier in the season and involved more man-to-man marking and shooting practice.

So, come 3pm, i'll be cheering on the Claret and Blues. Heaven knows, after 61 games using only 23 players, they deserve it more than anyone.

However, if Sheffield United do win through, I will not be complaining to the FA and I certainly won't want compensation. I'll just keep a keen eye on next season's fixture list hoping, and praying, that they get West Ham on the final day.

The Deepdale Roar - Myth or Legend? (after a brief introduction)

Greetings and welcome to my football blog. First things first, I originally hail from Barnet in North London and my father is a Black Cab-driving, Wood Green grocer's son. Therefore I am a Tottenham Hotspur fan first and a Barnet fan second.

People sometimes ask me who I'd want to win if Tottemham and Barnet played each other. To these people I seldom reply but i'll say now, while i'm in a good mood... You've missed my point – I am a Tottenham fan. But I lend my support to Barnet when possible as they are my local team.

That brings me to this evening. The Championship Playoffs first leg. You'd be forgiven for wondering why on earth the first post of a blog whose title references the Premier League's elite would focus on the second tier of English football.

However, if I tell you I've lived eight brilliant years and counting in Preston, to add to what you already know about my affinity to local teams (and yes, I'm still a Tottenham fan) then you won't be surprised to learn that I will be lending my support to the local team as they embark on a somewhat unexpected playoff campaign.

Last Sunday, as the news of Sheffield Wednesday's goal (which opened the gate for Preston to steal the fourth Playoff spot) filtered through Deepdale, the crowd was whipped into a frenzy until the noise levels reached fever pitch – and stayed there.

For years Preston fans have waxed lyrical about the fantastic atmosphere at home games and, I'm sorry, but it's just not true. I've worked the turnstiles at Deepdale and have been to numerous important games and the noise level rarely ventures above average.

But against QPR, with the atmosphere hotter than it had been for years, the players responded, laying siege to QPR's goalmouth in search of that vital winner. Preston manager Alan Irvine has since said he'd never heard anything like it and it makes you wonder – if the atmosphere was like that all season, Preston North End may already be a Premier League side.

Tonight there have been measures taken by the club to improve the atmosphere further. Free banners and clapping boards could ensure that the Deepdale "roar" is louder than ever and, although Preston are probably rank outsiders in the Playoff race, if the team responds to the crowd as it did last week then anything is possible.