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      Blackpool vs Lincoln: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time and team news for League One play-off final

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      BLACKPOOL are looking to return to the Championship for the first time since 2015 as they take on Lincoln at Wembley.The Seasiders made it to the final with a 6-3 aggregate win over Oxford in the semis.
      Blackpool are looking to make it back to the ChampionshipCredit: PA
      Lincoln overcame Sunderland in the semi-finalCredit: Getty
      Lincoln meanwhile have not played in the English second tier since 1961.
      But they showed their class by seeing off giants Sunderland in the semi-final to reach this stage.
      What time does Blackpool vs Lincoln kick off?

      Blackpool take on Lincoln in the League One play-off final on Sunday, May 30.
      The League One play-off final kicks off at 3pm UK time.
      It will take place in front of fans at Wembley, with capacity restricted to ten thousand.
      Last time the two sides met they played out a 2-2 draw at Sincil Bank in April.

      What TV channel is Blackpool vs Lincoln on and can I live stream it?

      Blackpool vs Lincoln is live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
      To stream the game live, head to your Sky Go app.
      Non-Sky Sports subscribers can still watch all the action with a Now TV Day Pass from £9.99.

      Team news
      Arsenal loanee Daniel Ballard is hoping to be fit in time to play for Blackpool in the final, but remains a doubt.
      Should he be available , Neil Critchley may well start with the same squad that demolished Oxford.
      Adam Jackson is an injury doubt for Lincoln, but is not expected to make the starting XI if he is fit.
      Latest odds
      To win in 90 minutes
      Blackpool 7/5
      Draw 11/5
      Lincoln 2/1
      To be promoted
      Blackpool 8/11
      Lincoln 11/10
      *Odds from Paddy Power correct as of Saturday, May 29. More

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      Blackburn striker Ben Brereton, born in Stoke, gets shock CHILE call-up to link up with Man Utd flop Alexis Sanchez

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      BLACKBURN ace Ben Brereton received a shock call-up to Chile on Monday night.The Stoke-born forward, 22, qualifies for the South American nation through his mother who was born there and he will link up with Manchester United flop Alexis Sanchez.
      Blackburn ace Ben Brereton has been called up for ChileCredit: Simon Whitehead/News Images
      Brereton has represented England at Under-20 level but has been on La Roja’s radar since the end of last year.
      He produced his best season to date with seven goals and five assists for Rovers this term.
      And that has been rewarded by being named in Martin Lasarte’s squad for their June World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia.
      Brereton will link up with Sanchez who has a staggering 44 goals in 133 games for his nation.
      Well known stars Claudio Bravo, Arturo Vidal and Gary Medel have also been called up.
      The coastal nation sit sixth in the South American qualifying group for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Lasarte’s side are eight points behind group leaders Brazil.
      Chile’s next game is against Argentina on June 3 before they host Bolivia in the capital Santiago five days after.
      If he impresses, former Nottingham Forest star Brereton could be picked for this summer’s Copa America which takes place in Argentina in June and July, and follow on the footsteps of legends Ivan Zamarano and Marcelo Salas.
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      Chile – who won the tournament in 2015 and 2016 – will face Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay in the group stage.
      Blackburn finished 15th in this season’s Championship.
      The former Premier League winners beat Birmingham 5-2 on the final day.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Sir Alex Ferguson was such a control freak as a boss he picked star players’ babysitters More

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      When is Championship playoff final 2021? Brentford vs Swansea date and times plus EFL League One & Two

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      IT’S the most exciting time of the EFL season as the play-offs return following the promotion of Watford and Norwich to the Premier League.As is the tradition, the campaign will conclude at Wembley, with the play-off semi-finals and finals played in front of fans.
      Brentford will be looking to reach the Premier League for the first timeCredit: Getty
      Brentford and Swansea are the two teams who will have to fight it out for the final place in the Premier League this season.
      When are the EFL play-offs?
      The EFL play-off dates are as follows:
      Championship
      Semi-finals

      Monday, May 17 – Bournemouth 1-0 Brentford
      Monday, May 17 – Barnsley 0-1 Swansea
      Saturday, May 22 – Brentford 3-1 Bournemouth (Brentford won 3-2 on aggregate)
      Saturday, May 22 – Swansea 1-1 Barnsley

      Final

      Saturday, May 29 – Brentford vs Swansea (3pm)

      League One
      Semi-finals

      Tuesday, May 18 – Oxford 0-3 Blackpool
      Wednesday, May 19 – Lincoln 2-0 Sunderland
      Friday, May 21 – Blackpool 3-3 Oxford (Blackpool won 6-3 on aggregate)
      Saturday, May 22 – Sunderland 2-1 Lincoln (Lincoln won 3-2 on aggregate)

      Final

      Sunday, May 30 – Blackpool vs Lincoln City (3pm)

      League Two
      Semi-finals

      Tuesday, May 18 – Newport 2-0 Forest Green
      Thursday, May 20 – Tranmere 1-2 Morecambe
      Sunday, May 23 – Morecambe vs Tranmere (12.30pm)
      Sunday, May 23 – Forest Green vs Newport (6.30pm)

      Final
      Monday, May 31 (3pm)

      What TV channel are EFL play-off matches on and can I live stream them?

      Sky Sports hold exclusive rights to EFL coverage, including the play-off games.
      Matches will be shown live on channels such as Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event.
      Some matches may be shown on the Sky Sports Red Button if they overlap with others.
      To stream EFL play-off matches live, head to your Sky Go account.
      Non-Sky Sports subscribers can still watch all the action with a Now TV Day Pass from £9.99.

      Adebayo Akinfenwa and Wycombe Wanderers were promoted from League One at WembleyCredit: Getty
      Northampton Town were victorious in the League Two play-off finalCredit: Getty More

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      SUNDERLAND 2 LINCOLN 1 (2-3 agg): Black Cats stuck in League One as Imps survive comeback to seal Wembley play-off date

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      TOM HOOPER ensured sorry Sunderland’s misery is here to stay as they face up to a grim FOURTH League One season.Trailing 2-0, a comeback for the ages had lift off inside a rocking Stadium of Light after Ross Stewart and Charlie Wyke’s early strikes.
      Lincoln City are on their way to Wembley thanks to Lee HopperCredit: Iam Burn/News Images
      Sunderland fans are facing a fourth-straight year of League One footballCredit: Getty
      Ross Stewart got Sunderland back into it with an early strike to break the deadlockCredit: Rex
      Charlie Wyke then struck to tie the contest as the Black Cats looked to be romping their way to WembleyCredit: Getty
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      But Hooper’s header made it 3-2 on aggregate to leave Lincoln a Wembley win away from a first visit to the second-tier in 60 years.
      New Black Cats owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus brought fresh hope following years in the doldrums.
      But it was the same old story of Wearside woe after Lee Johnson’s side blew their shot at automatic promotion before paying for their shocking first-leg showing.
      Roared on by 10,000 raucous fans, the Mackems flew out of traps and were ahead 12 minutes in courtesy of January signing Stewart.
      Aiden McGeady galloped down the left and put in a teasing low ball, with the former Ross County man darting to the near post and poking home.
      The noise had the Imps frazzled and they should have been two down 10 minutes later after some calamitous passing out from the back.
      Charlie Wyke seized on the loose ball and rounded Alex Palmer before somehow fluffing his lines with the goal gaping, firing straight at the covering Timothy Eyoma.
      But Sunderland’s top scorer made amends moments later, notching his 31st of the season in all competitions.
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      McGeady, 35, was the architect again with another peach from the left, putting it on a plate for Wyke to stab in from close range.
      Frozen out under former boss Phil Parkinson and not making his first appearance until December 5, it was the Republic of Ireland veteran’s 18th assist in all competitions – taking him level with Bruno Fernandes across the country.
      If the quarter-full Stadium of Light was bouncing before it was virtually shaking now, with Johnson’s boys in overdrive.
      But the break allowed Lincoln to take a chill pill and regroup, with the visitors going 3-2 up on aggregate 56 minutes in.
      Regan Poole headed a warning shot off the bar, causing nerves to sneak around the Stadium of Light for the first time.
      And Hooper ratcheted up the anxiety levels by peeling off Wyke to nod in Jorge Grant’s corner.
      Full-blown panic was then in the air when Luke O’Nien hacked sub Conor McGrandles in the area, only for Lee Burge to leap superbly to his right to save Grant’s penalty.
      McGrandles then had a great chance to kill the tie off but blazed over when through on goal.
      McGeady nearly drew them level but fired off the post with Wyle smashing the rebound into the side netting, before sub Aiden O’Brien was denied late on by Palmer.
      Tom Hopper scored the decisive goal in the second halfCredit: Rex
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Sunderland takeover confirmed by EFL as billionaire heir Kyril Louis-Dreyfus promises new era for Black Cats More

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      Sunderland star Aiden McGeady waives automatic contract extension in ‘classy’ gesture so he can play against Lincoln

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      SUNDERLAND star man Aiden McGeady CAN start against Lincoln after resolving a potentially embarrassing contract stand-off.Looking to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit in the League One play-off semi-final, the winger’s involvement was in doubt as one more start would trigger an automatic 12-month extension.
      Aiden McGeady and Co hope to put their first-leg woe vs Lincoln behind them after he ‘classily’ helped Sunderland out of a contract decisionCredit: PA
      Black Cats boss Lee Johnson has praised Aiden McGeady’s attitudeCredit: Getty
      With McGeady, 35, the club’s highest earner, the Black Cats were reluctant to activate it, given the uncertainty over what division they will be in next season.
      But Lee Johnson suggested the former Everton and Republic of Ireland international, who 14 assists this campaign, has waived his right to the extension.
      The Sunderland boss said: “He won’t be triggering another 12 months by starting.
      “All I will say is that McGeady has been top throughout my tenure. He understands the situation and proved his class yet again.
      “It just cements both him being a quality human and a quality professional, that I’ve got the option to pick him.”
      The Wearsiders were well off the pace at Sincil Bank and will need top-scorer Charlie Wyke at his best if they are to reach Wembley.
      The striker has 25 goals this season but made no impact feeding off scraps.
      But Johnson said it is not just down to a lack of service, ordering Wyke to up his game.
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      He added: “Charlie has got to get aggressive.
      “I need to see him back at it in terms of his sprints, hustling and bustling.
      “And can he influence his teammate to deliver the cross at the right time?
      “At times the quality of delivery was nowhere near good enough (on Wednesday).
      “But it’s a new game and we’ve got to believe they can bring their best.
      “We’re still in it and we’re going into it with no fear because we’re the underdog – probably for the first time all season.”
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      While there were 3,145 supporters at Lincoln, Sunderland will be roared on by 10,000 at the Stadium of Light.
      And Johnson said: “I know they’ll be rested and I hope they’re going through the vocal range and making sure their voice is in full song and really powerful for the boys.
      “They should never underestimate and we should never underestimate what that brings – when it’s positive and aggressive, it’s worth a goal.”

      If a fourth season in League One beckons, Johnson – who arrived on a two-and-a-half year deal last December – is confident he will be given the chance to make amends.
      The former Bristol City manager added: “I’ll always respond and react like I am going to be here forever, knowing that through success or failure you could be gone tomorrow.
      “I’m very comfortable being here and being able to bed my football roots into the club and trying to bring it forward.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
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      West Ham and Fulham lead race for £25m Adam Armstrong transfer but face competition from three Premier League rivals

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      WEST HAM and Fulham are leading the pack in pursuit of £25million-rated Adam Armstrong.Brighton and Everton are also interested in the pocket dynamite front man who has hit 29 goals in all competitions this season.
      Blackburn striker Adam Armstrong has banged in 28 Championship goals this termCredit: Rex
      Blackburn Rovers are still trying to persuade the 24-year-old to sign a new deal.
      But months of talks have not persuaded the former Newcastle centre-forward to put pen to paper.
      His current contract has one year left and the Ewood Park club are now close to cashing in on the Geordie bought from the Toon for just £1.75m four years ago.
      He finished this campaign on 28 league goals to make himself the Championship’s second-top scorer behind Ivan Toney.
      Boss Tony Mowbray has admitted that Prem clubs wouldn’t be ‘doing their job’ if they were not tracking Armstrong.
      Speaking earlier this month, Mowbray said: “They (Premier League clubs) are not doing their job if they’re not looking at Adam Armstrong.
      “That’s out of my control. For Adam’s sake, let’s hope the phone rings and someone offers us a ridiculous amount of money, we shake him by the hand and we say go and bang in loads of goals in the Premier League.
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      “And we’ll use some of that money in the team and can find another striker who can bang loads of goals in.
      “That’s football, that’s happened since the game started.”
      Newcastle, who have a 40 per cent sell-on agreement, are also considering an offer.
      But Hammers boss David Moyes and Fulham counterpart Scott Parker are ready to start the bidding.
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      Sam Allardyce calls Michail Antonio’s comments ‘a load of crap’ in attack on West Ham ace and ‘long ball’ critics More

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      Do away goals count in Championship play-offs, and are extra time and penalties used if ties finish level?

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      THE away goals rule has become the most common way to decide a two-legged tie in football.It was introduced by Uefa in 1965 and has been a feature of competitions ever since, but is the rule used in the EFL play-offs?
      The EFL play-offs are back and as unpredictable as everCredit: Getty
      Do away goals count in the EFL play-offs?
      Away goals do not count double in the EFL play-offs.
      The Football League did use the rule but chose to abolish it in 1999.
      This decision was made after an initiative by then-Ipswich Town chairman David Sheepshanks.
      Sheepshanks’ Tractor Boys lost via the rule in 1997 and 1999 despite finishing higher than their opponents in the league on both occasions.
      What is the away goals rule?
      The away goals rule is the most commonly used way of deciding football matches played over two legs.
      If the scores are level after 90 minutes at home and 90 minutes away then, rather than go to penalties, the team that scored most goals in the away game goes through.
      The idea is to reward away teams who choose to play attacking football.
      Do away goals really count double?
      That expression is supposed to be the law, but it’s really more of a figure of speech.
      It simply means that away goals are the first decider for a tied two-leg match.
      If anything, it is like an extra half a goal for the team that scored more away from home.
      Which competitions use the away goals rule?
      The Champions League and the Europa League, as well as all South American competitions, use the away goals rule to decide ties that are level after two legs.
      The League Cup did use away goals after extra time in the semi-finals but has now abolished the rule, with teams playing penalties after 90 minutes.
      Is the away goals rule popular?
      The rule has survived for 51 years by generally being seen as the fairest way to decide a two-leg match.
      But it has prominent critics such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Sepp Blatter, who say it was designed for a different age.
      They believe the rule was only appropriate for the longer away trips of decades ago, where games would be played on dreadful pitches and playing at home was a key advantage.
      The Uefa version of the rule is also believed, by some, to be unfair because the team that plays away second can get 30 minutes more to score an away goal than the home team if the tie goes to extra-time.
      Occasionally, there is even the bizarre scenario of two matches at the same stadium being decided on away goals, for example when AC Milan knocked Inter out of the Champions League in 2003.
      The first leg at the San Siro, when AC Milan were technically at home, finished 0-0.
      And the second leg finished 1-1 at the same venue, which meant AC qualified. More

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      Former Sunderland chief Sir Bob Murray claims billionaire new owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has given fans their club back

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      SIR BOB MURRAY has a simple message for Sunderland fans: We’ve got our club back. Hope is finally in the Wearside air following what supporters see as the dark days under unpopular owners Ellis Short and Stewart Donald. 
      Billionaire Kyril Louis-Dreyfus stepped in to take over Sunderland in FebruaryCredit: Reuters
      Ex-Black Cats owner Sir Bob Murray says optimism has swept back into the clubCredit: Getty
      Billionaire Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, 23, is responsible for the new wave of optimism, having ridden to the rescue in February.
      Local lad Murray, 74, made his fortune in kitchen manufacturing before holding the Sunderland reins from 1986-2006.
      And after meeting Dreyfus and his family for the first time at the Stadium of Light before the last day of the regular season, the former Black Cats chief could not be more buoyant.
      Murray told SunSport: “A supporter pulled me outside the ground and said, ‘Have we got it, Bob?’ 
      “I asked what he meant and, crying, he said, ‘Have we got our club back?’ 
      “I told him we have….all of us. Having experienced what I have over the last couple of months, I really am over the moon.  
      “We had zero hope after all the challenges and setbacks the club has faced over many years.
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      “Since I spent 20 years doing what I did, it’s been heartbreaking for me and my family. 
      “Now I am so positive. I’ve had numerous conversations and met Kyril and the family last weekend. In North-East language – they get it.” 
      Murray is so optimistic that he is even excited about a fourth season in League One if the Black Cats don’t win the play-offs. 
      Lee Johnson’s side were on course for automatic promotion before a stuttering end left them fourth and up against Lincoln.  
      Sunderland are yet to win the play-offs in five attempts, despite being promoted in 1990 having lost the final to Swindon after the Robins were denied a place in the old First Division because of financial irregularities.
      But Murray, who now lives in Jersey, bullishly declared he will be at the final – and reckons they can end their hoodoo and return to the Premier League in no time.
      He added: “We’re not very good at the play-offs, it’s not our thing. 
      Sunderland manager Lee Johnson saw them win the Papa John’s Trophy in March and now they face the play-offs as they bid to return to the ChampionshipCredit: PA
      “But records are there to be broken. We hadn’t won at Wembley in 50 years before we won the Papa John’s Trophy in March.   
      “The last time we were in the third tier in 1987/88 we were promoted straight away and had one year in the old Division Two before winning promotion again. 
      “Sadly we struggled to sustain the team having come from that low. But with these gentlemen’s experience and wealth, it’s different. 
      “We fell from the Premier League to League One in two years, so why couldn’t we go up in three? 
      “But I’m excited about next season whatever division we are in because I know we’ve got a future.”
      Swiss-French businessman Dreyfus inherited his fortune after his father, Robert – the former owner of Marseille- died in 2009.
      The club is now finally debt free after his £40million takeover, and work to turn Sunderland back into a tour de force is well underway.
      And Murray, who moved the club from Roker Park to the Stadium of Light in 1997, points to the academy as the first order of business.
      We have one of the best academies in Britain but it’s like having a factory with no raw materials. It’s ridiculous.Sir Bob Murray
      He said: “He’s got to turn the academy around.
      “We have Sunderland-born children playing for Newcastle, which says everything.
      “When I left we had Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford in there.
      “We have one of the best academies in Britain but it’s like having a factory with no raw materials.  It’s ridiculous.
      “That’s their priority. I’ve been introduced to all the backroom staff and the investment will be more like for a Premier League than a League One club.”
      Murray recognises it will not be easy to turn the great Sunderland tanker around.
      But in Kyril he trusts, pledging his allegiance to the youngster.
      He added: “He’s got a massive job on but one of the good things is that the previous owners got us to such a low base that it can only go one way.
      “They’re not here to make a quick buck.
      “Kyril is considered and articulate with knowledge beyond his years – and his English is better than mine.
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      “He even bought me a Sunderland shirt and had my name put on it, which was a lovely gesture.  
      “His family have a great heritage in football and it was great to see from the outset him taking time to understand the history and heritage of the club, and wanting to engage.
      “I’m sure we’ve got our club back – I’ll put my name to that.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Sunderland takeover confirmed by EFL as billionaire heir Kyril Louis-Dreyfus promises new era for Black Cats More