May 27 – Southampton secured an immediate return to the Premier League on Sunday by beating Leeds United 1-0 at Wembley in the Championship playoff final, the richest one-off match in world football worth an estimated £140 million in future earnings from broadcast, matchday and commercial revenue.
After a one-year exile, the Saints join automatically promoted Leicester City and Ipswich Town in the top flight courtesy of Adam Armstrong’s 24th-minute winner, erasing the bitter taste of last year’s relegation.
Financial experts Deloitte say Southampton could eventually bank £305 million if they avoid relegation next season.
While the cash prize is a huge bonus, it is the prestige of competing with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, rather than second-tier minnows like Plymouth and Oxford, that will be of greatest importance for Southampton who had spent 11 years in the Premier League prior to their relegation.
In their first ever playoff final, Southampton made it three wins over Leeds this term despite finishing three points behind their Wembley opponents in the regular season.
Saints’ unassuming manager Russell Martin has become widely admired for his possession-based principles and this was the 38-year-old’s crowning glory.
Martin was managing in League One, three divisions below the Premier League, just three years ago, then went to Championship side Swansea. But he has transformed Southampton in his first season in charge, to such an extent that they boasted more possession than any team in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
“I’m so pleased for the board because I was not an exciting appointment for them. I finished 10th when I was at Swansea … so for them to take me on was really brave,” Martin said.
“We had to do this to justify their decision. I feel really emotional about it. The team have been so brave. I’m really grateful and proud of them. They deserve it.”
On the 35th anniversary of the death of their legendary manager Don Revie, Leeds were well below their best despite pushing hard for a second-half equaliser.
After losing their grip on an automatic promotion place that went instead to Ipswich, the three-time English champions remain without a win at Wembley since 1992.
It was the sixth time Leeds had failed to go up via the playoffs and making it even more painful is the fact that they finished third in the regular season but won only one of their last six games.
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