Play-off Final this evening

The conference Play-off Final takes place this Evening at the Britania Stadium, the home of Stoke City. The game is live on Sky.

Carlisle take on Stevenage, in a final that sees the third placed team in the Conference take on the fifth team. Carlisle acheived their place in the final by defeating Aldershot on penalties and Stevenage with a Dino Maamria goal at Edgar Street.

The Cumbrian outfit are just favourities to win but Stevenage will be hoping that they can put right the disappointment of winning the Conference back in the Nineties and then being refused entry to the Football League because their ground wasn't up to standard.

Certainly from a support point of view Carlisle deserve to return to league football. Their average gate this season is well above any other Conference club with a figure of 5513. Stevenage has struggled to appeal with an average of only 2095. Even champions Barnet could only average 2512. Carlisle will probably have three supporters at the game for every one from Stevenage.

Hereford United supporters could tend to support Carlisle to leave the Conference. It's a long way to Brunton Park, whereas Broadway Hall as well as only being just over 3 three hours from Hereford is close to the South-east where the Bulls have good support.

Stevenage probably have the best stadium in the Conference whereas at Carlisle away supporters are put on a terrace which is open to the elements.

Carlisle haven't had the easiest of seasons with their ground being flooded in January as manager Phil Simpson told 5-Live this morning.

"We got a hell of a shock when we woke up that morning in January. We were down at Crawley and looked at Sky News and saw the whole of Carlisle flooded.

"It was a real testing time. We didn't have any training pitches as the grass was under water. We tried to play one game up at Gretna and that was frozen. We had games at Morecambe and at Workington. It was difficult."

So for purely selish reasons this site hopes that Carlisle win the game and move
back into the league.

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