Watford will play in the Premiership next season for the 2nd time after beating Leeds United in the Championship Play-offs Final. Their only other time in the Premiership was in season 1999-2000. They'll be the only Hertfordshire team in the top flight.

The other Premeirship's new boys are Reading and Sheffield United, whilst Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland are relegated from the Premiership down to the Championship.






Hornets reach Premiership
21st May 2006


Watford 3-0 Leeds United

DeMerit 25
Sullivan og 57
Henderson pen 84



Watford completed a remarkable season by clinching a place in the Barclays Premiership on Sunday by crushing Leeds 3-0 in a match worth an estimated £40million to the winner.

Goals from Jay DeMerit and James Chambers and a late penalty from Darius Henderson ensured Adrian Boothroyd's team prevailed in Sunday's Coca-Cola Championship play-off final - and condemned Leeds to a third successive season outside the top flight.

Leeds never got going until after half-time, and the closest they came to scoring was when Shaun Derry's header midway through the second period was cleared off the line by Chambers.


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Their routes through to the Play-offs Final

Championship Final Top 10


(C)Reading.. 106
(P)Sheff Utd ..90
Watford .. 81
Preston .. 80
Leeds .. 78
Crystal Palace.. 75
Wolverhampton.. 67
Coventry.. 63
Norwich.. 62
Luton 61
..



Play-offs Semi-Finals First Leg

Leeds 1-1 Preston North End
Crystal Palace 0-3 Watford

Second Leg

Preston North End 0-2 Leeds (Leeds win 3-1 on aggregate)
Watford 0-0 Crystal Palace (Watford win 3-0 on aggregate)