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West Bromwich Albion clinched their Premier League survival on the final day of the 2004-05 season after being bottom at Christmas, and goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak played a big part
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As Burnley and Leeds United battle to stay in the Premier League, one set of fans is in line for a huge release of tension on the final day.
Everton made sure of their own survival with a comeback victory over Crystal Palace on Thursday, with fans invading the pitch after goals from Michael Keane, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin helped them come back from 2-0 down.
The result means one of Burnley and Leeds will stay up and the other will go down, with the Clarets ahead on goal difference going into Sunday’s finale.
It’s not quite as dramatic a situation as in 2004-05, however. Back then, no team had been relegated going into the final round of fixtures, with four sides battling for one survival spot.
West Bromwich Albion had been bottom of the table at Christmas, a position from which no team had previously survived in the Premier League era. However, a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth kept them alive, with Geoff Horsfield and Kieran Richardson scoring the Baggies’ goals, and goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
“The first season I didn’t play much,” said Kuszczak, speaking exclusively to Mirror Football courtesy of bet365. “I had a debut against Fulham and the last games against Manchester United and then Portsmouth. It was not many games but important games, and the history showed it was something special that rarely happens in the Premier League. Coming from a dark room and staying in the Premier League in the space of two games.”
Russell Hoult had been Albion’s first-choice keeper for much of the season. However, an injury sustained by the stopper at Old Trafford opened the door for Kuszczak and he didn’t have time to settle his nerves before doing what was required of him.
“We knew we have to bring something from the game, to win or draw, and then United was fighting for its own target, which was Champions League, and they needed the points,” he continued. “It was a big game and then obviously my game at Old Trafford, the emotions I had at the time… I was a Manchester United fan from childhood.
“Obviously I had a lot to do, walking onto the pitch when Russell got injured, and I played the game of my life. A massive game against the team which I supported, with the team which gave me this chance.”
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While there have been some questioning the decision from Everton fans to invade the Goodison Park pitch after their team guaranteed another top-flight season, Kuszczak’s comments suggest he understands the emotions of such situations. On top of this, too, he recognises things go both ways, with supporters spurring on the team and inspiring the players to provide them with such memorable moments.
“When I came from the Bundesliga and previously the Polish league, I always had this feeling that when the players lose the games and don’t perform well, there was less and less supporters in the stadium, a lot of critics around the team, and some things started to fall apart,” the Poland international said. “But in West Brom it wasn’t like that.
“It was all season long, losing games, and three games before [the end of the season] we were quite sure we were going to get relegated. At this point we might play games and lose at home and supporters were leaving 10 minutes before the end of the game, and then the next game it was a full pack again.
“This was such a boost; when people say the supporters are an important part of a football game, that they’re like a 12th player, West Brom is an example of that. All the players at the time felt that the whole city gave us this support – when we lost all these games in a row they were always speaking for us – and as players we kept feeling embarrassed because wherever you go you lose the game and you want to give something to these people but they keep coming and give you this [support], and my West Bromwich experience was like that.”
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Some recent pitch invasions have caused controversy, with a Nottingham Forest fan handed a 24-week prison sentence after his team’s play-off semi-final victory and Palace manager Patrick Vieira kicking out after provocation from an Everton fan on Thursday. Kuszczak was speaking before the events at Goodison Park, but recalls events at the Hawthorns with fondness – despite the fact that he was accidentally punched by a supporter of his own side.
“The fans at the time, we didn’t know until the end if we were going to stay up,” he said. “Then the game finished, we waited another three or four minutes and then fans were running on the pitch.
“I got punched because somebody tried to hug me and hit me in the face, there’s a picture somewhere of one of the fans with a child in his hand trying to hug me. I wish for all football players to have moments like that, moments where you survive and the whole pressure is just released because you did what you want to achieve.”
Fans of one of Leeds or Burnley will be able to enjoy that emotional release on the final day, while supporters of the other will face another emotional extreme. Leeds are up against Brentford, with Burnley hosting Newcastle, and Jesse Marsch’s Whites will need to better the result of their relegation rivals.
“It’s not mission accomplished,” Burnley boss Mike Jackson told BBC Sport after his team’s midweek draw with Aston Villa. “The least we wanted was a point. We’re a little disappointed not to get the three. Everything I’ve seen tonight is what this group does. They’ve had to dig in, they’ve had to work. We’ll need it again on Sunday.”
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