Southampton return to Premier League as Armstrong sinks Leeds in play-off final

AFP | London

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Southampton clinched promotion back to the Premier League after a one-year exile as Adam Armstrong sealed a 1-0 win against Leeds in the Championship play-off final yesterday. Armstrong’s first-half strike at Wembley ensured Southampton erased the bitter taste of last year’s relegation from the top- flight with an immediate return.

Victory in football’s single richest match will give Southampton an estimated £140 million ($178 million) windfall due to the increases in matchday, broadcast and commercial revenue for clubs who reach the Premier League. 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 Manchester City and Arsenal, rather than second-tier minnows like Plymouth and Oxford, that fuelled Southampton’s hunger to regain their Premier League status after a year in purgatory. Southampton, whose only major honour is the 1976 FA Cup, had spent 11 years in the Premier League prior to their relegation.