May 06, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1429

LONDON, May 5: Stoke City were promoted to the Premier League when a drab 0-0 draw at home to Leicester City clinched runners-up spot in the Championship (second division) on a tense last day of the season on Sunday.

Third-placed Hull City, the only team who could have denied Stoke, were beaten 1-0 at Ipswich Town.

West Bromwich Albion, who had all but secured their promotion last Monday, return to the top flight as champions after a 2-0 victory at Queen’s Park Rangers put them on 81 points, two more than Stoke.

While Albion are no strangers to Premier League campaigns in recent seasons, Stoke are now looking forward to their first season among the elite since 1985 and the 60 million pound ($119 million) windfall that promotion guarantees.

The contrast in emotions could hardly have been greater as the 0-0 draw sent Leicester City down to League One, the third tier in English football for the first time.

They joined already relegated Scunthorpe United and Colchester United after Southampton, until 2005 a long-standing fixture in the Premier League, came from behind to beat Sheffield United 3-2

and crawl out of the bottom three.

A premature pitch invasion by jubilant Stoke fans delayed the dying moments at their Britannia Stadium, before the final whistle sparked wild scenes of jubilation.

“I’m very proud of everybody connected to the football club,” Stoke manager Tony Pulis, in his second spell with the club told Sky Sports.

“I have to say a special ‘thank you’ to the chairman (Peter Coates), he showed a lot of character to buy this club and spent a lot of money on it.”

Leicester manager Ian Holloway, who left Plymouth earlier this season to take over at Leicester, told Sky Sports it was the “worst moment of my life”.

Hull can still clinch a place in the top flight for the first time through the playoffs which will also feature Bristol City, Crystal Palace and Watford, who finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

Hull take on Watford in the two-legged playoff semi-finals while Bristol City take on in-form Crystal Palace.

The final is at Wembley on May 24.

With one round of matches to go in the Premier League, only Derby County are definitely relegated with two from Birmingham City, Reading and Fulham set to join them in the Championship.—Reuters