Yesterday (Monday) we took a look at Blackpool, who are of course one of three clubs dropping down from the Championship, into League One. Having already covered Millwall and Wigan Athletic also, today we move onto the teams coming up from League Two, and to begin with, the Champions Burton Albion.
Burton Albion have never been in the third tier of English football before, so this season for them, is a high point in their 65 year history. Having climbed up from non-league under the stewardship of Nigel Clough and then caretaker Roy McFarland, Gary Rowett turned the Brewers into a force to be reckoned with in League Two.
in October 2014 when he departed to take the managerial vacancy at Championship club Birmingham City. As one young manager departed, in came another – 42 year old former Chelsea star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. The Suriname born former centre forward had only previous managerial experience of a season in charge of Belgian side Royal Antwerp, but he came in at Burton and did an outstanding job in his first season.changed so quicklyAlbion were sitting pretty at the right end of the table at the end of Rowett's reign, but this could have all
The Brewers charged to the title with 94 points, finally putting an end to the misfortune of the previous two seasons where they lost in the play-off semi-final final to Bradford City (2012-13) and in the play-off final to Fleetwood Town (2013-14).
Burton Albion
1950Formed:
Pirelli StadiumGround:
6,912Ground Capacity:
1Last Season:stin League Two
9/1Promotion Odds:
5/1Relegation Odds:
Courtesy of SkyBet.com
Manager – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Known in recent years for giving young managers a chance, Burton Albion have made names in the managerial game for the likes of Nigel Clough, Paul Peschisolido, and Gary Rowett and the gamble has usually always paid off.
Gary Rowett was a tough act to follow, but Hasselbaink hasn’t batted an eye lid, and effortlessly guided Burton Albion to League One, creating history for the club and the fans, as well as putting his name well and truly on the managerial map.
A powerful centre forward in his playing days, Jimmy Floyd featured for Telstar, AZ, Campomaiorense and Boavista before moving into the English game with Leeds United in 1997. His 42 goals in two Premier League seasons for United attracted the attention of various other clubs, and he moved to Spain to sign for Atletico Madrid and his form continued. During the 1999-2000 season, he scored 33 goals in 43 matches for Atleti which was followed by a summer 2000 move back to England, with Chelsea.
In three seasons at Stamford Bridge, Hasselbaink became a firm fans favourite and also managed to score 88 goals in 177 appearances continuing his impressive scoring ratio. He went on to have four more seasons playing, two with Middlesbrough and one each with Charlton Athletic and Cardiff City before his retirement. Following an 18 month spell as a coach at Nottingham Forest, he had a season as manager of Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp prior to heading back to England with Burton Albion.
Key Player – Lucas Akins
charts with 9 goals. He is no stranger to the division after recent spells with Stevenage and Tranmere Rovers, and could be a key player for the new boys this coming season.scoringLucas Akins played a major role in Burton’s promotion to League One, leading the club's
The 26 year old began his career with hometown club Huddersfield Town in 2007 after coming through the club’s youth system, and following a loan spell with Northwich Victoria, he moved to Scotland to sign for Hamilton Academical. Akins moved back down to England in 2010 to sign for Tranmere Rovers and managed just 7 goals in 77 league appearances.
He scored 10 goals for Stevenage in the 2012-13 season, and although he scored just half of that the following season (2013-14), Akins formed a real partnership with Stuart Beavon at next employers Burton Albion and has been a key member of the promotion winning team.
Head to Head
Bradford wins: 4
Draws: 5
Burton wins: 3
Last Meeting
Burton Albion 1-3 Bradford City
05/05/13Date:
Pirelli Stadium Venue:
Football League Two Play-Off Semi-Final (2Competition:ndLeg)
Scorers:Wells (27), Hanson (50),Maghoma pen (55), Wells (57)
Tomorrow we will take a look at last season's League Two Runners-Up, Shrewsbury Town.