Ian Holloway’s Blackpool are the team that sneaked into the play-off picture at the death. Late momentum counts for a great deal and the Tangerines were able to eliminate Nottingham Forest- generally considered to be the third-best team in the division- in the semi-finals.

Like Forest, Cardiff City have always been near the top after just missing out on the play-offs last season. Dave Jones’ side were able to prevail over Leicester City in the semi-finals which meant the final will be contested by two clubs who have never been in the Premiership.Cardiff haven’t been in the top flight since way back in 1962; Blackpool had their last tilt at the big boys in 1970/71 but finished rock bottom, winning just four league games.Though Blackpool have a more recent history of top division football it is the Welsh club who have been considered the team more ready for the Premier League. Blackpool are one of the smallest clubs in the Championship in terms of resources and Ian Holloway has got them this far on a relative shoestring.While the Tangerines have stayed within modest means, Cardiff desperately need the financial boost that reaching the Premier League would provide. The Bluebirds have faced winding-up orders in the High Court on several occasions this season.

Over the 46-game Championship marathon, Cardiff accumulated six more points than Blackpool. Jones’s team were better on the road but Blackpool scored goals for fun at Bloomfield Road.

Cardiff had two double figure scorers (Whittingham and Chopra) to Blackpool’s one (Adam). They also had two players (Whittingham and Bothroyd) on double figures for assists. Adam again was Blackpool’s top man in this area on eight.

Jones has the bigger names to call on but Holloway can point to a formidable team ethos with Charlie Adam proving to be an absolute steal from Rangers for only £500,000.

Blackpool have less to lose from this game as the seaside club were never expected to get this far. If they triumph, it would be an even greater feat than Burnley’s promotion a year ago.

But Cardiff have more players who have experienced big games at a higher level, including six who played in the 2008 FA Cup Final. This should make the difference and see the Welsh club become the 41st side to appear in the Premier League.

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Preamble: Hello and welcome to exclusively typed live commentary on Manchester United against Newcastle United. It should be good, this one, even without all the circa-1996 Sky sports grandstanding in the TV build-up (Kevin Keegan crumpled over an advert board, Richard Keys in burgundy polyester chunky blazer, the young and mono-chinned and impossibly talented Stan Collymore).

It’s always interesting watching Manchester United start the season, particularly at a time of low-fi rebuilding. So many sub-plots tonight too: Wayne Rooney loves Newcastle United (he’s scored nine times against them). Michael Owen doesn’t love Chris Hughton. Newcastle fans don’t love Michael Owen. Manchester United fans don’t love Joey Barton. But they do kind of love Alan Smith.

And Rooney of course almost went to Newcastle from Everton. There was some talk today about what might have happened if he had. Either he’d have made them much better; or they’d have made him much worse. Or perhaps he’d have stuck it out as a more flamboyant, less trophy-laden kind of Wayne Rooney, sticking with the long range goals and the occasional trick rather than learning how to run and pass and tackle.

Maybe, on the other hand, he’d have spent his summer lying under a pile of bikini clad lovelies in some Dubai hotel suite with assorted dubious characters it’s probably best not to name.

Either way he’s here and desperate to get back on track, not so much with his general play as his goals. And that United forward line does look very decent with Javi Hernandez in there too. I predict goals.