West Brom, Stoke earn EPL promotion

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

West Bromwich Albion and Stoke were promoted from the League Championship and will play in the Premier League next season.

"This is a proud moment," West Brom manager Tony Mowbray said. "There’s a great debate in football about whether it’s all about winning or all about entertaining.

"There’s got to be a balance and we’ve got that balance right."

West Brom also played in the Premier League in 2002-’03, 2004-’05 and 2005-’06.

Hull will play Watford and Bristol City will face Crystal Palace in the playoffs for the third and final place in next season’s Premier League.

West Brom won the League Championship title Sunday on the final day of the season with a 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers and Stoke finished second after a 0-0 draw against Leicester, which was relegated to the third tier of English soccer for the first time in its 124-year history.

It’s the first time Stoke has been in top flight of English soccer in 23 years.

"It’s an absolutely unbelievable achievement and I am so happy for the supporters," Stoke manager Tony Pulis said.

Scunthorpe and Colchester were also relegated to League One.

Sportsnet.ca no longer supports comments.