The Great Escape, more commonly known as a World War II mass escape from the German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft III and documented in the film of 1963 is very often now also associated across football with teams, who against all the odds, manage to escape the dreaded trapdoor of relegation.
There are many recent examples of last day, heroic escapes from the Premiership trapdoor. In 1993, Oldham (remember them?) pulled off a 4-3 win over Southampton. They needed to win, for Crystal Palace to lose and for 3 goals to be scored. They led 4-1 and held on for the 4-3 win, while Palace lost 3-0 to Arsenal.
How about Everton? Still in the Premiership today, but had events conspired against them in 1994 things might be very different. They beat Wimbledon on the last day of the season 3-2. Had they drawn, the fact that Ipswich managed to draw with Blackburn would have seen them fall through the trapdoor. Things looked very bad at 2-0 down, but a penalty, a wonder goal and some generous keeping for the third goal kept them up.
Perhaps the most famous escape of them all was by West Brom, doomed at Christmas by being in the infamous bottom place from whence no team shall survive (that's Premiership law by all accounts!), they managed to defy everyone by beating Portsmouth on the final day and with all other results going their way stayed up. No team before or since has survived being bottom on Christmas Day in the Premier League, hence why many refer to that West Brom season as being the "Great Escape".
Oh how fans of Blackburn Rovers will be praying that they can reenact this great feat. Bottom on Christmas day, following a 2-0 defeat to neighbours Bolton, who at the same time climbed off the bottom themselves, they currently find themselves in 18th position going into a home game against Newcastle on the 1st February. Recent form suggests a revival of sorts with a good point taken at Anfield, a famous win over Man United at Old Trafford, a heroic win against Fulham with 10 men and a solid point away to Everton in the space of 5 weeks. What remains to be seen is if this form can be held and another episode of the "Great Escape" played out.
There are some tough games still to play, games away to Arsenal, Manchester City (currently top of the league), Tottenham and a final day encounter at Chelsea will all be tough with Premiership and Champions League honours within the grasp of all these teams, however, there are also some, dare I say it, winnable games as well. There for the taking are QPR, Wolves, Sunderland, Bolton, West Brom, Swansea, Norwich and Wigan all teams who have been in and around Mid to Bottom of the table.
Whatever happens, it going to be some ride for Blackburn fans over the next 3 or 4 months and I'm sure many will prefer to see the team safe before the final day match away to Chelsea such is the nail biting tension final day encounters can bring. It was only just under a season ago that Blackburn found themselves in another final day survival game against Wolves, themselves in the mire, when both teams managed to stay up, however this season it may well be a much closer affair. Will we see the Great Escape reenacted? Hold on to your hats and let the run-in begin!
