ITwas fitting that Sheffield Wednesday's promotion party on Sunday night was held at the chairman's casino.
Just a few hours earlier at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, the stakes could not have been higher; 2-1 down to Hartlepool United with 15 minutes left in the Coca-Cola League One play-off final, Paul Sturrock gambled.
He put on three substitutes to try to save the promotion bid. One, the former Rangers striker Steven MacLean, repaid his managerwhen he scored an 82nd-minute penalty to take the tie to extra-time. Another, Drew Talbot, sealed a 4-2 victory in the 120th minute.
Sturrock, sacked by Southampton just two games into the season, will now meet his former side in the Championship.
It was a sweet moment for him, and for the Scottish contingent he and his assistant, John Blackley, have established at Hillsborough.
The former Celtic winger, Jon-Paul McGovern, scored the opener and the former Dunfermline defender, Lee Bullen, was the victorious captain. "It's the first time I've won anything and it's definitely the pinnacle of my career, " said Bullen, the hoarseness in his voice hinting at the night of revelry just past.
"I just came down here and hoped, rather than expected, to be involved in a promotion chase.With eight minutes to go we were snookered and then Steven stepped up. It took balls of steel to do that.
"He's only had four days training since he came back [from injury] but the manager knew how much it would lift the team and the crowd by bringing him on because he's so highly rated. Jon-Paul has been outstanding, too."
The club's renaissance this season - they finished three points off relegation last year - is inextricably bound up with the arrival of Sturrock.
"He's a winner, " said Bullen.
"When he first came in it was not particularly attractive football. We played a very direct style but it got us a few results.
Once the confidence came back then we started knocking the ball about.
"We had a very young squad at the start of the season. A lot were guys who had played for the reserves at Premiership clubs, but had a lot of growingup to do. As the season went on, they started to believe they could play at this level and that carried them through."
Bullen took his own gamble last summerwhen he left Dunfermline to take up a one-year deal with Wednesday. He was offered a new contract a couple of months ago, but the terms were such that he could not afford to rent a place of his own in Sheffield (he currently lodges with McGovern) as well as maintain his home in Edinburgh, where his wife, Kerry, and two children are settled.
However, the club's promotion means there is the possibility Bullen will now snub offers to return home. "There's been a bit of positive news this morning and promotion has obviously put the club in a better financial position. The managerwill speak to the chairman and the chief executive and I may find out on Tuesday.
"Either way, I can't lose. If I stay, I'll be playing football in a fantastic environment next season against teams such as Leeds. But if I go, then I'll speak to a couple of the clubs that are interested in me up the road and I'll be backwith my family."
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