It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

For Wigan.  Some may take issues with the cheesiness of the opening line from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, but it perfectly captures the context for Wigan Athletic Football Club.  Less than 24 hours after the unbridled jubilation of winning the FA Cup, they saw their Premier League survival hopes virtually disappear as Newcastle United and Norwich City won and the great unwashed got a point.  With their inferior goal difference only two wins will suffice, starting at the Emirates against Champions League qualification chasing Arsenal who will have had a nine-day rest.  It's not going to happen and very soon 'End of the Pier' jokes with accompany Championship reports.  They made history by winning the FA Cup for the first time and will make history again by being the first side to be relegated from the Premier League in the same season as winning the FA Cup.
With Newcastle Utd's safety assured (and that of Norwich - I like Chris Hughton), I am glad now that the Latics were triumphant at Wembley, despite it being a mare of a game.  They were well worth the trophy as Manchester City were abysmal.  It doesn't matter if the manager looks like he might be sacked at any minute - if you're in a major cup final, you play to win (a league game maybe sees a slackening, not a final).  But none of the City players showed any heart apart from Hart (who wasn't even meant to be playing originally).  This is the biggest giant-killing in an FA Cup final in 25 years (arguably even topping Birmingham City's toppling of Arsenal in the League Cup final a few years back), but no further back as when Wimbledon beat Liverpool in 1988, the Reds were indomitable and dominating - nowhere near as flaky as the Man City of today.  Going by today's reports, Roberto Mancinin may not even make the end of the season.
Newcastle had some important stats today: a first win when Lee Probert has officiated as referee on the eighth occasion; escaping matching the worst away record for the club, by having at least two away wins (and beating the relegation away points total of four years previously; 14 to 12 then); and finally ending a hoodoo of not winning the last away game of the season while in the top flight - an unwanted stat going back to the 1970s.  It's been a stressful season, punctuated by bursts of joy but at last one can relax without the spectre of relegation ever-present.  Comfortable mid-table mediocrity accompanied by a decent cup run next season would be most appreciated.  I hope Alan Pardew does stay.  He's made a lot of mistakes in terms of selection and tactics but sacking him would be a repudiation of the long-term vision that the club had set out and keeping him in place is needed.  In his second full season in charge (after a good first full season) David Moyes and Everton finished on 39 points in 17th place, a year after West Ham were relegated with 42 points.  I remember Moyes lamenting that his side were winning only once a month. A season later they finished 4th.  Now he will be taking over as Manchester United manager.  I'm not saying that Pardew will match the 4th place league position, let alone being a future occupant of the Man Utd hotseat, but retaining him will give the continuity the Magpies have not had since the days of Sir Bobby Robson.  Every time a manager is sacked, I take a little pride that Newcastle have had a manager longer in place than that club.  This was often fleeting as the club often committed hari-kiri with the head coach.  I hope they avoid such self-inflicted wounds this time round.