League 1 to Champions League

Nick Clegg's appearance in the Wembley Royal Box for the Champions League final completed a rise of Roy of the Rovers proportions.

The Deputy Prime Minister was alongside Prince Felipe of Spain and Uefa president Michel Platini to see Barcelona demolish Manchester United in Europe's showpiece final.

It was a far cry from last November, when Clegg stepped in to help save my beloved Sheffield Wednesday from being wound up by the taxman.

His powers of persuasion were successful and Wednesday were taken over by Milan Mandaric - only to slide perilously close to relegation from League 1 and into the fourth tier of English football.

At the time an aide of Clegg's joked that the DPM was beginning to regret helping out - it was the height of his public vilification and he didn't want to be painted as the man who helped send Wednesday down (particularly as his Sheffield Hallam constituency is a Wednesdayite enclave on United's side of the city).

Thankfully (for both Clegg and myself) Wednesday's form picked up and disaster was averted. We'll be in League 1 again next year.

A top ticket to the Champions League final seems like fair reward to me.

Craig Woodhouse
Follow me on Twitter @craigawoodhouse