A HUGE amount of pressure rides on winning the end of season play-offs – but even then success doesn’t always guarantee any reduction in pain.

Ricardo Vaz Te’s late goal ensured West Ham reached the ‘promised land’ as it is so often dubbed, as they pipped Blackpool at the post 2-1 and the Cockney club’s owner David Gold admitted that the step up was pretty much a must.

Apparently their success in the final saved the club around £50m, but on the other side of the coin manager Sam Allardyce, the former Town defender, will probably now need around £20m to bring the playing staff up to scratch for the top flight.

So, despite having had the pleasure of prancing round Wembley with a trophy, Gold has already been casting envious glances as those around him who are prospering in the Premier League.

Gold observed: “It is painful. If you own 150 oil wells then it is not a problem, but if you own 150 Anne Summers shops, it’s different.”

Yes we know David – it’s pants!