Pride and relief in dressing room as Albion enjoyed survival days

GARY Bowyer will head off for a family holiday not long after the end of a season which ends today with another League One season secured for Burton Albion.

- By COLSTON CRAWFORD

The campaign, which ends with a trip to play Charlton Athletic at The Valley today (3pm), has been the Brewers’ 10th since they climbed out of League Two in 2014-15.

And while Bowyer will be ready for the break, the life of a football manager is such that the job is never very far from your thoughts.

In his last pre-match press conference of the season, Bowyer dropped in a few titbits about the future as well as again saluting the achievement of the players in staying up, following their 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic in midweek.

Here are the highlights of what was discussed.

There was both pride and relief in the celebrations

GB: As you can imagine, the dressing room was brilliant.

They were exhausted and you could tell, physically and mentally, how much it had taken out of them.

That's all of us really. Speaking to the coaching staff, the general feeling was - shattered.

And that’s how it is. This league, well all leagues in this country, are relentless in terms of Saturday, Tuesday and travelling.

But the group were tight again in the celebrations on Tuesday night. They had every reason to celebrate and did.

There was relief and an enormous sense of pride in the whole group and in the staff.

The supporters have been magnificent with us home and away and you saw the celebrations with them as well. There is a real connection with the supporters and you only have to see their faces.