Sunderland to meet Sheffield United for a place in the Premier League

Sunderland has booked a showdown with Sheffield United for a place in the Premier League.

Dan Ballard bundled in a dramatic goal in stoppage time of extra time to earn Sunderland a 1-1 draw with Coventry and a 3-2 victory on aggregate in the Championship playoff semifinals on Tuesday.

“It’s what dreams are made of, really," said Ballard, whose mistimed header from a corner went in off the underside of the crossbar. "I can’t remember what happened ... It’s some feeling, that.”

Sheffield United had already reached the playoff final at Wembley Stadium by completing a 6-0 aggregate win over Bristol City on Monday.

While Sheffield United is looking to return to the top flight after an absence of just one year, Sunderland hasn't played in the Premier League since 2017 and has since been the subject of a Netflix series documenting the club's struggles.

The playoff final is the most lucrative one-off match in world soccer, with Sunderland in line to get an estimated revenue uplift of around 200 million pounds ($260 million) in projected matchday, broadcast and commercial revenue — and much more if the team was to survive the first season back in the top flight.

For Sheffield United, the uplift would be an estimated $180 million as the club is still benefitting from parachute payments from the last time the team was in the Premier League — in the 2023-24 season.

Coventry, managed by Frank Lampard, last played in the Premier League in 2001 and suffered more heartache, having lost to Luton in a penalty shootout in the playoff final in 2023.

Sheffield United and Sunderland finished third and fourth, respectively, at the end of the regular season behind Leeds and Burnley, who secured the two automatic promotion spots.

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Sunderland's Daniel Ballard (5) scores their side's first goal of the game against Coventry during extra time in a Sky Bet Championship play-off semifinal, second leg soccer match at the Stadium of Light, Tuesday May 13, 2025, in Sunderland, England. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)

Sunderland's Daniel Ballard (5) celebrates scoring the winning goal against against Coventry during extra time in a Sky Bet Championship play-off semifinal, second leg soccer match at the Stadium of Light, Tuesday May 13, 2025, in Sunderland, England. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard, right, consoles player Jack Rudoni after losing to Sunderland in a Sky Bet Championship play-off semifinal, second leg soccer match at the Stadium of Light, Tuesday May 13, 2025, in Sunderland, England. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Sunderland's Daniel Ballard, center, and teammates celebrate after the final whistle against Coventry City in a Sky Bet Championship play-off semifinal, second leg soccer match at the Stadium of Light, Tuesday May 13, 2025, in Sunderland, England. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)