Summary

  • Ipswich win promotion back to Premier League with 3-0 win over QPR

  • Millwall finish third following 2-0 home win over relegated Oxford

  • Southampton clinch fourth place with win at Preston, while Middlesbrough draw 2-2 at Wrexham to end in fifth

  • Hull claim final play-off place with 2-1 home win over Norwich

  • Sheff Wed confirm takeover by US consortium Arise Capital Partners has been completed

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  1. The calm after the storm...published at 17:07 BST

    Back on Friday

    Ipswich Town's Dara O'Shea celebrates with the trophy on the pitch after Ipswich Town secured promotion from the ChampionshipImage source, PA Media

    What a day it's been... what a season it's been.

    Coventry have steamrollered their way back into the Premier League after 25 years away and Ipswich have joined them after, er, 12 months away.

    We bid farewell to Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester and Oxford United but now we wait to find out the third team to earn promotion on 23 May at Wembley.

    Hull City and Millwall will kick-off the play-offs on Friday night with Middlesbrough hosting Southampton on Saturday lunchtime.

    Thanks for your company this afternoon, and all season long, and for your many thousands of messages along the way.

    Get some rest and we'll see you back here on Friday when even more drama is guaranteed.

  2. Get more reaction from your clubpublished at 17:02 BST

    BBC Sounds

    What a final day of the Championship season it’s been.

    Before you go, here's a reminder that BBC Sounds also has your team covered, with a dedicated feed for every Championship club.

    To hear all the post-match interviews and reaction in one place, just search for your club on the Sounds app and hit subscribe.

  3. New faces for 2026-27published at 16:58 BST

    Championship

    So, we already know that Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester City and Oxford United will be dropping down to League One.

    Lincoln City and Cardiff City will be coming up to the Championship, while Wolves and Burnley will be coming down to the second tier.

  4. New faces, but which places?published at 16:55 BST

    League One and League Two

    We know Lincoln City and Cardiff will be in the Championship next August, but who will join them?

    Click here for live coverage of the final day of the League One season, and also to find out who Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester and Oxford United will face in the third tier next season, as the League Two season comes to its climax.

  5. 'I'm going back to a calmer and more tranquil life'published at 16:54 BST

    FT: Bristol City 2-0 Stoke

    Bristol City

    Roy Hodgson shouting on the Bristol City touchlineImage source, Getty Images

    After a brief spell in charge at Ashton Gate, Roy Hodgson told BBC Radio Bristol: “I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's been a great time. These players have been such a pleasure to work with.

    “I shall miss them of course as we go into the summer break, but I shall certainly be following them and wishing them all the very best for the future."

    The 78-year-old said he would take a break, adding: "I need it too. It's been an intensive five weeks for me and more intense than I've been used to over the last two years.

    “I'll need to get my mind back now to a calmer and more tranquil way of life.”

  6. 'I couldn't have wished for anything more'published at 16:51 BST

    FT: Bristol City 2-0 Stoke

    Bristol City

    Bristol City interim boss Roy Hodgson told BBC Radio Bristol: “I've seen us play better, funnily enough, in these games, but I haven't seen us show any more fight and determination and spirit than we showed today.

    "That's also a very, very important quality, especially knowing that we also have more chances going forward to show our quality on the ball.

    “In midfield today, we were hard pushed by a very strong Stoke, especially their wingers and the crosses, they got into the box and the corner kicks but I thought we stood up to that extremely well and I couldn't have wished for anything more than to finish my short tenure with a victory.”

  7. 'We have to be more positive'published at 16:49 BST

    FT: Bristol City 2-0 Stoke

    Stoke City

    Stoke City boss Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke: “I think we were a better team. I thought we played well. We gave a goal away, a real soft goal away, in minute one and then we ended up trying to chase the game for the rest of it because we had to try and make the running.

    "You don't want people to pass backwards or sideways because that invokes a negative, and rightly so. The game's there to play forwards so don't turn that opportunity down. Play forwards, run forwards. That has to be our mantra.”

  8. Pick of the statspublished at 16:47 BST

    FT: Sheff Wed 2-1 West Brom

    Sheffield Wednesday

    Sheffield Wednesday ended a run of 39 league games without a win with their first home league win of the season against West Bromwich Albion.

    In doing so they avoid becoming the first side in England’s top four tiers to fail to win a home league match in a season.

  9. 'Foxes will rise again'published at 16:45 BST

    FT: Blackburn 0-1 Leicester

    Leicester City

    Leicester manager Gary Rowett told BBC Radio Leicester: “It was really important in the last two games to ensure we stayed professional and did the job for the fans, if nothing else.

    "They came in great numbers again, were outstanding for us, stayed behind the team and at least showed their appreciation.

    “The club will rise again and we’ll come back stronger with that togetherness.

    “In the first half we were really good on the ball, got in some excellent areas, created some good chances. A couple of times they transitioned on us and we got away with it with good defending - Jannik [Vestergaard] was excellent.

    "The second half was different, They injected a little bit more of a higher press and higher energy into the game but we managed it well, and it was nice to score at the end.

    “The number of games where we have played well and not got anything out of the game has been frustrating, but this was one where in the second half we didn’t play as well but get a winner through Stephy (Mavididi).”

  10. 'A real end-of-season affair'published at 16:39 BST

    FT: Blackburn 0-1 Leicester

    Blackburn Rovers

    Blackburn head coach Michael O’Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire: “The game was a real end-of-season affair. I was disappointed with how we played in the first half but thought in the second half we played really well.

    "The changes made an impact but you have to score when you’re on top, and we had numerous chances that we didn’t take.

    “Then we were punished with a scrappy goal - a corner, second phase we should have defended better, so it’s disappointing.

    “[Balazs Toth] has been top-class from the moment I came into the building. He has that ability to make that big save, not only in a game like this that didn’t have anything riding on it, but also in the key games he made big, big saves. That’s a sign of a top-class goalkeeper.”

  11. 'We didn't rise to the occasion'published at 16:36 BST

    FT: Sheff Wed 2-1 West Brom

    West Bromwich Albion

    West Brom manager James Morrison told BBC Radio WM: “I don’t want to get away from what we’ve achieved, but obviously we’ve set standards now and we didn’t meet them today from the first 10 minutes.

    “I think it’s the first time I’ve had to get angry again at half-time. We huffed and puffed second half, but still again we didn’t value the ball how I would like.

    “The stuff that’s brought us success wasn't there today, so I’m a bit disappointed with that. But the bigger picture is where we were at Oxford to where we are now - that’s the positive.

    “We felt their (Sheffield Wednesday’s) occasion today and we didn’t rise to it and that’s the thing I’ve learned today - we’ve got to be on the players every day and we can’t come off the gas.”

  12. 'We tried to spoil the party'published at 16:33 BST

    FT: Portsmouth 1-1 Birmingham

    Birmingham City

    Birmingham manager Chris Davies speaking to BBC Radio WM: "I knew it would be a party atmosphere for them, they've survived in the league. They've had some good wins at home.

    "We had to come spoil that party a bit.

    "We didn't start well. The goal was really sloppy. We grew back in and after our goal we were a different beast.

    "In the end we had clear chances to go and win it. Our pressing was a huge part of the game; Pompey wanted to get on the ball and be comfortable and we never let them do that."

  13. 'A point was about right'published at 16:30 BST

    FT: Portsmouth 1-1 Birmingham

    Portsmouth

    Portsmouth manager John Mousinho speaking to BBC Radio Solent: "I thought we played pretty well in patches.

    "Really good start, got the goal I think we deserved. After that, it became a strange game.

    "When we showed our quality, I thought we caused a lot of problems. My issue was that lack of quality when the ball broke down. Overall, I was very pleased with the performance.

    "Birmingham came full strength, we were far from that. We could have lost it, we could have won it, but a point was about right."

  14. 'Saints players are peaking right now'published at 16:27 BST

    FT: Preston 1-3 Southampton

    Southampton

    Saints boss Tonda Eckert told BBC Radio Solent: "It was very important to get back to winning ways.

    “It’s not easy to play the game like we did today, especially after the schedule we have had over the last few weeks.

    “The performance was excellent in every regard possible, the boys were fantastic today, we need to make the last step now and we are ready to do that.

    “No one cares if you go all the way then fall at the last step, the players are the best they have been all season right now, we are ready.”

  15. Pick of the stats...published at 16:25 BST

    FT: Watford 0-4 Coventry

    Coventry City

    Coventry are just the fourth side to score 97+ goals in a single Championship season after Reading in 2005-06 (99), Bournemouth in 2014-15 (98) and Fulham in 2021-22 (106).

    It’s the most goals the Sky Blues have scored in a league campaign since 1963-64 in the third tier (98).

    Ellis Simms netted his third hat-trick for Coventry in all competitions, while he became the first player to net a treble on the final day of a league campaign for the Sky Blues since David Cross v Burnley in 1975-76.

  16. 'We've been a real machine this season'published at 16:21 BST

    FT: Watford 0-4 Coventry

    Coventry City

    Coventry boss Frank Lampard told BBC CWR: "Ellis (Simms) has got better and better, his all-round game today, his hold-up play, his running behind, the quality of his finishes - it was a beautiful hat-trick.

    "These last three games after (promotion at) Blackburn, 5-1, 3-1, 4-0, they've really shown their quality, they're adaptable, can win games in different ways.

    "They've made themselves into a real machine this season in this league and that's really impressive, goals, clean sheets for Rushy [Carl Rushworth], outstanding season.

    "The way the city's come together and got behind this club - I had a thing on my phone the other day with a local school singing and all dressed in Coventry kit - those things are the biggest deal, when you can affect the community beyond the football pitch."

  17. Championship round-uppublished at 16:19 BST

    It's easy to forget there were seven other games going on this afternoon, with the automatic promotion and play-off race taking centre stage.

    But here's a recap of what happened elsewhere...

    Champions Coventry went up in style as a hat-trick from Ellis Simms and Viktor Torp secured a 4-0 win over Watford at Vicarage Road.

    Success too for bottom side Sheffield Wednesday, who secured a first home league win in over a year and avoided becoming the first team in the EPL/EFL era to go an entire campaign without a home win. The Owls end the season on 0 points thanks to goals from Nathaniel Chalobah and Liam Palmer which earned a 2-1 win over West Brom.

    Tonda Eckert's Southampton made it 19 games unbeaten and go into the play-offs in fine form off the back of a 3-1 win away at Preston, while two late goals from Adam Idah and Leo Walta secured a 3-1 win for Swansea over Charlton.

    Roy Hodgson signed off his stint as interim Bristol City boss with a 2-0 victory over Stoke, and relegated Leicester ended a dismal campaign with a 1-0 win over Blackburn.

    Portsmouth and Birmingham finished their respective seasons with a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park.

  18. 'We're on our way back'published at 16:16 BST

    FT: Derby 1-2 Sheff Utd

    Sheffield United

    Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield. “We had to weather a tough start because they [Derby] came absolutely roaring out of the traps. They came at us as I would have expected them to.

    “We got through that period and got a foothold in the game, and in the second half we were really good - we defended really well, broke the game up and created good chances.

    “That one was for the supporters, 100%.

    “It was as sellout here today, and I said that to the players ‘they [fans] have followed you up and down the country, and if any group of supporters deserve that after an incredibly challenging season, it’s them’.

    “And we’ve got through it with a reasonable points tally of 60. We wanted to get off the bottom of the division [where the Blades were when Wilder was reappointed], and we did that, then we wanted to climb up the table, and we did that.

    “We just stalled and fell a little bit short, and we have take that.

    “I’ve known what we have to do, and we are well on our way to doing it. And we will be better for it and we will hopefully be playing in games like this towards the back end of next year as Derby County have today."

  19. 'We believe we can make top two'published at 16:11 BST

    FT: Derby 1-2 Sheff Utd

    Derby County

    Derby County missed out on a play-off spot after their loss to Sheffield United and Hull's victory over Norwich. Rams boss John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:

    “It’s obviously disappointing not to win the game. I thought for the first hour, the players were unbelievable. With the effort of that first half we could have been three or four up, and we played some good stuff.

    “That is certainly a sign of more things to come and what I want the team to be going into next year.

    “Throughout this season this magnificent fanbase has got right behind the boys and today they were unbelievable. You can see the amount of people who have stayed back to make sure they show support for the players and the efforts they have put in this year, and that’s amazing. That is why I came to the football club and why I want to keep help building it and pointing it in the right direction.

    “We will [start preparing for next season] straight away. We will get the players signed up who are here, and we will need to keep building and have to bring top quality in.

    “Look at Sheffield United, it’s a fantastic team, but look at their bench and the players they are bringing on. We want to be able to do that.

    “We obviously want to bring top players into the football club and really grow to help us sustain that top six [push], and with a bit of luck and if we believe in ourselves we can get into that top two.”

  20. Pick of the stats...published at 16:08 BST

    FT: Hull City 2-1 Norwich

    Norwich City

    Since his league debut for Norwich in February, Mohamed Toure has been involved in more Championship goals than any other player (12 - 9 goals, 3 assists), with seven of his nine goals coming away from home.