EFL Championship final day: Live scores, team news and updates as Ipswich and Leeds fight for promotion to the Premier League
Let us know where you’re watching from!
Whether you’re at a ground anxiously checking outt eh other action, down at the pub, in front of the sofa, or on Mars with surprisingly good WIFI, let us know where you’re watching from and who you’re supporting.
Any predictions also welcome.
Kick-off in 12 Championship games imminent.
Nervous, fans?
Leeds shared their final warm-ups a few minutes ago. Players trying to shake the jitters out.
Ipswich’s captain gives his thoughts
What a story it would be if Sam Morsy can make the step up to the Premier League.
The 32-year-old has played in League Two, League One, and the Championship, but never the Premier League. He’s a rock of a midfielder, and he has a few promotions on his CV, too.
Don’t forget about Arsenal!
Arsenal are looking to take a step closer to the Premier League title – and away from Manchester City – with a win over Bournemouth, who are still an outside shout for Europe.
Harry Bamforth is running our live blog for that, so do check it out, but make sure you scurry back here for a thrilling day of Championship football. Kick-off at 12.30 for 12 second-tier games.Wonderful stuff.
Arsenal vs Bournemouth – Premier League: Live score and updates
Insight from Joe Bernstein from Portman Road
Joe Bernstein is watching Ipswich vs Southampton for us and has filled us in on the mood there.
Suffolk sunshine has only added to the mood of excitement and anticipation at Portman Road. Thousands greeted the team coach and plenty of them stayed outside to enjoy a pint and a hot dog in the Fan Zone, before filtering their way to their seats. Some are terrified to count their chickens. In one overheard conversation, one fan admitted to his pal…”This is the first time I’ve felt nervous all season!” They are so close.
Blackburn hoping to avoid relegation
Blackburn have every right to be nervous going to Leicester today. They are not out of the relegation conversation and have the toughest game you could ask for on the final day. Yikes.
They’ve been back in the Championship for six seasons since getting promoted from League One. That was their only season in the third tier since 1979-80. They won the Premier League in 1994-95. Blackburn going down would be huge.
What it meant to Leicester
Leicester are already confirmed as champions, and this is what it meant to them. Pure, unadultered, undistilled ecstacy.
There was even space for some digs at Leeds, with a bit of booze to boot…
Jubilant Leicester players troll Leeds by singing ‘I Predict a Riot’
Mail OnlineJamie Vardy and his Leicester team-mates are STILL partying
Ed Sheeran has his say
Ed Sheeran is hoping for a PERFECT day. Get it? Get it?
The globally heralded singer and Ipswich fan has had to wait a while for as much joy on the pitch as he has had on stage.
He has sponsored the shirts of the club’s men’s and women’s teams since 2021, although he is at the F1 this weekend.
Might he regret going to Miami when he could miss the biggest day in Ipswich’s recent history?
The play-off battle
Norwich (73 pts), West Brom (72 pts), and Hull (70 pts) are fighting for the two bottom play-off spots.
Absolutely no surprises with the first two, but Hull have been big surprise packages this year under Liam Rosenior.
His calm, debonair, meticulous management has given them every chance on the final day of the season to sneak into the top six.
Norwich travel to Birmingham, while Hull go to Plymouth – both teams fighting against relegation.
On paper West Brom might have less hungry opponents. They host Preston, whose play-off dreams faltered a few games ago. PNE have finished 12th or 13th for three years in a row – I guess they’re fighting to finish above that? They sit 10th at the moment.
Daniel Farke whips up the enthusiasm
Here’s a bit more joy at Leeds!
Daniel Farke and his players have been greeted with smiles at Elland Road. It’s been such a topsy-turvy season yet here they are. Can they scramble back among the elite?
A glorious day to be a coach full of footballers…
It’s like Palm Sunday at Portman Road, such is the fanfare and joy laid on for the arrival of their coach.
Alright, not quite, but it’s still massive in wordly terms.
Kieran McKenna waves to the fans and high-fives a lucky few.
An American nightmare!
Birmingham City must be looking forlornly at Aston Villa’s fortunes, especially with their current plight.
This season started so promisingly, and it could end with devastation. Either way, it will be gut-wrenching.
Birmingham are staring relegation in the face after disastrous season
A phenomenal year
One of Ipswich and Leeds will not go up automatically today, and that is such a shame.
Earning 90 points wins you the title most seasons. Last time Leeds went up in 2019-20, West Brom finished second on 83 points. They’ll be so unlucky if they don’t go up.
It’s been a great year of Championship football. Who are you backing?
How it happened: Ipswich move to within a point of promotion
Tom Collomosse followed Ipswich to Coventry on Tuesday, where Kieffer Moore and Cameron Burgess helped them to a tival 2-1 win.
What a loan signing Moore has been, by the way. He’s brought his brash, combative style to the side and scored seven times in 17 appearances.
Remind yourself of the action here.
Coventry 1-2 Ipswich: Tractor Boys step one foot closer to promotion
Leeds vs Southampton line-ups
Leeds face a stern test against Southampton today, who are already solidly in the play-offs and will want to drag Leedsin to the scrap with them.
Ipswich vs Huddersfield line-ups
Ipswich will be feeling optimistic as they meet Huddersfield, who are all but relegated.
The relegation battle is still hot
Five teams are STILL involved in the relegation battle going into the final day – Birmingham, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn, and Huddersfield (just about).
Birmingham currently occupy the final relegation spot after a disastrous season.
Has their American ownership been a false dawn? They were sixth when they sacked John Eustace, but Wayne Rooney’s tenure saw the club plummet to 20th. Gary Rowett, appointed in March on an interim basis, is trying to save them from dropping into the third tier for the first time since 2002.
Plymouth are just a point above them, with Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn three points above Birmingham. Birmingham will overtake Wednesday or Blackburn with a win if one of them loses due to goal difference.
Plymouth, three points from safety, would need results to go their way and a monumental goal difference swing to stay up.
No such joy at Leeds… yet?
The mood at Elland Road is less jubilant as fans know they need a miracle to go up – a Leeds win and an Ipswich loss.
Leeds start the day in third, three points behind Ipswich but with a superior goal difference. They’ll be hoping the upstarts slip up and give them a chance.
If Leeds do go up, it will be an immediate return to the Premier League under boss Daniel Farke, who has struggled to win over fans at times this season. All that will go out of the window if they seal an automatic promotion spot.
Look at the scenes at Ipswich!
What a job Kieran McKenna has done at Ipswich, whatever happens today.
McKenna is aiming to bring Premier League football back to Portman Road for the first time since 2002.
Ipswich take on Huddersfield knowing that a draw will confirm their promotion, while their opponents come into the day just a point above the drop zone.
It has been an exhilarating rise since McKenna joined the Tractor Boys in December 2021 with the club 12th in League One. Can they win double promotion?
A huge day of Championship football awaits
Good morning and welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog of the final day of the Championship season!
We’ve got an absolutely manic day lined up, with nine teams still fighting for their dreams, or whatever their dreams have been reduced to, be that automatic promotion, a play-off spot, or survival.
We’ll be across all 12 games for you with reporters at the major grounds of the day.
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