IPSWICH TOWN are back in the Premier League after a 22-year wait!
Kieran McKenna’s side have sealed back-to-back promotions after a 2-0 win over Huddersfield on the final day today.
While Tom Brady’s Birmingham City have been relegated to the Championship.
Feeling Blue
Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town have been relegated from the Championship.
The two clubs join Rotherham in slipping into League One, with the Millers’ relegation having been confirmed last month.
Huddersfield went into their clash with Ipswich needing a goal difference swing of 15 to stand any chance of survival, even if they somehow beat the Tractor Boys.
Blues, meanwhile, faced promotion-chasing Norwich at Carrow Road knowing that a win coupled with defeat for any of Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday or Blackburn Rovers would keep them up.
Gary Rowett’s men defeated the Canaries 1-0, courtesy of a 55th minute goal by Paik Seung-ho.
But incredibly Argyle, Wednesday and Blackburn all won to send Blues down.
Play off picture
Neither of these play off sides are in particularly great form.
Here’s the rundown of who plays who and when.
Sunday 12 May
Norwich City v Leeds United (12pm)
West Bromwich Albion v Southampton (2.15pm)Thursday 16 May
Leeds United v Norwich City (8pm)Friday 17 May
Southampton v West Bromwich Albion (8pm)Sunday 26 May
Play off finalFull report
IPSWICH have been promoted to the Premier League.
The Tractor Boys booked their place in the top-flight with 2-0 win over Huddersfield on the final day of the Championship season.
Ipswich came into the game knowing they only needed to avoid defeat against the relegated Terriers – but finished a fantastic season off in style as Wes Burns and Omari Hutchinson scored the goals.
Ipswich have not been in the Premier League since the 2001/02 season.
Led by former Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna, he has fired them to back-to-back promotions.
When Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s former assistant took over at Portman Road in December 2021, they were 12th in the third tier.
Feeling Blues
Birmingham’s 13-year Championship stay is over after today’s results.
Fans are not happy, despite a mini pitch invasion for some reason.
Reports saying selfies were taken and some really weren’t happy.
Their twitter post has been flooded with pictures of John Eustace. What might have been, eh….
Sheer joy
Everyone waiting to hear what Ipswich fan Ed Sheeran had to say about this monumental win.
He wasn’t at Portman Road today. Instead, he was in the pits in Miami ahead of the Grand Prix this weekend.
Invasions galore
It wasn’t just Ipswich fans piling onto the pitch at full time.
Similar scenes occurred at Plymouth after securing safety with that big win over Hull.
McKenna reacts
Kieran McKenna is a ridiculously good coach.
Now he’ll get to tussle it out with the best in the business in the Premier League next year.
He told Sky Sports: “It means a lot. Mostly seeing how much it means to everyone, the players, the supporters, to be one of the leaders of that is absolutely massive, it’s a wonderful day,
“I’m very, very proud of everyone involved. We’ve delivered a really good performance. It’s what we’ve done all year.
“I’m sure it’ll sink in in a couple of days. There’s a lot of work to do, it’ll start in a couple of days time.”
And the rest!
Hull missing out on the play offs on the final day.
Poor seasons for the likes of Watford and Sunderland after promising spells.
And at the bottom
Safety secured for Blackburn, Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth on the final day.
All four involved winning on the final day. Incredible stuff.
Birmingham joining Huddersfield and Rotherham in next year’s League One.
Final standings
A look at how the top of Championship looks after a huge final day.
And it’s great viewing for Ipswich Town fans.
The play off picture is sorted too.
Leeds will play Norwich and West Brom take on Southampton. Plenty Premier League experience there…
Pitch invasion
The Portman Road celebrations are well underway.
Thousands descend onto the pitch to celebrate with the players. Blue smoke filling the air.
Sensational scenes.
FULL TIME AT PLYMOUTH!
They survive on the final day thanks to a 1-0 win over Hull.
Birmingham City have been relegated to League One!
Still playing
In both of the games in the relegation battle.
Plymouth and Birmingham still lead 1-0 going into the latter stages of stoppage time!
FULL TIME AT PORTMAN ROAD
IPSWICH ARE IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE!!
GOAL IN THE RELEGATION PICTURE!!
And it’s safety secured for Blackburn Rovers – who have scored a second at Leicester City!
Ipswich 2-0 Huddersfield
Tense and nervy at the bottom still. It now looks to be between Birmingham and Plymouth for relegation with minutes to go.
Into added time at Portman Road. Ipswich are three minutes from the Premier League.
Still no goals…
One goal now in the Plymouth or Birmingham games could be the difference between staying up and going down.
Less than five minutes left too….
Sam the man
Where on earth would Blackburn be without Sammie Szmodics?
League One, that’s where. He’s been sensational and he’ll end up the top scorer in the division.
Final 10 or so
And it’s a dramatic one, certainly at the foot of the table.
Ipswich look like going up and the play off picture is pretty secure.
And it’s still:
- Birmingham 1-0 Norwich
- Leicester 0-1 Blackburn
- Plymouth 1-0 Hull
- Sunderland 0-2 Sheff Wed
Birmingham need Hull or Leicester to do them a big favour!
Latest scores
Birmingham 1-0 Norwich
Coventry 0-2 QPR
Ipswich 2-0 Huddersfield
Leeds 1-2 Southampton
Leicester 0-1 Blackburn
Middlesbrough 1-1 Watford
Plymouth 1-0 Hull
Rotherham 5-2 Cardiff
Stoke 4-0 Bristol City
Sunderland 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Swansea 0-1 Millwall
West Brom 3-0 Preston
GOAL WEST BROM!
Play off spot secured with comfort now.
Darnell Furlong with the goal and they’re 3-0 up against Preston now!
All doing their job
Isn’t it remarkable that every side involved in that relegation fight are leading!?
Any slip-up now could be fatal but as it stands, Birmingham are going down!
Credit: EFL Leicester 0-1 Blackburn
Sammie Szmodics with the goal but you already knew that.
He beat the offside trap and had the whole half to run but he does so and keeps his composure well before rolling it beyond the keeper from just inside the area.
Shirt off as he celebrates. What a huge goal that is.
GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!
BLACKBURN WITH A HUGE GOAL – THEY LEAD AT LEICESTER
GOAL WEST BROM!!
2-0 the Baggies now and fifth place looks set to be theres.
That’d mean Southampton as their opponents in the play offs. An intriguing battle there.
Kyle Bartley with the goal.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
