Championship finale: Ipswich, Millwall and Middlesbrough vie for automatic promotion – live

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As it stands: automatic promotion

As it stands: playoffs

Championship half-time scores

• Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Leicester City

• Bristol City 1-0 Stoke City

• Derby County 1-0 Sheffield United

• Hull City 1-1 Norwich City

• Ipswich Town 2-0 QPR

• Millwall 1-0 Oxford United

• Portsmouth 1-1 Birmingham City

• Preston North End 0-1 Southampton

• Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 West Brom

• Swansea City 0-0 Charlton Athletic

• Watford 0-2 Coventry City

• Wrexham 2-2 Middlesbrough

Ipswich 2-0 QPR

Rangers have come back into this one, having rained the last six shots. Have Ipswich blown themselves out? We’re into time added on of the first halves.

Coventry score a second, as does Ellis Simms, at Watford, their 95th goal of the season.

Goal! Wrexham 2-2 Middlesbrough (Strelec, 43)

Tommy Conway lays it up for a neat sidefoot, and Derby are back in sixth. Big cheers at Hull for that one.

David Strelec sidefoots the ball home to put Middlesbrough back on level terms. Photograph: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock

Sheffield Wednesday are 2-0 up on West Brom, Liam Palmer scores and they will climb to zero points and win a first home game of the season it stays this way.

Goal! Wrexham 2-1 Middlesbrough (Smith, 41)

A brilliant header from Sam Smith and Wrexham are up into the play-offs.

A flying Sam Smith heads home to give Wrexham the lead. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images

Smith and the Wrexham faithful celebrate. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images

Jamie Cowper gets in touch: “The Oxford away end at Millwall is a sell out, we’ve been put in the upper stand, plenty of us here cheering the team on as they’ve put up a fight to try and keep us in the division, “We’re going to Bromley, you’re going to Spurs.”

Safe home, Jamie.

Sheffield Wednesday, for whom there was already good news of a takeover, have taken the lead against West Brom; Nathaniel Chalobah scored in the 36th minute at a packed Hillsborough.

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah soaks up the crowd’s applause after opening the scoring against the Baggies. Photograph: Phil Duncan/Every Second Media/Shutterstock

Goal! Millwall 1-0 Oxford (Azeez, 35)

The Lions roaring at last, with Azeez dropping the shoulder and smashing in a fine goal.

Femi Azeez rifles the ball home to give Millwall the lead against Oxford United. Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Azeez wheels away in celebration. Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Ipswich 2-0 QPR

George Hirst, who didn’t start at Southampton, has been full of zest and almost lays up Darrell Furlong.

Goal! Hull 1-1 Norwich (McBurnie, 28 pen)

Norwich give away a cheap penalty, and the striker converts. Both Wrexham and Hull are just a point behind Derby now.

Goal! Hull 0-1 Norwich (Toure, 26)

Norwich lead but….

Mohamed Touré volleys home to give Norwich City the lead. Photograph: Greig Cowie/Shutterstock

Goal! Wrexham 1-1 Middlesbrough (Windass, 28)

A free-kick, a beauty, a family trademark, from Josh Windass. Wrexham are fighting back.

A fine free-kick from Josh Windass puts Wrexham back on level terms. Photograph: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock

Ipswich 2-0 QPR

QPR have been toyed with at Portman Road. Ashley Young, who retires after this game, is watching from the sidelines.

For champions Frank Lampard’s Coventry, Ellis Simms has scored at Watford, 1-0 at Vicarage Road.

Ellis Simms heads home to give Coventry City the lead at Watford. Photograph: James Marsh/Shutterstock

Birmingham have equalised at Portsmouth through August Priske. It’s 1-1.

Wrexham 0-1 Middlesbrough

Wrexham need to win this game but also to stay calm. Derby have the place they have been aiming for. There’s a bit of frustration at the Racecourse Ground.

Millwall 0-0 Oxford

A series of corners being forced by the home team at an away end that’s very empty.

AS IT STANDS: Ipswich promoted, Derby in the playoffs, Hull and Wrexham have to find a way back.

Ipswich 2-0 QPR

Party atmosphere at Portman Road, where they’re singing about going to Arsenal, and QPR facing Spurs.

Goal! Preston 0-1 Southampton (Harwood-Bellis, 12)

That’s the 80th goal of the season for Saints, scored by their captain. They will be a team to fear in the playoffs.

Portsmouth are 1-0 up on Birmingham, Adrian Segecic opening the scoring.

Goal! Ipswich 2-0 QPR (Philogene, 9)

As stated previously, Philogene is flying, and is played in by George Hirst to score. This has been awesome from Ipswich.

Ipswich Town's Jaden Philogene-Bidace (centre) fires home to double the home side’s lead over QPR. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

Philogene-Bidace (right) celebrates with Jack Taylor. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

Sheffield Wednesday takeover completed

Sheffield Wednesday have been bought by American consortium Arise Capital Partners, the club have announced.

A Sheffield Wednesday statement and headed ‘Sheffield Wednesday Reborn’, read in part: “The Joint Administrators of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club Limited are pleased to confirm the successful completion of the sale of the Club to Arise Capital Partners LLC, a consortium led by David Storch, alongside Michael Storch and Tom Costin.

“The transaction has been completed following constructive engagement with key stakeholders, including the English Football League (EFL), and in accordance with all relevant regulatory requirements.

“As part of this process, the EFL Board exercised its discretion, as provided by the Insolvency Policy, and concluded that it would not be appropriate to impose a 15-point deduction on the Club following its exit from Administration. As such, the Club will begin the upcoming season on 0 points. A position has also been agreed on wage and transfer parameters that is both acceptable and supportive of the Club’s forward progress.

“The sale secures the long-term future of the Club and marks the beginning of a new era for Sheffield Wednesday - one built on stability, responsibility, and renewed belief.

“Throughout this turbulent period in the Club’s history, staff and players have shown unwavering professionalism and pride. Supporters - through uncertainty and frustration - have shown they are amongst the most loyal in the land.”

Ipswich 1-0 QPR

Ipswich have been rampant, Philogene is flying, they want to get the job done, four shot have rained down on the QPR goal.

Goal! Derby 1-0 Sheffield United (Szmodics, 5)

That goal means Derby climb into the top six.

Sammie Szmodics taps the ball home from close range. Photograph: Matt West/Shutterstock

Goal! Wrexham 0-1 Middlesbrough (Conway, 4)

That’s a huge goal, Boro keeping up the pressure and knocking Wrexham out of the playoffs.

Middlesbrough’s Tommy Conway (left) and Wrexham keeper Danny Ward both go for the ball .. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Conway (left) gets there first and prods the ball home to put the visitors ahead. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Which he’s pretty happy about. Photograph: Paul Thompson/ProSports/Shutterstock

Goal! Ipswich 1-0 QPR (Hirst, 3)

Ipswich in dreamland, Leif Davis sets up George Hirst to tap in.

Ipswich Town’s George Hirst (centre, in blue) prods the ball home from close range. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

George Hirst and his teammates celebrate after he gave the home side an early lead. Photograph: Paul Harding/Getty Images

Goal! Bristol City 1-0 Stoke (Burgzorg, 1 )

Roy Hodgson’s team get the goals started, after a horror error by the Stoke goalie.

Delano Burgzorg of Bristol City celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Stoke City. Photograph: Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Away we go on the final day of the Championship

In two hours or so, destiny will be decided, and the pitches are likely to be invaded, too.

Across the Championship, teams are making their way to the field. At Ipswich, it’s a sea of blue, and the pyro is out. Kick-off is but moments away.

Bill Preston gets in touch: “I think Wednesday beating West Brom and finishing on zero points, the same as they began the season with*, would be fitting. It would reflect a new start to the club, a fresh page, a story yet to be written.

“Although, one can’t help but feel I’ll be writing the same email again this time next year albeit into the League One finale if they get the expected fourteen points deduction post takeover and slide again.”

Derby v Sheff Utd teams

Derby: Zetterstrom, Ward, Langas, Clarke, Forsyth, Ozoh, Travis, Brereton Diaz, Szmodics, Banel, Morris. Subs: Vickers, Batth, Salvesen, Johnston, Sanderson, Fraulo, Eames, Clark, Allen.

Sheff Utd: Adam Davies, Seriki, Tanganga, McGuinness, Burrows, Hamer, Peck, Arblaster, O’Hare, Bamford, Cannon. Subs: Ings, Hoever, Soumare, Chong, Sasnauskas, Riedewald, Rothwell, Betts, McGlinchey.

Speaking of Wrexham:

Wrexham AFC, the football club part-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, used taxpayer funds to re-lay its pitch, even though initial grant documents assessing the state investment did not make reference to it.

The club has been awarded £18m in grants, with the first £3.8m tranche in February 2022. However, legally required state aid documents relating to that initial grant made no reference to the pitch works.

Wrexham v Middlesbrough teams

Wrexham: Ward, Hyam, Scarr, Doyle, Kabore, Dobson, Matty James, Rathbone, Thomason, Windass, Smith. Subs: Okonkwo, Cleworth, Keillor-Dunn, Cacace, Sheaf, Moore, O’Brien, Broadhead, Longman.

Middlesbrough: Brynn, Ayling, Fry, Malanda, Targett, Browne, Morris, Brittain, Whittaker, Strelec, Conway. Subs: Wildsmith, McGree, Gilbert, Kaly Sene, Silvera, Castledine, Edmundson, Hansen, Sarmiento.

Wrexham mascot, Wrex the Dragon, gees up the home crowd ahead of their match against Middlesbrough. It’s a big game for both sides, Boro need to better Millwall’s result and Wrexham need to better Hull’s result to claim a playoff place. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Should Sheffield Wednesday beat West Brom today, they will climb to a total of zero points, nil point, if you will

Millwall v Oxford teams

Millwall: Patterson, Leonard, Crama, Cooper, Sturge, De Norre, Bannan, Azeez, Neghli, Ballo, Ivanovic. Subs: Crocombe, McNamara, Mitchell, Doughty, Langstaff, Watson, Cundle, Smallbone, Mazou-Sacko.

Oxford: Cumming, ter Avest, Helik, Brown, Spencer, Vaulks, Konak, Mills, Donley, Emakhu, Lankshear. Subs: Ingram, Long, Brannagan, Harris, Currie, Jeon, Makosso, McDonnell, Peart-Harris.

Hull v Norwich teams

Hull: Pandur, Coyle, Hughes, Egan, Giles, Slater, Crooks, Belloumi, Gelhardt, Millar, McBurnie. Subs: Phillips, Lundstram, Ajayi, Hirakawa, Joseph, Gyabi, Dowell, Koumas, McNair.

Norwich: Kovacevic, Stacey, McConville, Cordoba, Fisher, Mattsson, Wright, Forson, Ben Slimane, Ahmed, Toure. Subs: Grimshaw, Darling, Gibbs, Maghoma, Field, Schlupp, Kvistgaarden, Springett, Mundle-Smith.

Ipswich v QPR teams

Ipswich: Walton, Davis, O’Shea, Greaves, Furlong, Matusiwa, Taylor, Burns, Nunez, Philogene-Bidace, Hirst. Subs: Palmer, Kipre, Neil, Johnson, McAteer, Akpom, Azon, Mehmeti, Clarke.

QPR: Walsh, Mbengue, Edwards, Clarke-Salter, Norrington-Davies, Bennie, Varane, Morgan, Madsen, Vale, Chair. Subs: Salamon, Adamson, Smyth, Saito, Hayden, Esquerdinha, Smith, Alemayehu, Scarlett.

Preston v Southampton teams

Preston: Iversen, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Potts, Devine, Whiteman, Moran, Vukcevic, Dobbin, Jebbison. Subs: Cornell, Valentin, McCann, Brady, Thompson, Smith, Small, Osmajic, Offiah.

Southampton: Peretz, Charles, Harwood-Bellis, Wood-Gordon, Welington, Bragg, Jander, Fellows, Archer, Scienza, Stewart. Subs: Long, Quarshie, Bree, Manning, Romeu, Edozie, Azaz, Larin, Oyekunle.

Preamble

It’s a big day in the north, and south. The east, too. It all comes down to this. It’s been a vintage Championship season, and though the bottom three has been decided – farewell, Sheff Wed, Leicester and Oxford – there’s automatic promotion and playoffs to be decided. Make no mistake: this is massive.

Automatic promotion, the key games:

• Preston v Southampton

• Wrexham v Middlesbrough

• Millwall v Oxford

Playoffs, the key games:

• Preston v Southampton

• Wrexham v Middlesbrough

• Hull v Norwich

• Derby v Sheffield United

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