8 h. ago Leeds edge Burnley to Championship title as Luton relegated to League One

Coventry City and Bristol City joined Sheffield United and Sunderland in the play-offs

Sport

15 h. ago How relegated clubs bouncing back to the Premier League makes the rich richer | Philippe Auclair

Parachute payments system benefits the elite when teams such as Burnley and Leeds rejoin top tier within three yearsFor the second year running, all three clubs promoted from the Championship to the Premier League will make an immediate return to the second tier. It would be tempting to say this is the natural order of things given the financial challenges faced by clubs suddenly thrown into the world’s richest domestic football competition.Even when they do spend huge amounts in order to give themselves a chance of survival, as Southampton and Ipswich did, respectively spending £62.8m and £106m net in the summer of 2024, the gap appears too big to close. Yet what has happened to them used to be an exceptional occurrence.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Politics

16 h. ago EFL final day permutations for Championship, League One and League Two

Title races, automatic promotion battles, play-off tussles and relegation fights will all be decided in a dramatic last round of games

Sport

30 h. ago Championship final day permutations as THIRTEEN clubs set to learn fate

Leeds and Burnley may already be set for next season's Premier League but as they look to decide who finishes top there is plenty of anxious moments guaranteed down the table

Sport

3 d. ago How Wrexham and Birmingham City’s US owners got one step from the Premier League

Tom Brady, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s celebrity status isn’t the only thing that led their clubs to the ChampionshipIt’s been over four decades since Wrexham were last in the second tier of English football and a lot has changed in that time. (A lot has changed in four years, never mind four decades.) Four years ago, Wales’ oldest soccer club were at a non-league nadir. Now, they are preparing for life in the Championship, propelled to three straight promotions by the stardust (and money) of Ryan Reynolds and Ryan McElhenney.Birmingham City’s second tier exile was much shorter – just a single season – but like Wrexham their promotion had the spotlight of celebrity on it. While Wrexham have Reynolds and McElhenney, Birmingham have Tom Brady (albeit it in a far smaller profile). The English lower leagues have never been so glamorous, what with Wrexham players appearing in Marvel movies and David Beckham attending matches. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago How Cardiff City's wage bill compares to Championship rivals and League One teams they're joining

The numbers suggest Cardiff shouldn't be anywhere near the bottom of the table

Sport

4 d. ago Scottish Premiership reconstruction hopes sunk but Championship along with League 1 and 2 could be set for shake up

A suggested move back to a ten team top flight or an expanded league have been shot down before getting pff the ground

Politics

4 d. ago Arsenal book their spot in the Champions League final – Women’s Football Weekly

Faye Carruthers is joined by Sophie Downey, Ameé Ruszkai and Marva Kreel to discuss Arsenal’s win, Chelsea’s loss and latest action across the WSL and the ChampionshipOn this week’s Guardian Women’s Football Weekly, Faye is joined by Sophie Downey, Ameé Ruszkai and Marva Kreel. The panel discuss Arsenal’s 4-1 second-leg victory over Lyon, the north London side knocking out the eight-time European champions and securing their place in the final. However, it won’t be a full English affair after Chelsea’s dreams were dashed by a rampant Barcelona.The panel review the latest action across the Women’s Super League and the Championship as the season nears its conclusion and relegation spots are confirmed. Continue reading...

Sport

4 d. ago Daniel Farke reflected on 'unforgettable' experience after he was sacked as boss

German head coach Daniel Farke has led Leeds United back to the Premier League after Championship promotion, although he may not have the best memories from his previous time in the top flight

Politics

4 d. ago Ryan Reynolds told one signing that would take Wrexham to the Premier League

Wrexham have been tipped to make the step up to the Premier League after sealing their third straight promotion to the Championship and the club have been strongly linked with a move for Jamie Vardy

Politics

6 d. ago Liverpool’s 20th league title awaits, WCL and FA Cup semis, and more – matchday live

All the latest news and build-up before Sunday kick-offsToday’s fixtures | Latest tables | And you can also mail usWhere to begin? Well, Liverpool will dominate today’s blog for sure, but it’s worth recapping everything that happened yesterday on a sizzling Saturday of football. There were ups and downs galore.Crystal Palace stormed into the FA Cup final with a dash of Ebere Eze genius and two Ismaïla Sarr goals, Barcelona lifted Spain’s Copa del Rey after a thrilling extra-time victory over Real Madrid, there were Premier League wins for Newcastle, Chelsea, Brighton, Fulham and Wolves, Celtic claimed a 55th (yes, really) Scottish league title and there was an almighty changing of the guard in Welsh football as Wrexham sealed promotion to the Championship – a third successive promotion for them – and Cardiff dropped into League One. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Ryan Reynolds has last laugh as Wrexham leave rival manager with egg on face

Wrexham have earned their third successive promotion after going from the National League to the Championship, but not everyone is hugely enamoured with the Welsh club

Politics

7 d. ago Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham promoted as he gets on the beers with Blake Lively and fans

The Hollywood megastar and wife Blake Lively joined Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney to celebrate with fans as the Red Dragons clinched promotion from League One to the Championship

Politics

7 d. ago Ipswich relegated from Premier League after red card and VAR drama at Newcastle

All three of the teams who won promotion to the Premier League last season have suffered immediate relegation to the Championship after Ipswich joined Leicester and Southampton

Politics

7 d. ago Which EFL teams can be promoted or relegated today? Championship, League One and Two

There is a huge amount to play for in the Football League, with battles for promotion, play-off places and relegation still raging as we which the penultimate weekend of the regular season

Sport

8 d. ago Ipswich’s imminent relegation raises an urgent Premier League question

With Ipswich on the brink of joining Southampton and Leicester in going straight back down, is staying in the Premier League as a promoted club now an impossible job?

Politics

1 week ago Ronnie O’Sullivan back with a bang to beat Ali Carter in World Snooker Championship

Seven-time champion rockets to 10-4 victory at CruciblePang Junxu next up after getting better of Zhang AndaRonnie O’Sullivan made a mockery of his recent period of inactivity by reeling off three centuries in five frames as he completed a 10-4 win over Ali Carter in the first round of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.The seven-time champion, who has not played on the professional tour since he crashed out of the Championship League in January, looked close to his best as he swiftly set up a last-16 clash against Pang Junxu. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘scared about playing’ before beating Ali Carter in World Snooker Championship

Seven-time champion rockets to 10-4 victory at CruciblePang Junxu next up after getting better of Zhang AndaRonnie O’Sullivan made a mockery of his recent period of inactivity by reeling off three centuries in five frames as he completed a 10-4 win over Ali Carter in the first round of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.The seven-time champion, who has not played on the professional tour since he crashed out of the Championship League in January, looked close to his best as he swiftly set up a last-16 clash against Pang Junxu, but revealed he was still ravaged by self-doubt despite completing a stunning demolition job. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘scared about playing’ before beating Ali Carter in world championship

Seven-time champion rockets to 10-4 victory at CruciblePang Junxu next up after getting better of Zhang AndaRonnie O’Sullivan made a ­mockery of his recent period of inactivity by ­reeling off three centuries in five frames as he completed a 10-4 victory against Ali Carter in the first round of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.The seven-time champion, who has not played on the professional tour since he crashed out of the Championship League in January, looked close to his best as he swiftly set up a last-16 clash against Pang Junxu, but revealed he was still ravaged by self-doubt despite completing a stunning demolition job. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago How much money Leeds United have earned by securing Premier League promotion

Leeds United were promoted back to the Premier League on Monday after Sheffield United's defeat to Burnley confirmed the Whites' spot in the top flight for next season

Politics