Ipswich Town join Coventry City with Premier League return at first attempt, Hull City pip Wrexham to Championship play-offs on final day
Updated 02/05/2026 at 15:02 GMT+1
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Ipswich Town have returned to the Premier League at the first time of asking, ensuring automatic promotion on the final day of the Championship season.
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Video credit: SNTV
Kieran McKenna's side join Frank Lampard's Coventry City, who secured their return to the English top-flight after a 25-year exile and were crowned champions of the second division.
Millwall, Southampton, Middlesbrough and Hull City will contest the play-offs, with Wrexham missing out on the final day.
The Tractors Boys scored twice in the game’s first 10 minutes through George Hirst and Jaden Philogene, before Kasey McAteer added a third in the 84th minute to ensure McKenna’s team ended the Championship campaign in second, 11 points adrift of Coventry but a point ahead of Millwall in third.Â
At full-time, thousands of fans spilled onto the pitch as the club secured a third promotion in four seasons under McKenna.
"It means a lot," McKenna told Sky Sports. "It's probably been the hardest one to be honest. I'm so grateful.
"I know how hard we've had to work to turn it around. The club had such a big climb and then steep fall with such a big turnover of players. Club legends have left this club and we've had to try and rebuild this team.Â
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Femi Azeez of Millwall scores the opening goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Oxford United at The Den on May 2, 2026 in London, United Kingdom.
Image credit: Getty Images
"Everyone stuck at it and we deserve to be where we are today. To have the third promotion in four years at home on a sunny May day is perfect.Â
"We've steadily improved over the course of the year. We don't start thinking about the Premier League today. We are going to enjoy this one."
Millwall, who dispatched the relegated Oxford United 2-0 on the final day, will take part in the second-tier play-offs for the first time in 24 years.
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Two goals from Femi Azeez made it a winning finish to the Championship campaign - but Ipswich's victory ended hopes of a final-day charge into the automatic places.
Millwall will face sixth place Hull City over two legs, after The Tigers snuck into the play-off picture with a 2-1 win over Norwich City.
The other play-off tie will see fourth-placed Southampton, who finished the season proper with a 3-1 win at Preston North End, take on fifth-placed Middlesbrough for a place at Wembley.Â
Indeed, Boro's 2-2 draw with Wrexham saw the Welsh side agonisingly drop from sixth to seventh.
Derby were the third team in the running for the final play-off berth, but they lost 2-1 to Sheffield United and finished eighth.
Oxford United, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday's relegation to League One had been confirmed before the final day.
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