Field Notes: The birth of the playoffs, English football’s biggest weekend
The concept of an end-of-season tournament to determine the final promotions was borne of trial and error
Sunderland 1-1 Coventry (aet, 3-2 on agg): Championship playoff semi-final – as it happened
Dan Ballard’s header at the very end of extra time sent Sunderland to Wembley on a night of high drama
Ballard’s 122nd-minute goal shatters Coventry and puts Sunderland in playoff final
Dan Ballard scored in the final seconds of extra time to earn Sunderland a 1-1 draw against Coventry and a 3-2 aggregate win in the Championship playoff semi-final
Wrexham’s success shows that content is now truly king in football
The Welsh club’s third successive promotion was powered by a hit docuseries, not the other way around
Sheffield United 3-0 Bristol City (6-0 agg: Championship playoff semi-final, second leg – as it happened
Blades made no mistake in the second leg, completing the job and will head to Wembley after a record aggregate scoreline
O’Hare lands last blow on Bristol City as Sheffield United barrel into playoff final
Kieffer Moore, Gustavo Hamer and Callum O’Hare gave Sheffield United a 3-0 victory on the night, capping a 6-0 win on aggregate, as they swatted aside Bristol City to set up a showdown with either Sunderland or Coventry
Coventry City 1-2 Sunderland: Championship playoff semi-final, first leg – as it happened
Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda helped the Black Cats gain a 2-1 advantage over the Sky Blues in the first leg of the Championship playoff semi-final
Mayenda punishes huge Coventry error to put Sunderland on top in playoff
Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda were on target, with Jack Rudoni replying, as Sunderland gained a 2-1 lead over Coventry in the first leg of the Championship playoff semi-final
Sheffield United crush 10-man Bristol City to put one foot in playoff final
Goals from Harrison Burrows, Andre Brooks and Callum O’Hare gave Sheffield United a 3-0 win in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-final against Bristol City
Sunderland desperate to turn power back on as Coventry playoff awaits
Régis Le Bris’s side have lost five in a row before meeting with Frank Lampard’s resurgent Sky Blues
‘Shackles off’: Bristol City and Vyner set for Championship playoff clash
Zak Vyner joined the club aged eight and as an ever-present this season is vital to their hopes of getting past Sheffield United
Watford sack Tom Cleverley as head coach after 14th-place Championship finish
Watford have sacked Tom Cleverley as their head coach after the team finished 14th in the Championship in his first full season
Championship final day: Farke proud of champions Leeds but Luton face ‘painful’ relegation
Leeds were crowned Championship champions in dramatic fashion after Manor Solomon’s injury-time winner against Plymouth meant they held off Burnley, who beat Millwall 3-1, to seal top spot
Championship final day: Leeds win title as Luton are relegated again – as it happened
Manor Solomon scored late against Plymouth to take his club past Burnley into top spot as Luton were relegated again
Rudoni double sends Coventry past Middlesbrough and into the playoffs
Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues hold onto top-six spot with impressive defeat of playoff rivals Middlesbrough