Ok, that concludes today’s clockwatch. Thanks for reading.
Sunderland sink to League One after late loss to Burton – as it happened
Wearsiders relegated for the second season in succession, as Wigan are promoted and Wolves’ Championship title is confirmed
Sat 21 Apr 2018 12.54 EDT
First published on Sat 21 Apr 2018 09.00 EDT- Wolves win the Championship title
- Luton are promoted from League Two
- Wigan are promoted from League One
- Sunderland are relegated
- Full-time: Watford 0-0 Crystal Palace
- Goal! Sunderland 1-2 Burton (Boyce 90+3)
- Goal! Sunderland 1-1 Burton (Bent 86)
- Goal! Sunderland 1-0 Burton (McNair 34)
- Macclesfield Town are promoted to the Football League
- Preamble
Live feed
- Wolves win the Championship title
- Luton are promoted from League Two
- Wigan are promoted from League One
- Sunderland are relegated
- Full-time: Watford 0-0 Crystal Palace
- Goal! Sunderland 1-2 Burton (Boyce 90+3)
- Goal! Sunderland 1-1 Burton (Bent 86)
- Goal! Sunderland 1-0 Burton (McNair 34)
- Macclesfield Town are promoted to the Football League
- Preamble
Here’s Louise Taylor’s on Sunderland’s disastrous day.
Burton are still alive, though must hope Barnsley do not win their game in hand on Tuesday when the Tykes play Nottingham Forest.
There is an FA Cup semi being played right now, and Tottenham, the home team, lead Manchester United 1-0 after a goal from Dele Alli. Rob Smyth is your guide.
And it’s in there...
Here’s Ed Aarons’ report from Vicarage Road.
Sunderland’s Twitter feed still yet to admit the club will be in League One next season.
News from the lower reaches, where it’s been a big day for the self-styled “Class of ‘92” (and Phil Neville). Salford City will play in the National League next season.
As we wait for reports from Watford and Sunderland to come in, Richard McGahey emails in on the ref debate.
“I don’t know if the tolerance for overly physical play and inconsistent standards is why English refs aren’t going to the World Cup. But the Premier League allows much more physical play, and English fans and commentators reflect this culture in their commentary and analysis--”oh, nothing much in that,” “no intent there,” let the lads play” while Lee Dixon and others on TV pine for the good old days of leg breaking. That’s why it was such a shock to see Michael Oliver calling fouls (inconsistently, of course) in the Juventus-Real Madrid match, and even issuing yellow cards, which he and other English refs don’t do nearly as much in the PL.”
Matters across Europe rounded up here.
And in all that hubbub, it’s best to round off matters at Bristol City which ended up 5 (five) - 5 (five) with Hull City. Joe Bryan grabbed the equaliser in the 94th minute. Football!
The reason Sunderland are relegated is that Burton and Bolton play each other next week. That’s not the only reason of course, but that’s the maths.
Sunderland’s Twitter feed still yet to admit the club have been relegated.
Wolves win the Championship title
Having won 4-0 at Bolton.
Chesterfield need a 19-goal turnaround on Morecambe to stay up, so are all but down.
Chesterfield lost 4-1 at Forest Green, but are not yet relegated after Morecambe lost. That’s now a question of mathematics.
Luton are promoted from League Two
A 1-1 draw at Carlisle was enough for them
Wigan are promoted from League One
After winning 4-0 at Fleetwood.
Sunderland are relegated
It’s full-time and it’s finished 2-1 to Burton.
Full-time: Watford 0-0 Crystal Palace
Both teams edge to safety after a rather angry affair.
Sunderland have just had a goal disallowed for handball. Anger at the Stadium of Light.
Goal! Sunderland 1-2 Burton (Boyce 90+3)
A disaster for Sunderland, and it is Burton who have hope of survival, as Liam Boyce scores.
Darren Bent almost won it for Burton, only to be denied by a great save from Jason Steele.
Sunderland hit the bar after Ashley Fletcher’s header.
It’s 5-4 to Hull at Bristol City! What a comeback. Fraizer Campbell grabbed it. Drama! And pain for Bristol City.
Barnet are now leading 2-0 and can still escape the drop to the National League.
Goal! Sunderland 1-1 Burton (Bent 86)
Darren Bent scores against his old club and hopes of a great escape are extinguished.
Another humdinger between Cambridge and Cheltenham, which is currently a 4-3 scoreline to the home team.
4-4 between Bristol City and Hull! Abel Hernandez has equalised. That could be a felling blow for City’s hopes of sidling into the play-offs.
Forest Green lead Chesterfield 2-1 and that puts Chesterfield on the edge of their first time outside the Football League for almost 110 years.
Luton, drawing 1-1 at Carlisle, are close to being promoted, but need Exeter’s 2-2 scoreline with Crawley to hold.
Joseph Harvey has a view on the Zaha booking
“Is it just me or has it been a terrible year in the EPL for referees? That Zaha penalty was a stone dead penalty. He got a yellow for diving. Could part of the problem be that the FA and the referee’s association in England want a game that just doesn’t resemble the rulebook anymore? The idea that a punch in the WBA match earlier is part of the game, that contact off the ball isn’t a penalty, and that there wasn’t enough contact (on a high boot in the box) for the penalty in case of Zaha, just isn’t consistent with the laws of the game. I can think of more than a dozen or so events like this across the year. It’s been weighing on my mind a lot since England won’t have any referees at the World Cup.”
Isn’t England’s lack of referees down to Mark Clattenburg choosing to work in Saudi Arabia? And perhaps a lack of familiarity with VAR?
Sheffield Wednesday lead Reading 3-0, after another Fernando Forestieri goal.
It’s now AFC Wimbledon 2-2 Oldham. A tense afternoon down at the Cherry Red Stadium.
Meanwhile, Burton are piling on the pressure against Sunderland, who are trying to hold on to their lifeline.
Bristol City 4-3 Hull: What a game out west. Harry Wilson, on loan from Liverpool, has got Hull back into it.
Watford are living dangerously against Crystal Palace, who have had a shot cleared off the line. But it’s still 0-0.
Birmingham City lead Sheffield United 2-1, and with Bolton losing, this could be a big say for Blues.
Middlesbrough lead Derby 2-0 after a goal from Britt Assombalonga.
How wrong can you be? Bury have equalised at Shrewsbury through Jay O’Shea. And as it stands, Wigan, now leading 4-0, will be heading to the Championship.
Wolves are 4-0 up and that is desperate news for Bolton. Captain Conor Coady slotted in from the penalty spot.
Bristol City now lead Hull City 4-2. A humdinger at Ashton Gate.
Penalty to Palace? No, Wilfried Zaha has been booked for diving. There was contact, too, and the Watford pariah is being jeered by the home fans.
Wilfried Zaha is at the centre of things at Watford as Palace begin to put together some attacking pressure on. He’s taken a few whacks.