By any standard, the Championship is the maddest league in world football. But tonight, deep into July on the last day of the 2019-20 season, the Championship reached a new level of insanity. The words Peak Championship have never been more apt.
All that really seemed certain going into the night was that Leeds would be crowned Championship champions by the end of things. That statement alone is full of Dalian levels of surrealness. But between 9pm and 9.30pm things get mental, with all teams playing at the same time and ramifications changing every minute. As It Stands guy has never been busier.
Here are some of the things that occurred:
Swansea - who were three points off a place in the playoffs at the start of the evening - are now in the playoffs on the back of a gobsmacking 4-1 win away to Reading that included 3 second half goals including a decisive 92nd minute goal from Wayne Routledge.
WE’VE DONE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) July 22, 2020
Nottingham Forest - who were in 6th heading into the evening and 5 goals ahead of Swansea on goal difference - somehow lost 4-1 to struggling 15th place Stoke, ensuring they finish in 7th place in the Championship, losing out to Swansea on goal difference. Forest went winless in their final six matches and left an already embittered fanbase on the verge of a meltdown.
Supporting Nottingham Forest is a horrible, forlorn, gut-wrenching experience. At least some of you bastards got the glory years.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) July 22, 2020
Barnsley scored a 91st minute goal to stave off relegation and deny Brentford automatic promotion.
SCENES
Barnsley score a late goal to put them ahead - and possible safe from relegation!
📲 Follow all of the action from all 12 games here 👇: https://t.co/Hl4HrV9R8U pic.twitter.com/NZ7qB7py1e— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) July 22, 2020
It all means that West Brom - who held out for a tense 2-2 draw against QPR - have been promoted to the Premier League. Swansea will play Brentford in the first playoff tie while Cardiff will take on Fulham in the other.
Slaven Bilić taking an absolute beating from the champagne! 🍾 🤣 pic.twitter.com/UrWOXXDuh0
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) July 22, 2020
-West Brom promoted despite only a draw v QPR.
-Swansea turn around a 5 goal swing to get into the play-offs at the expense of Nottingham Forest.
-Barnsley beat Brentford with an late winner to stay up.
-Luton beat Blackburn 3-2 to stay up.
😮
The Championship is brilliant. pic.twitter.com/7kHmBF6BEi— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) July 22, 2020
After everything that’s happened this season, the Championship could not have wished for a more dramatic, bonkers, brilliant and heartbreaking final night of fixtures. Congratulations West Brom, good on Slaven Bilic and what a story for Swansea and Barnsley...
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) July 22, 2020
😍 WHAT. A. LEAGUE 😍
Incredible night of Championship action! 👏— The #EFL Zone (@TheFLZone) July 22, 2020
And thankfully, football fans were given Soccer Saturday on a Wednesday to follow every twist and turn. Even Kammy dropped an f bomb!
Kammy's verdict on Stoke's 4th 😂pic.twitter.com/fxJq7D79HD
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) July 22, 2020
