Ipswich Town’s 2-2 draw with Southampton on Wednesday morning has set up a thrilling finale to the Championship season with three teams in the running for automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Ipswich missed their chance to lock in second place and join champions Coventry in gaining secure passage to the Premier League from the second tier next season.
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The Tractors Boys, who Ed Sheeran is a minority owner of, can still ensure they bounce straight back up to the top flight after being relegated last season with a victory against QPR on Saturday night.
Ipswich hold their destiny in their hands, but they have been wobbling, drawing their past two matches.
Jack Clarke’s 87th minute equaliser at least ensured that Ipswich took a point from their trip to St Mary’s.
Nipping on their heels are Millwall.
The London club, which has had Socceroos captains Tim Cahill, Kevin Muscat and Lucas Neill suit up for them in the past, is just one point behind Ipswich and can leapfrog them into second with a win at home to Oxford United, if Ipswich draw or lose.
Millwall currently have Australian and former Ipswich midfielder Massimo Luongo on their books but he has been sidelined since October due to an ACL rupture.
CHAMPIONSHIP PROMOTION RACE
1. Coventry — 92 points (GD 48)
2. Ipswich Town — 81 points (GD 30)
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3. Millwall — 80 points (GD 13)
4. Middlesborough — 79 points (GD 25)
5. Southampton — 77 points (GD 24)
6. Wrexham — 70 points (GD 4)
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7. Hull — 70 points (GD 3)
8. Derby County — 69 points (GD 9)
If the cards fall their way, a second-place finish would spark wild scenes.
Millwall are notorious for hooliganism and violence, but they have never featured in the top flight during the Premier League era.
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The Lions last played in the old English First Division in the 1989-90 season.
There would be plenty of Premier League clubs having sleepless nights about an away trip to face the rough and tumble of The Den.
If West Ham can stay up, it would also mean one of English football’s fiercest rivalries will be played for the first time since they met in the Championship in 2012.
Not to be forgotten are Middlesborough.
The Boro sit fourth on the table, two points behind Ipswich Town.
If Middlesborough win at Wrexham, while Ipswich and Millwall both lose, they will jump to second.
The North Yorkshire club appeared to be wobbling earlier this month but have bounced back to give themselves a shot at automatic promotion on the final day – when all 12 matches are played at the same time (9.30pm AEST on Saturday).
Middlesborough is another club with a strong Australian connection.
Legendary Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer spent 11 years there during their Premier League days, also winning the League Cup and reaching a UEFA Cup – the predecessor to the Europa League – final with the club.
Fellow Australians Luke Wilshire, Scott McDonald and Brad Jones all played for Middlesborough too.
Nowadays Riley McGree and Sammy Silvera are flying the Australian flag there, and automatic promotion would also mean getting an Australian back in the Premier League.
Middlesborough could also have a massive say on the playoff race.
Wrexham need to win to guarantee they remain in sixth, ahead of Hull, who are level on points, and Derby County, who are one point behind.
The Welsh club owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac lost to Coventry in their previous outing to put an enormous spotlight on the final game of the regular season at the Racecourse Ground.
Securing a playoff place would keep Wrexham’s Premier League dream alive.
The Red Dragons are also chasing a record fourth consecutive promotion after languishing in non-league football when Reynolds and Mac bought the club.
Teams sitting third to sixth at season’s end enter the playoffs.
Third will play sixth and fourth will play fifth in two-leg semi-finals to make it into the playoff final at Wembley Stadium.
That match is often referred to as the richest game in football.
Promotion to the Premier League is not only a big deal for a club’s pride and the joy of supporters.
Clubs also earn almost half a billion dollars more in revenue in the top flight thanks to the Premier League’s mega broadcast rights and sponsorship deals.
At the other end of the table, the three relegated teams have already been confirmed.
Leicester City, who miraculously won the Premier League a decade ago, suffered a double drop after coming down from the top flight.
Last-placed Sheffield Wednesday have known their plight for many months, winning just one of their 45 games so far and sitting on -3 points as a result of the points deduction due to financial problems that have left the club struggling to stay afloat.
While Oxford United won their last match, but cannot escape the drop with West Brom going unbeaten in their last five.