{"id":241204,"date":"2026-04-30T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/carnage-club-pl-teams-fear-and-aussie-in-mix-seven-way-promotion-chaos-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T22:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T22:00:00","slug":"carnage-club-pl-teams-fear-and-aussie-in-mix-seven-way-promotion-chaos-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/carnage-club-pl-teams-fear-and-aussie-in-mix-seven-way-promotion-chaos-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Carnage club PL teams fear… and Aussie in mix: Seven-way promotion chaos explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ipswich Town\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\ufeffGet all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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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. <\/p>\n

Ipswich hold their destiny in their hands, but they have been wobbling, drawing their past two matches.<\/p>\n

Jack Clarke\u2019s 87th minute equaliser at least ensured that Ipswich took a point from their trip to St Mary\u2019s.<\/p>\n

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Jacob Greaves of Ipswich Town is challenged by Finn Azaz of Southampton during the Sky Bet Championship match.<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nipping on their heels are Millwall.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

CHAMPIONSHIP PROMOTION RACE<\/b><\/p>\n

1. Coventry \u2014 92 points (GD 48)<\/p>\n

2. Ipswich Town \u2014 81 points (GD 30)<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

3. Millwall \u2014 80 points (GD 13)<\/p>\n

4. Middlesborough \u2014 79 points (GD 25)<\/p>\n

5. Southampton \u2014 77 points (GD 24)<\/p>\n

6. Wrexham \u2014 70 points (GD 4)<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

7. Hull \u2014 70 points (GD 3)<\/p>\n

8. Derby County \u2014 69 points (GD 9)<\/p>\n

If the cards fall their way, a second-place finish would spark wild scenes.<\/p>\n

Millwall are notorious for hooliganism and violence, but they have never featured in the top flight during the Premier League era.<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/b><\/p>\n

\u2018Can\u2019t comprehend\u2019: Unthinkable football scenario you might\u2019ve missed… and Aussie in thick of it<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Wild $660m truth behind football\u2019s unthinkable rise… and how PL dream becomes Hollywood reality<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Ugly spats and heroes scared to walk streets \u2014 How 5000-1 dream turned to \u2018complete calamity\u2019<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The Lions last played in the old English First Division in the 1989-90 season.<\/p>\n

There would be plenty of Premier League clubs having sleepless nights about an away trip to face the rough and tumble of The Den.<\/p>\n

If West Ham can stay up, it would also mean one of English football\u2019s fiercest rivalries will be played for the first time since they met in the Championship in 2012.<\/p>\n

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L Massimo Luongo Of Millwall during the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and West Bromwich Albion at The Den.<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not to be forgotten are Middlesborough.<\/p>\n

The Boro sit fourth on the table, two points behind Ipswich Town.<\/p>\n

If Middlesborough win at Wrexham, while Ipswich and Millwall both lose, they will jump to second.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

Middlesborough is another club with a strong Australian connection.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Fellow Australians Luke Wilshire, Scott McDonald and Brad Jones all played for Middlesborough too.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

<\/amp-img>
Riley McGree of Middlesbrough celebrates scoring his team’s first goal against Leicester City.<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Middlesborough could also have a massive say on the playoff race.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Securing a playoff place would keep Wrexham\u2019s Premier League dream alive.<\/p>\n

The Red Dragons are also chasing a record fourth consecutive promotion after languishing in non-league football when Reynolds and Mac bought the club.<\/p>\n

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Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds (R) celebrate on the pitch with the National League trophy.<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Teams sitting third to sixth at season\u2019s end enter the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Third will play sixth and fourth will play fifth in two-leg semi-finals to make it into the playoff final at Wembley Stadium.<\/p>\n

That match is often referred to as the richest game in football.<\/p>\n

Promotion to the Premier League is not only a big deal for a club\u2019s pride and the joy of supporters.<\/p>\n

Clubs also earn almost half a billion dollars more in revenue in the top flight thanks to the Premier League\u2019s mega broadcast rights and sponsorship deals.<\/p>\n

At the other end of the table, the three relegated teams have already been confirmed.<\/p>\n

Leicester City, who miraculously won the Premier League a decade ago, suffered a double drop after coming down from the top flight.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

While Oxford United won their last match, but cannot escape the drop with West Brom going unbeaten in their last five.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ipswich Town\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":241205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[72450,72449,48407,15720,72446,15269,145,4399,1429,72448,2214,18473,3934,149,72356,17334,49210,29951,3272,72451,15974,5047,70113,15009,17338,1427,25626,17347,10931,12242,2211,46731,1606,11383,11382,6477,6617,72447,16930,12779,1856,72225],"class_list":{"0":"post-241204","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-australian-back","9":"tag-australian-connection","10":"tag-australian-flag","11":"tag-automatic-promotion","12":"tag-brad-jones","13":"tag-championship-match","14":"tag-english-football","15":"tag-europa-league","16":"tag-europe","17":"tag-fellow-australians-luke","18":"tag-final-day","19":"tag-final-day-scenarios","20":"tag-final-game","21":"tag-football-news","22":"tag-football-scenario","23":"tag-jack-clarke","24":"tag-jacob-greaves","25":"tag-kevin-muscat","26":"tag-london","27":"tag-luke-wilshire","28":"tag-mark-schwarzer","29":"tag-massimo-luongo","30":"tag-middlesbrough-football-club","31":"tag-national-league","32":"tag-non-league-football","33":"tag-northern-europe","34":"tag-oxford-united-football-club","35":"tag-playoff-final","36":"tag-playoff-place","37":"tag-playoff-race","38":"tag-points-deduction","39":"tag-promotion-chaos","40":"tag-regular-season","41":"tag-rob-mcelhenney","42":"tag-ryan-reynolds","43":"tag-scott-mcdonald","44":"tag-sponsorship-deals","45":"tag-thrilling-finale","46":"tag-tim-cahill","47":"tag-top-flight","48":"tag-united-kingdom","49":"tag-unthinkable-rise"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241204\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}