Jordan Clark's goal was not enough to prevent relegation Luton Town suffered a second successive relegation and will play in League One next season after slumping to defeat at West Bromwich Albion The Hatters needed a win to guarantee their Championship survival but were instead well beaten at the Hawthorns to fall into the third tier only a year after they dropped out of the Premier League Tom Fellows and Callum Styles both scored twice for Albion along with a header from injury-hit striker Daryl Dike rendering Millenic Alli's double and Jordan Clark's strike for Luton irrelevant And with Portsmouth unable to bail Matt Bloomfield's side out by beating Hull City it was Luton who tumbled into League One due to an inferior goal difference after they and the Tigers both finished on 49 points Luton looked doomed in mid-April but three successive wins - a timely season's best run of Championship form - lifted them from second bottom to one place outside the relegation zone putting their fate in their own hands heading into the final day They began confidently but their positive start was punctured when Fellows squeezed a shot past Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski just seven minutes in That plunged Luton into the bottom three but their response was almost instantly to climb back out of it again Thelo Aasgaard regained possession in midfield and released Alli who tricked his way past Kyle Bartley before firing Luton's equaliser into the far corner Hull went ahead at Portsmouth to plunge the Hatters back into the drop zone a header from Dike on the half-hour - his first league goal since March 2023 on his first league start since April 2023 - followed by Fellows' second goal just three minutes later Millenic Alli (right) scored twice at West Brom but Luton still fell to a 5-3 defeat Luton's situation was desperate and Bloomfield took the drastic step of making a double substitution which included withdrawing captain Carlton Morris and changing formation at half-time It made little initial difference though Luton were boosted when news of a Portsmouth equaliser filtered through But two Styles goals in four minutes left Bloomfield's men needing Portsmouth to complete their comeback and beat Hull at Fratton Park Clark curled in a second Luton goal just four minutes later before Albion's Isaac Price almost scored a bizarre own goal and Alli did make it 5-3 with two minutes to go as there were more goals scored in West Brom's final game of the season than the seven scored in their first eight games too late and they will be back in League One for the first time since 2018-19 West Brom interim manager James Morrison told BBC WM: "We haven't been able to put the ball in the back of the net all season and then five come at once I'm disappointed with the goals [we conceded] but overall I'll be happy with the attacking threat "I totally understand that [fans asking where that performance was all season] and I'll be asking myself that question "Every time we went forward we looked like we were going to score I'll take lots of pleasure from that." Luton Town manager Matt Bloomfield told BBC Three Counties Radio: "It is a particularly painful moment for us and everyone associated with our football club "Really disappointing performance considering the day and the performance that we needed to get ourselves out of where we were "Sorry to our supporters travelling up and down the country We understand their disappointment and anger right now." Matt Bloomfield was unable to save Luton following his mid-season appointment who played in the top flight of English football for several seasons in the 1980s and early 1990s before a prolonged period of decline 10 years to climb back from the National League to the Premier League There were unforgettable scenes after Rob Edwards' side beat Coventry City on penalties at Wembley in the 2023 play-off final But the great adventure lasted only one season and now they are facing life back in League One following back-to-back relegations Edwards expressed the hope that he had a squad capable of challenging at the top end of the table and a dismal away record undermined his ambition He was sacked in January after a run of four successive defeats plucked from a third-tier promotion challenge with Wycombe Wanderers A 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday finally ended a run of 11 away defeats in a row but it took time for Bloomfield to steady the ship failing to win any of his first eight games in charge despite the addition of new faces some like Thelo Aasgaard and Millennic Alli from his old League One 'stamping ground' Victory over Portsmouth on 1 March finally got things moving in the right direction and back-to-back-to-back wins over Derby County Bristol City and Coventry finally lifted them out of the bottom three with one game to go but with plans approved for a brand new 25,000 seater stadium which may be ready to stage matches in 2028 the Hatters will rely on Bloomfield's League One knowhow to reverse their fortunes and start them moving in an upwards direction once again next season To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made West Bromwich AlbionManager: James Morrison substituted for Lamine Fanne at 62 minutesNumber 18 Nordås Match OfficialsReferee: Darren BondAssistant Referee 1: Scott LedgerAssistant Referee 2: Sian Massey-EllisFourth Official: Aaron BannisterMatch StatsKey Scroll LeftScroll RightWest Brom have lost just one of their last nine league games against Luton Town (W5 D3) Luton Town have failed to win any of their last four away league games against West Brom (D1 L3) and overall have won just two of their last 20 (D3 L15) West Brom have won two of their last three games on the final day of a league season (L1) as many victories as across their prior 16 such fixtures between 2006 and 2021 combined (D7 L7) Luton have failed to win any of their last seven away Football League games that have fallen on the final day of a league campaign (D3 L4) since a 2-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the fourth tier in 2002 Luton have scored the fewest goals of any Championship side so far this season (42) though they have netted 11 of those strikes from corners – a joint-league tally alongside Coventry City Darnell Furlong (West Bromwich Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul Foul by Darnell Furlong (West Bromwich Albion) Millenic Alli (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half Grady Diangana (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked Jordan Clark (Luton Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul Harry Whitwell (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half Lamine Fanne (Luton Town) header from the centre of the box misses to the left Assisted by Tahith Chong following a set piece situation Foul by Grady Diangana (West Bromwich Albion) Millenic Alli (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the left wing Thelo Aasgaard (Luton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked Lasse Nordås (Luton Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked Tahith Chong (Luton Town) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner Assisted by Mark McGuinness with a headed pass Fourth official has announced 6 minutes of added time Millenic Alli (Luton Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner Assisted by Jordan Clark following a set piece situation Kal Naismith (Luton Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked 252 CommentsLuton Town's previous relegation was perhaps forgivable the Hatters were far from the only side in recent times to find the jump up from the Championship to the Premier League too big a step to make But there will be far less understanding about their second successive relegation a year later, this time to League One, following a disastrous performance and 5-3 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on the final day of the season Luton became just the fourth club in the Premier League era to experience successive relegations after a season in the top flight Supporters began to vent their frustrations as the goals flew in at The Hawthorns and it became evident they were not going to witness the sort of heroic performance required to save themselves from relegation it was the total opposite as they went down with more of a whimper sparking an unsurprising reaction when their demotion was confirmed at full-time including boos and some fans questioning whether the players' were fit to wear the shirt Boss Matt Bloomfield told BBC Three Counties Radio: "Sorry to our supporters for travelling up and down the country We understand their disappointment and anger right now because we needed a big performance today and we didn't deliver one We have to understand there's going be a reaction off the back of it." Luton fans were left dejected after their team's second successive relegation Three successive wins against Derby County Bristol City and Coventry City in the second half of April had revived Luton's hopes of staying up Coming out of it they were outside of the relegation zone by a point with their fate in their hands on the season's last day against opponents with nothing to play for in West Brom to produce a performance like the one delivered at The Hawthorns and for their form to totally desert them Luton had lost just once in nine Championship games heading into the final day They had also conceded three goals in a game just once since a 3-2 defeat at Oxford United on 21 January and that was a 4-0 defeat at automatically promoted Burnley in March No wonder Bloomfield said of their awfully-timed collapse: "I don't know [where that display came from] "We've been incredibly resilient in the last two months to really shore up at the back and unfortunately today it just wasn't there "We've done so well to drag ourselves back into this position and to fall at the final hurdle was particularly painful for everybody involved." Carlton Morris consoles Jordan Clark after Luton's relegation was confirmed Bloomfield is the man who has overseen their relegation but the rot had already set in by the time he was appointed in January given "a generation of Luton Town supporters the greatest day of their lives" when he led them to the Premier League via the play-offs against Coventry in 2022-23 Many more unforgettable occasions followed in their first top-flight season since 1992 even if Luton were ultimately unable to defy the odds and stay up Luton gave Edwards as much time as they could to turn things around when a push for an instant return to the Premier League did not materialise as it had for the two sides they came down with they had little choice other than to act after accepting their season had "clearly not progressed as anticipated" That was particularly the case away from home Luton won just one and lost 11 of their first 13 Championship games on the road this season Four successive league defeats proved the final straw, leading to Edwards' reluctant departure by mutual agreement on 9 January. Luton were 20th in the Championship table at the time of Edwards' departure Despite that perilous position, Bloomfield was tempted enough by the challenge of succeeding Edwards to leave Wycombe midway through their League One promotion push They were just two points off top spot when he changed clubs While he has been unable to preserve Luton's Championship status Wycombe have made the League One play-offs creating the prospect of his former club swapping divisions with his current one once all is said and done in 2024-25 But as the pain and reality of Luton's relegation began to sink in defiant Bloomfield's thoughts were instead beginning to turn to steering the club back in the right direction again They are no strangers to climbing the leagues Their one-season stay in the Premier League under Edwards was the culmination of an incredible 10-year rise from the National League "This club has to bounce back and we will," Bloomfield said we have to stick together because that's what this club is about and we'll find a way." 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Matches Players LTFC+ Tickets & Hospitality Club xemailLuton Town Ladies rounded off their home league campaign in style defeating Needham Market 8-1 at Barton on Sunday afternoon Needham Market stunned the Hatters and took the lead A misplaced pass was cut out by Becca Stephenson who finished into an open net Tasha Fensome brought Luton level as Shanice Lewis’ inswinging corner was headed onto the post by Liz Mulvaney but the ball fell into the path of Fensome who found themselves ahead in the 25th minute Tasha Fensome found herself in space and poked the ball home from close range Luton extended their lead on the half hour mark as Fensome linked up with Tsaianne Leander to add the Hatters’ third of the afternoon Leander laid the ball into the feet of Fensome Fensome’s perfectly-weighted ball back to Leander saw her one-on-one with the keeper and she curled the ball into the bottom right corner of the net A Shanice Lewis corner was whipped into a crowd of Town players Mulvaney celebrated what she thought to be her first goal for Luton but the ball appeared to strike Luton’s number seven Myles Maddix and Fadi Mazloum introduced four substitutions at the break Fiona Buttigieg and Amber Leighton were all taken off and replaced by Gabriella Spillman It was an instant impact off the bench from Martins which forced the Needham goalkeeper into a misplaced pass that the forward capitalised on slotting the ball into an empty net and putting any far-fetched Needham hopes to bed Luton scored a sixth and it was Fensome again The golden boot chasing forward picked up the ball on the edge of the area rounded the goalkeeper and fired the ball into an open goal Mulvaney came agonisingly close to scoring her first Luton Town goa; as her effort from a tight angle crashed off the near post Leighton added the Town’s seventh of the afternoon and it was the pick of the bunch She collected the ball well outside the area spotted the goalkeeper off her line and sensationally lobbed her Luton were awarded a penalty and Needham saw red Spillman shot from inside the area was blocked on the line by Ashtyn Newley’s hand and without any hesitation In the second minute of additional time at the end of the ninety Gabs redeemed herself instantly and netted Luton’s eighth of a dominant performance It was a thumping finish into the bottom right corner from the winger to round off a breathtaking performance from Luton å © Copyright of Luton Town Football Clubtest where every Monday during this season The Athletic will discuss three of the biggest questions to arise from the weekend’s Premier League football This was the weekend when Leicester City and Southampton met in one of the Premier League’s sadder fixtures Newcastle United had two penalties overturned by VAR before finally getting one a Mason Mount goal provided a rare high point in another defeat for Manchester United and Kevin De Bruyne won another game for Manchester City Here we will ask if Arsenal are going to lose second place whether Cole Palmer is finding form at the perfect time for Chelsea and whether Luton Town have provided a cautionary tale for the relegated clubs There have been times over the past few months when you’ve felt like grabbing Pep Guardiola and giving him a big hug even though this season will ultimately be forgettable And the way things are going at the moment it might actually end fairly respectably: City could end the season with the FA Cup and a second-placed finish in the Premier League That runners-up spot seemed to be Arsenal’s guaranteed consolation prize: they haven’t really looked like significantly challenging Liverpool for some time but second would at least look and feel much better and a significant goal difference lead and only three games remaining But their focus is on the Champions League their injury crisis has reached comical levels — Jurrien Timber is now a doubt for the second leg of their semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain to add to the long list already out — and their form in the league is spiralling The 2-1 defeat by Bournemouth on Saturday makes it just one win in the past five three in the past 10 and their lead over the rest is eroding two of the three aren’t: they have Liverpool away next weekend (which admittedly doesn’t seem quite as difficult after watching the champions lose to Chelsea) and after that it’s Newcastle at home City have emerged from their existential crisis right and centre and Erling Haaland was on the bench for their 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night They didn’t need to call on him in the end but his presence suggests he will be available should they require some goals in the closing weeks finishing second or third doesn’t make any tangible difference for Arsenal and while it might impact their seeding for next season’s Champions League Unless you think the little bit of extra prize money is key it ultimately wouldn’t be the end of the world But Arsenal’s domestic season is tailing off very slim possibility they could drop out of the top five altogether although that would require them losing all three of their games you probably shouldn’t be allowed into the Champions League on general principle but there’s a fairly strong correlation between Chelsea’s form as a team and Cole Palmer’s as an individual this season From the start of the season to late December Chelsea only lost twice in the league — Manchester City before their Rodri-induced slump and Liverpool away — and were second in the table after 17 games Palmer scored 11 goals and registered six assists then threw in another three strikes in the following weeks as Chelsea’s overall form started to nosedive And nosedive it did: they won just two of their next 10 games what looked like a potential title challenge had turned into an effort to cling onto a Champions League place He last scored against Bournemouth in January and picked up more yellow cards than assists in the subsequent 13 league games (plus another five in the Conference League) and looked more lost and frustrated by the week really: this was the first time he’d really struggled in his senior career so it’s no wonder he didn’t know how to react But eventually his form started creeping back and he was sensational in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Liverpool on Sunday ultimately getting his goal from a penalty but it was fair reward for the overall performance “S*** happens,” he told Sky Sports after the game “Social media is just full of idiots but I just want to help my team You feel like you’re letting your team down when you miss chances… I was trying things today And he might be feeling normal at just the right time for Chelsea Their hold on that Champions League place looked pretty wobbly particularly given their tough run-in — they still have to face Newcastle and Nottingham Forest — but they played Liverpool at the perfect moment with the champions resting players and their intensity dialled down significantly The margins are so tight that one player at something closer to his best could tip the balance in Chelsea’s favour There wasn’t much to comfort the two teams when Leicester met Southampton on Saturday The hosts at least had a win and their first home goals since December to cling to one of which was scored by Jamie Vardy in his last weeks at the club The knowledge that this season will be over soon One thing both had in common might have been the promise of a fresh start in the summer They will drop into the Championship next season with some sweet sweet parachute payments — something that has enabled Leeds United and Burnley (and possibly Sheffield United) to win promotion back to the Premier League and indeed enabled Leicester and Southampton to do the same a year ago they — along with the other relegated team Ipswich — will go down with the thought that however grim and relentlessly miserable this season has been who were the most competitive of the three relegated teams last season were slipping to their second successive relegation after a frankly embarrassing performance and 5-3 defeat by a team that had nothing to play for much smaller club than both Southampton and Leicester (and Ipswich and the surprise was that they were even in the Premier League last season They have played in the National League in relatively recent memory so them being in League One isn’t an enormous shock But Leicester are in a financial mess and Southampton have not shown themselves to be the most reliable decision-makers over the past few years It’s amazing how quickly things can unravel Luton showed both teams that not only is there no guarantee of immediate promotion back to the Premier League but a much worse fate is perfectly possible Nick Miller is a football writer for the Athletic and the Totally Football Show. He previously worked as a freelancer for the Guardian, ESPN and Eurosport, plus anyone else who would have him. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickMiller79 Swansea City Under-17s’ Professional Development League Cup campaign ended in defeat as Luton Town secured the trophy in the final at the Swansea.com Stadium who had done superbly to reach the showpiece had the better of large parts of the opening half with striker Harvey Gray having their best chance But Alfie Shepherd fired the Hatters ahead six minutes before the break and the visitors took control of the contest from that point Tate Xavier-Jones headed in their second just before the hour and Benedict Benagr classily claimed their third It was a disappointing way to round off Swansea's run in the competition but coach Joe Roberts and his players can be justifiably proud of the quality and resilience they have shown to get to this stage They certainly had their opportunities on the day particularly in a first half where after an understandably cagey opening with a trophy on the line there were a couple of chances in quick succession Tom Wright in the Swansea goal securely held Benagr’s strike after the Luton youngster had cut in from the left before Kai Rhodes had a shot saved by Lucas Thomas at the other end and then nodded the follow-up into the side-netting Swansea grew in confidence from that early chance and a slick switch of play ended with Bobo Evans trying his luck from distance but Thomas was equal to his right-footed effort The Hatters keeper then had a lot off when he advanced and failed to punch a free-kick into the box but Ben Phillips was unable to adjust to send his header goalward with Christian Chigozie doing well to steal possession and head towards goal but he dragged his effort wide of the target and a lovely piece of footwork from Harlan Perry worked room for the captain to shoot but he slipped at the vital moment and his strike lacked power as a result Rhodes sent a low effort wide of the near post after Alex Godfrey’s astute cutback had run through to him but Luton’s more direct approach was given them opportunities of their own and Wright did well to save with his feet after Harry Fox had been found in the box But Swansea missed the best chance yet just past the half-hour mark Evans produced lovely footwork to beat a defender and round keeper Thomas before unselfishly squaring for Gray but the striker was denied what looked a simple tap-in by a brilliant covering challenge And the missed opportunity was punished when Luton took the lead a few moments later The Hatters broke into space down the left and Benagr’s low cross was fired home emphatically by Shepherd The Swans had a good spell of pressure as the half-time whistle neared but they returned to the dressing room a goal behind Their deficit nearly doubled early in the second half goalscorer Shepherd heading wastefully over from a good delivery to the back post Harry Fox swung in a corner which was nodded back across goal and Xavier-Jones was on hand to head home from close range It left the hosts needing a quick response and they nearly got one when substitute Callum Jones – the hat-trick hero the semi-final win over Cheltenham Town – brought down a bouncing ball and got away a low left-footed effort But Luton put the game to bed with 23 minutes to play when Benagr set off on a mazy run and exchanged passes with Dylan Stitt before firing home Swansea had a late chance to get on the scoresheet when Jones who had been lively since his introduction sent a low shot towards the bottom corner from a clever corner routine but the strike was blocked as the academy side suffered defeat at the end of a memorable cup run Lloyd Asamoah Jr (Samuel Hincapie-Alfonso 84) © 2025 Swansea City Association Football Club Limited As the Leeds players and fans celebrated, Farke initially sat alone in the dugout. “I was too tired to celebrate even at the final whistle because I was so focused on winning promotion,” he said. “I really wanted to win this match and win the title for everyone at the club. I’m happy that we won this game in the final stages and are officially allowed to label ourselves as champions and be the best team during the whole season It’s a proud day and an emotionally moving day because we have invested so much and wanted to crown ourselves with some silverware.” It is the first time two sides have reached 100 points in the same Championship season but Solomon’s goal pooped the nascent party at Turf Moor “I’m absolutely delighted,” said the Burnley manager “The main objective was to get three points and end the season on 100 points “If you’d said to us at any point that 100 points this year wouldn’t get you the title we’d all be thinking To lose the title on goal difference is a little disappointing but I won’t let that overshadow a remarkable season.” Leeds’s Manor Solomon cuts in to score the title-winning goal Photograph: Steven Paston/PAEither side reaching three figures looked in doubt early in the day with Mihailo Ivanovic giving Millwall an early lead and a Sam Byram own goal doing likewise for Argyle But the division’s two outstanding teams clawed their way back Josh Brownhill soon equalised for Burnley and they seemed destined for a second Championship title in three seasons when Jaidon Anthony put them ahead with Leeds having pulled the score back to 1-1 thanks to Wilfried Gnonto and time ticking away ShowBradford clinched automatic promotion to League One after a dramatic 1-0 home win over Fleetwood. The Yorkshire side looked set for the playoffs after Walsall had beaten Crewe thanks to George Hall's solitary strike But Antoni Sarcevic scored a deflected winner in the sixth minute of added time to spark two pitch invasions before the final whistle Rob Street ensured Doncaster were crowned League Two champions with both goals in a 2-1 win at Notts County Port Vale's hopes of reeling in the leaders were dashed by Gillingham's Aaron Rowe who scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Vale Park Chesterfield will meet Walsall in the play-offs after their 1-0 win at Accrington who could only draw 2-2 at relegated Carlisle. Wimbledon who won 1-0 at Grimsby thanks to Sam Hutchinson will meet Notts County in the other semi-final Thank you for your feedback.But in the first minute of injury time Solomon swept home in front of the packed away end to spark delirium but the atmosphere was largely punctured at Turf Moor a point ahead of Hull in the final relegation place drop down into League One after a wild 5-3 defeat at West Brom while Hull held on for a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth to secure their Championship status Luton were plunged into the bottom three by Tom Fellows’s early goal for West Brom briefly out again thanks to Millenic Alli’s equaliser two minutes later but back in when Matt Crooks gave Hull the lead at Fratton Park and there they stayed Luton join a small band of unhappy clubs who have suffered back to back relegations from the Premier League: Photograph: Paul Harding/Getty Images EuropeWas this helpful?Thank you for your feedback.Daryl Dike Fellows and a Callum Styles double put a previously out-of-sorts Albion into a 5-1 lead just after the hour mark leaving Luton hoping for a Pompey comeback Christian Saydee did equalise to leave Hull sweating but the visitors held on and though Jordan Clark and Alli reduced the arrears at the Hawthorns there was to be no miracle “It was a particularly painful day for everyone involved at our club,” said the Luton manager whose team had come into the game having won three on the bounce to give themselves hope of an unlikely escape “We apologise to our supporters because a second relegation in a row is particularly painful for them “We were poor and it was very disappointing Over the previous couple of months we have dragged ourselves right back into it and the performances have been particularly good But this club comes back fighting and we will do again.” Luton’s captain looks dejected after defeat confirmed their fall to League One Photograph: Paul Harding/Getty ImagesDerby and Stoke who both began the day in relegation danger A dramatic day in the playoff race ended with Coventry and Bristol City taking fifth and sixth spots respectively Coventry’s ultimately comfortable 2-0 win over Boro was enough to make their place safe and set up a two-legged semi-final against fourth-placed Sunderland “It is human after five defeats to think now you are weak but it is not the reality,” said the Sunderland manager “We have to find the right rhythm to win again.” ShowDaniel Agyei scored twice as Leyton Orient claimed the final League One playoff place with a 4-1 win at Huddersfield Agyei's double came either side of a Jacob Chapman own goal and Josh Koroma's strike before Azeem Abdulai completed the job to hold off Reading The Royals' final-day charge never materialised as they went down 4-2 at home to Barnsley with Stephen Humphrys Jon Russell and Davis Keillor-Dunn's double doing the damage despite Lewis Wing and Billy Bodin replying Orient will face Stockport in the semi-finals after they cemented third place with a 3-1 comeback win at Wycombe with Benony Andresson Oliver Norwood and Will Collar finding the back of the net who beat Burton 3-1 courtesy of Matt Godden's double and an Alex Mitchell header Champions Birmingham rounded off their season with a 2-1 victory at relegated Cambridge which took their tally to a record 111 points Kelland Watts' own goal ultimately handing them three more while goals from Elliot Lee and Ryan Longman eased already-promoted Wrexham to a 2-0 win at Lincoln Thank you for your feedback.The Robins, meanwhile, had to come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with struggling Preston at Ashton Gate and line up a semi-final with third-placed Sheffield United who scuppered Blackburn’s hopes with a 1-1 draw at Bramall Lane Anel Ahmedhodzic’s second-half equaliser proving crucial in the final reckoning came out on top in the battle between former Arsenal teammates at Carrow Road with Aaron Ramsey’s already relegated Cardiff on the wrong end of a 4-2 scoreline having been reduced to 10 men by Calum Chambers’s 16th-minute red card Blackburn’s Emmanuel Dennis reacts with frustration in the draw against Sheffield United Photograph: Alex Dodd/CameraSport/Getty ImagesWilshere said he was keen on taking on a long-term role “I feel like I am ready to make an impact at this level,” he said “I don’t know what the process is [for appointing a new coach] but I guess over the next few days I will find out.” Swansea and Oxford ended their seasons in entertaining fashion with a 3-3 draw in south Wales while Sheffield Wednesday secured a first top-half Championship finish since 2019 with a 1-1 draw at Watford US EditionUK EditionScottish SunIrish SunSearchMy Account Luton Town have suffered back-to-back relegations after a dismal 5-3 defeat at West Brom on the final day of the Championship The Hatters have finished 22nd in the second tier of English football and will be playing in League One for the 2025/26 campaign Luton spent the 2023/24 season in the Premier League before their bottom three finish sent them back into the Championship And their league status has now dropped even further following a poor result away to West Brom on Saturday Tom Fellows and Callum Styles scored two goals each for the Baggies whilst Daryl Dike also got onto the scoresheet during the rout Millenic Alli and Jordan Clark scored what would ultimately be Luton's consolation goals as they fell to a 23rd defeat of the season To add further misery onto Luton, they are the fourth team in history to suffer back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One. Swindon Town were first to do so at the end of the 1994/95 campaign and Wolves followed 18 years later. Sunderland replicated them in 2018, with Luton the latest to hit the unwanted feat in English football. But Hull drew 1-1 at Portsmouth to climb out of the bottom three on an unsurprisingly dramatic day Cardiff's relegation was confirmed last weekend with their 0-0 draw at home to West Brom Plymouth have followed them and Luton into League One despite drawing 1-1 against the promoted Leeds United on Saturday Sheffield United and Sunderland were already two of the confirmed teams in the play-offs before the final day of the season Joining them for another chance of promotion are Coventry City and Bristol City. Coventry City and Bristol City joined Sheffield United and Sunderland in the play-offs I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Leeds pipped Burnley to the title, Coventry and Bristol City secured the final two play-off places, while Luton and Plymouth were relegated on an eventful final day in the Championship United needed to match Burnley’s result to be crowned champions due to their superior goal difference and they eventually did just that following an afternoon of toil courtesy of a last-gasp strike from Manor Solomon Daniel Farke’s side equalised through Wilfried Gnonto’s third effort in as many games shortly after half-time After Mihailo Ivanovic’s early opener for play-off hopefuls Millwall at Turf Moor Josh Brownhill took his goal tally for the season to 18 and Jaidon Anthony struck to give Burnley a 3-1 triumph and leave them second with 100 points Millwall and Middlesbrough were left disappointed in their hunt for a top-six spot Jack Rudoni’s brace took Frank Lampard’s Coventry to a 2-0 home win over Boro, and Ross McCrorie scored twice as Bristol City fought back to secure a 2-2 draw against relegation-threatened Preston at Ashton Gate. Blackburn were heading into the top six at the Robins’ expense when Yuki Ohashi gave Rovers the lead at Bramall Lane, but they were pegged back by Anel Ahmedhodzic’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United. Luton’s second successive relegation was confirmed after a 5-3 defeat at West Brom, with Tom Fellows, Callum Styles and Millenic Alli (Luton) all scoring twice at the Hawthorns. Therefore, the Hatters needed a big favour at Fratton Park, but Hull survived to hang on for a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth, after Christian Saydee equalised for the hosts in the 55th minute. Derby and Stoke played out a goalless draw to retain their second-tier spots. Sunderland will go into their play-off semi-final against Coventry after five consecutive losses. QPR, with assistant coaches Kevin Betsy and Xavi Calm in charge after Marti Cifuentes was placed on gardening leave, claimed a 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light after Nicolas Madsen’s early finish. Jack Wilshere won the battle with his former Arsenal teammate Aaron Ramsey after Norwich beat Cardiff 4-2 at Carrow Road, with Marcelino Nunez scoring on either side of Calum Chambers’ 16th-minute red card. Ji-Sung Eom scored a stunner as Swansea, who recently appointed Alan Sheehan on a permanent basis and had Joe Allen playing his final game before retirement, drew 3-3 at home to Oxford, who equalised late on through Przemyslaw Placheta. Josh Windass, in what could be his final appearance for Sheffield Wednesday, netted in a 1-1 draw at Watford. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Daniel Farke’s Leeds United celebrate winning the Championship Their 5-3 defeat away at West Bromwich Albion along with Hull City’s 1-1 draw at Portsmouth meant they dropped to the third tier for the first time since 2019."},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Matt Bloomfield’s team came into the game on a high after winning their previous three matches including against promotion-chasers Bristol City and Coventry City the man who got them into the Premier League in 2023 came back immediately as Millenic Alli cut"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":200})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Luton Town were relegated for the second successive season ole ole!” Coventry 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seat inside the"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":225})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"What a day for Coventry City The Sunday TimesLuton have been relegated after their defeat and a draw for HullGETTYPeter WilsonSaturday May 03 2025 The Sunday TimesLuton Town were relegated for the second successive season meant they dropped to the third tier for the first time since 2019 Matt Bloomfield’s team came into the game on a high after winning their previous three matches Bloomfield joined Luton from Wycombe in January but despite an upturn in form was unable to keep them in the ChampionshipSTUART LEGGETT/MI NEWS & SPORTTom Fellows fired West Bromwich into a seventh-minute lead when his near-post shot squeezed past Thomas Kaminski in the Luton goal came back immediately as Millenic Alli cut Albion signed off a disappointing season in style with a 5-3 rout of Luton to relegate the visitors at The Hawthorns Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.comand on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Winger Tom Fellows and left-back Callum Styles fired their first career braces and Daryl Dike marked his first league start in 750 days with a fine header Luton equalised early at 1-1 but as soon as they fell 2-1 behind they crumbled and were booed at half-time and full-time as their relegation was confirmed as Hull survived The eight-goal thriller at a sparsely-populated Hawthorns saw James Morrison's men end the season in ninth as Coventry and Bristol City claimed a play-off place The contest started in ideal fashion for the Baggies as Fellows opened the scoring on seven minutes he turned in on his left and sent a powerful left-footed strike towards the near post Goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski got his hand to it but could not keep the ball from crossing the line Ousmane Diakite was caught on the ball in midfield and it was worked out to attacker Millenic Alli Alli managed to cut infield past Kyle Bartley all too easily and converted a low right-footed finish into the far corner beyond Josh Griffiths It breathed yet more hope into a boisterous away end full of noise and colour The Hatters were well in the game at 1-1 but boss Matt Bloomfield Luton players and fans could hardly have foreseen what was to unfold Hull took the lead elsewhere against Portsmouth One of the finest moments of Albion's season came on half hour Dike - who former boss Tony Mowbray said in his final press conference was unable to start games due to his tailored physical schedule - had been energetic but on the fringes But on half hour Styles delivered an excellent deep cross from the left perfect for Dike The striker climbed powerful to head down across Kaminski and into the far corner His celebration with the Smethwick End was one of real emotion Moments later it was 3-1 Albion with Dike once again involved as Fellows doubled his account for the day and season A lovely flowing team goal saw Isaac Price flick around the corner for Dike The striker turned and picked a perfect through ball for Fellows who darted into the box and kept his cool to lift over Kaminski Albion keeper Griffiths was on his toes to deal with Styles' weak backpass but Luton's heads dropped as soon as the second went in and at 3-1 down at the interval were jeered off The Baggies started the second period where they left off and took the game away from Luton within 15 minutes Left-back Styles finished off another neat move with his first Fellows fed Darnell Furlong on the right and the right-back's first-time low cross picked out his opposite full-back to convert The post denied Karlan Grant a fine header from Dike's chipped cross moments later before Styles made it five with a deflected drive off Thelo Aasgaard from 25 yards Dike was withdrawn just after to one of the loudest ovations of the season Albion coasted after weeks of struggle in the final third It was much too little too late for the home side this season but Hatters fans chanted "you're not fit to wear the shirt" Luton's Jordan Clark curled in a fine strike from outside the box to make it 5-2 with 25 minutes left It appeared no more than a consolation at the time and ended up that way but the Hatters pushed as Albion tried to see things out The Baggies and Price were lucky as the latter strangely knee'd the ball against his own post with Griffiths stranded Albion introduced defender Semi Ajayi and attacker Grady Diangana from the bench for their farewell appearances with contracts to expire There was a league debut for 19-year-old Harry Whitwell Alli scored his second and Luton's third with a fine finish into the far corner for 5-3 on 85 minutes Morrison's men had a few chances to break and score again but the result was all-but sealed Griffiths made a fine late low save from Tahith Chong The closing seconds and minutes immediately after full-time were soundtracked by jeers from the away end and chants of "you're not fit to wear the shirt" from the away end as relegation was confirmed thanks to Hull's draw Albion re-emerged with families for a lap of appreciation with the supporters that stayed around Chairman and owner tweeted before the game there was 'much to build on for next season' Albion fans will hope for much improvement Luton Town (3-4-3): Kaminski; Makosso (Burke MARVELLOUS Nakamba’s Luton Town has been relegated from the SkyBet English Championship League after losing 5-3 to West Brom Saturday afternoon Luton’s defeat saw them finishing on position 22 on the log joining Plymouth and Cardif City as the three relegated teams this season A Saturday victory would have seen Luton surviving the chop as it would have propelled them to position 18 on the log I feel sorry for the fans and also for the lads with the effort they’ve put in recently “We gave ourselves too much of a mountain to climb “We’ll receive a backlash for today’s result and rightfully so to an extent sweat and tears into the last few weeks,” said Luton captain Carlton Morris during a post-match interview Luton Town will now compete in the English League One next season and it remains unknown whether Zimbabwe’s Nakamba will stay put or leave the club New Zimbabwe.com Tweets by NewZimbabweCom NewZimbabwe.com – The Zimbabwe News You Trust is Zimbabwe’s leading online newspaper and published by New Zimbabwe Media Ltd The platform brings you the latest breaking News Diaspora and gives you everything you’ve come to expect and love Our Forums are vibrant and gives everyone a chance to be heard tablet smart phone or on our App its quick easy and free access all the news you love NewZimbabwe.com is updated continually with the latest news to help you feed your addiction with stories & photos from Zimbabwe and many more Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications Luton Town have been branded 'spineless' for what the club posted on social media in the wake of suffering back-to-back relegations The Hatters were a Premier League club in the 2023-24 campaign, but will be playing in League One next season after being condemned back to the third tier of English football on the final day of the regular EFL season this afternoon Luton were beaten 5-3 by West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns in a game the Hatters had to win in a bid to secure their Championship status but ultimately came up short Millenic Alli cancelled out Tom Fellows' opener for the Baggies but the hosts then raced into a four-goal lead past the hour mark Fellows netted his second, while Callum Styles bagged a brace and Daryl Dike scored for the Baggies as they led 5-1 Jordan Clark and Alli both reduced the deficit before full-time but it could not stop Matt Bloomfield's team from being relegated for the second campaign in a row Hatters boss Bloomfield said: "It is a particularly painful moment for us and everyone associated with our football club Following the loss at the Hawthorns and the confirmation they will be a League One club next season The post read: "It was not the outcome or the season that we wanted "Thank you all for your loyal support in 2024/25 we will be back stronger next season." But the post does not even mention the Hatters have suffered relegation or they will be playing in League One next season with some fans on social media slamming the decision not to state confirmed facts One wrote: "Not even facing up to the fact we’ve been relegated Much like the board and the playing squad for 18 months." One posted: "Fans deserve a bit more from the club than this." And another responded: "Heads should be rolling I hope the Board are better at flogging apartments than running a men's first team." While one fan said: "It's not good enough and never will be "We'll be there next season but you don't deserve us All the players should pay for our season tickets next season." Topics: Luton Town, EFL Championship, League One, West Brom xemailThe Hatters succumbed to a second successive relegation on a disastrous afternoon at The Hawthorns Three wins in a row had propelled the Town out of danger and had survival in their own hands at West Brom – only needing to match Hull’s result to ensure another season of Championship football it will be back to League One for the first time since being crowned champions in 2018/19 as the Town were soundly beaten by the Baggies Relegation on goal difference was confirmed after Hull earned a draw at Portsmouth the Town fell behind in the seventh minute when Tom Fellows blasted past Thomas Kaminski The only brief moment of hope for the Hatters came two minutes later when Millenic Alli levelled with a low strike His goal was met by jubilant celebrations in the away end but those cheers were soon quietened in the 18th minute when news filtered through that Hull had taken the lead at Portsmouth With Preston also leading at Bristol City the Town knew they needed to up the ante but it went from bad to worse when two goals in three minutes had West Brom 3-1 in front Daryl Dike – on his first start in over 700 days – nodded past Kaminski before Fellows finished well moments later In the second half the Town came out knowing what they had to do hope – that damn thing – returned once more when Portsmouth equalised against Hull Any belief that the Hatters could bring survival back into their own hands was deflated further with another two-goal burst from the Baggies his second a deflected strike from 20 yards 5-1 down the Town’s Championship chances solely rested on Portsmouth beating Hull but the Hatters reduced arrears on 65 minutes when Jordan Clark curled home from the edge of the box As time ticked down at The Hawthorns – never a happy hunting ground of ours – the Hatters got it back to 5-3 in the closing stages as Alli scored his second when placing a shot home from 18 yards However hard you stared at the live score it would not change Tahith Chong came close to making it 5-4 in the first of six added minutes as the Town tried in vain for score two goals that would keep them up But by the time the final whistle went it was also full-time at Fratton Park A point for Hull kept the Tigers up and relegated the Hatters on goal difference lot worse down the years and have always bounced back stronger That will need to happen once again when it’s time to regroup in League One come August Their team had just been beaten 5-3 by West Bromwich Albion in a breathless game on the final day of the Championship season to confirm relegation into English football’s third tier Some hugged loved ones for comfort; others just held their heads in their hands It was a dark day in the club’s recent history and all the more painful given that — just 12 short months ago — Luton still had a chance of staying in the Premier League They ultimately lost that fight but started this season among the promotion favourites the campaign turned into the mother of all hangovers Having failed to readjust to the relentlessness of the Championship they became just the fourth team in Premier League history to suffer successive relegations The big question back in May 2023 when Rob Edwards’ Luton team defeated Coventry City at Wembley to win the Championship play-off final was: just how did they pull that off was a club which had fallen out of the Football League entirely in 2009 following a 30-point deduction imposed by the English Football Association due to financial irregularities A fan-led consortium saved the club from administration but there was no way of preventing Luton dropping into non-League Luton were literally not equipped to deal with the Premier League: they had to spend £10m improving their beloved but dilapidated Kenilworth Road stadium a ground so embedded in the heart of the community that the entrance to one stand is physically connected to a row of terraced houses Around £20m was spent in the transfer window — a 20th of the sum laid out by Chelsea that summer — but despite being perhaps the least-resourced club to ever play at Premier League level They drew 1-1 with Liverpool, made Manchester City and Arsenal fight desperately to secure victory and enjoyed notable wins over Newcastle United and Brighton. Harry Styles, the pop singer, was a visitor in the club’s directors’ box when Manchester United came to visit while Edwards won a legion of admirers and not just because of his charming press conference manner which earned him the nickname ‘Handsome Rob Edwards’ with relegation mathematically confirmed on the final day of the season when Nottingham Forest a team now battling for European football at the opposite end of the table But hopes were still high for the new season and their chances of making an instant return Luton never readjusted to the gruelling treadmill of the Championship which is far removed from Premier League glamour A brutal schedule of 46 league games (Premier League campaigns are 38) took its toll on a squad whose morale had been bruised by relegation “The Premier League is so far clear of anything else that it’s quite a fall to go from there to the Championship,” Kevin Harper of Luton Town’s Supporters Trust says “I just don’t think we were ready to handle it.” One of the standout players in Luton’s top-flight campaign was former England midfielder Ross Barkley His departure on a free transfer to Aston Villa together with losing the technical ability of Arsenal loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga and the pace of Republic of Ireland winger Chiedozie Ogbene who signed for Ipswich Town (who took Luton’s place in the Premier League) “Ross was just impossible to replace,” Gary Sweet “Ross is a Premier League player and what you can’t do is to even think about replacing Ross Barkley in the Championship Ross Barkleys don’t exist in the Championship.” new arrivals left many fans feeling underwhelmed There were 15 new signings in total but only £26m was spent despite having had a season of Premier League riches and having received the first of two parachute payments in the region of £50m “The backdrop of our custodianship of the football club is financial stability,” Sweet says “It’s an absolute cornerstone and that is vital to Luton Town because whilst the new generation of Luton fans won’t have the memory of what happened prior to our ownership we went through three administrations in a fairly short period at a time it’s more stable now than it probably ever has been financially and structurally particularly given Luton’s previous flirtations with financial disaster but it meant that Edwards was not equipped with a squad that could mount a realistic promotion challenge Three defeats in their first four games set the tone “On the opening day they lost 4-1 to Burnley and that showed them they hadn’t really strengthened as they wanted over the summer,” Mike Simmonds “They got off to a bad start and then they just couldn’t get going after that really kept losing to teams they shouldn’t lose to.” Luton travelled to Middlesbrough and lost 5-1 A crestfallen Edwards conceded it was not good enough and that the decision on his future was “out of my hands” until he was sacked and replaced by Matt Bloomfield “We loved Rob for what he delivered for this football club and we wanted to keep him here for a long time We gave him a new four-year deal last summer What dictated it was the human element to this and that Rob was an employee of ours that we cared passionately about Our view is that instability in football management is a bad thing for football clubs We try to recruit the right manager and keep them here for the long term.” Maybe Edwards himself would recognise that it would have been better to walk away last summer not just in terms of the club’s relegation battle but also the trauma of seeing club captain Tom Lockyer who had been taken to hospital after collapsing at the play-off final this time at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium The Wales defender’s heart stopped for two minutes and 40 seconds until medical staff and paramedics were able to revive him following cardiac arrest Lockyer had been passed fit to play following his cardiac issues but has not played all season after suffering ankle injuries and many feel Lockyer’s leadership on the pitch has been sorely missed He is out of contract this summer and recently admitted he did not know where his future lies Bloomfield made Luton more difficult to break down They picked up 24 points in the last 20 games including a 1-1 draw with Championship winners Leeds United and climbed out of the relegation places last week following a win over play-off-chasing Coventry Another win at West Brom would have been enough to secure safety but a capitulation left the club facing what Bloomfield called the “agonising” reality of relegation although at least they have been prepared for that eventuality “Last year was our first relegation since 2008-09 and for a club that is renowned for a rollercoaster ride We know how to handle the transition going upwards but that first summer last year was the first time we’ve had to manage it going the other way “There is a plan we’ve got for League One that will be fully active from Sunday onwards Any club that is in this position that doesn’t do that (plan for both outcomes) is just burying their head in the sand.” Key to Luton’s future is their long-mooted new stadium project and the surplus earnings from the 2023-24 season has helped them plan for a 25,000 capacity stadium an increase from the original plan of 18,000 “That is what the Premier League has done for us,” Sweet adds “What I’ve been saying this week when we’ve announced the contractor to build Power Court (the location of the new ground) is that during the course of this lifetime we’re going to be playing football in that stadium in the Premier League So whether we are League One or Championship next season it makes really no difference to the specification of that programme All we do is regroup as a football club and a football team.” For fans who have experienced some crushing lows League One does not represent the catastrophe it might for others Matt Claridge was born blind and has been attending Luton games his whole life. His now-retired guide dog Jeffrey became an online sensation and was one of the stars of Luton’s Premier League adventure people thought we were down,” says Claridge who listened to the West Brom game at home with Jeffrey and his new guide dog Primrose “We were bottom of the table with 12 games left But we turned it around and no one thought we would go into the last game of the season fighting to stay up A lot of us thought we would already be down “I don’t see what’s happening on the pitch but I can tell the people around us have been more hopeful I was there supporting them in the Conference (National League) so we’ll still be supporting them every week Luton were relegated from the Premier League after finishing six points from safety Luton Town "might have reinforced more" last season to try and avoid relegation from the Premier League The Hatters published their financial results for the year ending 30 June, 2024, external on Wednesday night revealing record turnover and profits as a result of being promoted to the Premier League for the first time The club posted an operating profit of £48.8m though that figure has already been spent on ground improvements at Kenilworth Road upgrades to the training ground and new club office space The remainder has been ring-fenced for investment in the club's academy and the development of the proposed new stadium at Power Court Japan international Daiki Hashioka was the only January arrival to make a first-team impact though the defender was limited to just six starts and amid an injury crisis the Hatters took just six points from their final 16 fixtures to finish 18th The statement said: "In hindsight the club might have reinforced more as from the turn of the year onwards injuries began to blight the season with a number of key players succumbing to long term issues that would seem them miss all or large parts of the remainder of the season "The club recorded 11 missing players in a single game week while 18 of the 26-man squad were ruled out at some point with many of these injuries concentrated in the second half of the season severely hampering the team's efforts to avoid the drop." The club's turnover increased from £18.4m to £132.3m thanks to their return to the top flight after more than 30 years away but operating costs also jumped from £39.5m to nearly £85m as a result of winning the Championship play-off final against Coventry City The Hatters broke their transfer record a number of times Blackburn keeper Thomas Kaminski and Jacob Brown from Stoke in addition to signing free agents Tim Krul who went on to become the club's player of the season Luton are facing the prospect of a second-straight relegation as the Hatters are 23rd in the Championship three points from safety and with the second-worst goal difference in the division After killing his family, Prosper planned to carry out a mass shooting at his former primary school - having chosen a Friday 13th date deliberately Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb says Prosper "intended to unleash disaster on the community of Luton" and was "inappropriately cheerful" after being arrested The court heard Prosper hoped to kill his family while they slept - but after a noisy struggle, he left the flat and neighbours called police Watch Prosper being arrested here and him buying his shotgun in a car park here Watch: Teenager sentenced to minimum of 49 years in prison with Brian Farmer and Nicola Haseler reporting from Luton Crown Court Nicholas Prosper was sentenced to a minimum of 49 years in prison as part of a life sentence We are now wrapping up our live coverage from the sentencing hearing of Nicholas Prosper at Luton Crown Court He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years for the murders of his mum and teenage siblings Kyle and Giselle Prosper at the tower block flat in Marsh Farm in Luton the 19-year-old killer wanted to become the deadliest school shooter the UK had ever seen by opening fire at his old primary school in the Bedfordshire town his plan was disrupted when neighbours raised the alarm after hearing a struggle from inside the family flat As well as reading all our posts below, you can read our background piece about how Prosper was inspired to become a mass murderer here, as well as our report on today's sentencing If you have been affected by any of the distressing content coming from court today, support is available via BBC Action Line Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReporting two horrific court cases in the space of a monthpublished at 17:26 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March17:26 GMT 19 MarchBrian FarmerLuton Crown Court When I watched young Nicholas Prosper sitting in the dock with his head in his hands and his fingers in his ears Journalists might expect to report on one triple murder in their career – but I’ve covered two such court cases in the space of a month What happened in Bushey in July 2024, when 26-year-old Clifford slaughtered Carol Hunt and her daughters Hannah and Louise, was beyond belief Two ordinary days in two ordinary English towns some 20 miles apart Six horrific murders (with even more horrific murders planned in Luton) Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingJudge decides 'life doesn't mean life' for Prosperpublished at 17:03 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March17:03 GMT 19 MarchBrian FarmerLuton Crown Court A killer murdering multiple victims often leads to judges concluding that a life sentence must mean life in jail Judges must impose a mandatory life sentence for murder They can decide the case is so serious that it warrants a whole life order or they can choose to fix a minimum prison term before the offender can be considered for parole Recent high-profile cases where murderers have been given whole life orders include that of crossbow killer Kyle Clifford and Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens they decide against the ultimate penalty of an entire lifetime behind bars The case of Ian Huntley is one such example where a judge has opted for a lengthy spell behind bars although the parole board may never deem them fit for release who murdered two 10-year-old girls in Soham More recently, Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was told he would spend the next 52 years behind bars before he was considered for parole after murdering three primary-school age girls at a summer holiday dance class Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb became the latest judge to conclude that life should not mean life She concluded the sentencing guidelines meant Nicholas Prosper's case was not one that "cleanly clears the hurdle of enhanced exceptionality" The judge pointed to factors including Prosper's age before deciding to set a minimum 49-year term She also noted Prosper was "highly dangerous" and may never be released Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingIn full: Judge dresses down Prosper for attempted 'no-show'published at 16:45 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March16:45 GMT 19 MarchImage source PA MediaThe sentencing hearing was supposed to resume at 10:30 this morning but Prosper was refusing to come back into court which delayed proceedings by an hour and a half Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said she would not pass sentence until the triple murderer "I was told at 08:45 this morning that you were refusing to attend court "I ordered that you had to be brought "You have to face the consequences of your actions; to hear the court’s sentence passed in public and it is important for those who loved your victims to see you sentenced." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingKilling your family 'beyond comprehension' says CPSpublished at 16:38 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March16:38 GMT 19 MarchShan Saunders a senior prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service says the murderer's "chilling" crimes have distressed the community Ms Saunders said detectives uncovered Prosper's extensive planning and a "disturbing interest" in mass murder Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingJuliana Falcon was an 'innocent victim of an ungrateful son'published at 16:30 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March16:30 GMT 19 MarchAs we mentioned just now those who knew Nicholas Prosper faced a struggle in getting him to engage with mental health services who noticed he had become withdrawn at home She encouraged him to attend college and study for A-levels The judge said Juliana was "hard-working" adding: "She cared for her children and tried to persuade you to get help when [you were] struggling at school "She was an innocent victim of an ungrateful unfeeling son whose only wish was to be famous through destroying the lives of young children." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingProsper refused to engage with mental health servicespublished at 16:24 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March16:24 GMT 19 MarchWe have also heard about Prosper refusing to engage with mental health services over a potential Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis This had been recommended by both his parents and teachers and a referral was made to the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services team after his guilty pleas a consultant forensic psychiatrist examined Prosper in custody and their pre-sentence report concluded the 19-year-old had mild ASD traits including having "persistent deficits" in social communication and interaction He also found the killer had an "extreme lack" of empathy for others Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWhy didn't the judge impose a whole life order?published at 16:08 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March16:08 GMT 19 MarchImage source Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb opted against imposing a whole life order which would have meant no chance of release on parole These orders are rare and often described by judges up and down the country as "a sentence of last resort" guilty pleas and the fact he did not continue his violence after leaving the flat swayed her against a whole life tariff She instead fixed a minimum term of 49 years meaning the triple murderer will not be eligible for parole until at least 2074 when he is in his late 60s His release would then have to be approved by the Parole Board the judge said precedent law offered specific guidance when it came to considering whole life orders for those aged 18-20 She said the offences must be "exceptionally high even by the standard of offences which would normally result in a whole life order" it is the explicit joint submission of counsel that a lengthy finite term will be a sufficiently severe penalty," the judge said earlier "This is not such an exceptionally serious case of the utmost gravity where the sentence of last resort must be imposed on an offender who was 18 at the time and is 19 today." It has only been legal in England and Wales for people aged between 18 and 20 to receive these orders since 2022 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHome secretary pledges to tackle 'disturbing fixations' with violencepublished at 15:58 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March15:58 GMT 19 MarchImage source Jacob King/PALuton Crown Court heard how Nicholas Prosper became fixated with school shootings and while he interacted with others in chatrooms online he stopped engaging with the real world and his own education The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "What we have seen again in this case again is senseless killings fuelled purely by a disturbing fixation with violence and obsessive brutality "This terrible case has exposed deep and longstanding weaknesses in private firearms sales and we are urgently looking at how we can tighten these controls "But it also shows an urgent need to look at the very disturbing way some young people are becoming fixated with extreme violent material online and the real dangers to our communities as a result "From tech companies to law enforcement to schools stronger recognition of the nature of this threat is needed and stronger action to prevent this kind of terrible violence "This government will not shy away from taking the actions that are needed to keep communities safe." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBrothers' school pays tribute to 'much-loved' murder victimpublished at 15:40 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March15:40 GMT 19 MarchImage source Both Nicholas and Kyle Prosper attended Cardinal Newman Catholic School We have just been sent a statement from Cardinal Newman Catholic School, external in Luton where both Nicholas and Kyle Prosper had their secondary education A school spokesman begins by stating Juliana Kyle and Giselle are "foremost in our thoughts" was a "much-loved" pupil who was "known for his kindness and for simply being a brilliant friend" no surprise to hear that his last acts were focused on helping others and may have helped stop a tragedy of even greater proportions," they add "His bravery and courage are testament to the amazing young man Kyle was and he will always be in our thoughts and prayers." The statement continues by saying the details that emerged in court were "difficult to hear and even harder to comprehend" It pays testament to the "tremendous support" shared within the school community "While we believe we exhausted the avenues open to us to support this family after such a tragedy we would not be human if we did not reflect on whether there was anything we collectively could have done differently," the spokesman adds "We would welcome being part of any review process that may take place in the future." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFamily 'horrified' and say Nicholas Prosper had 'isolated' himselfpublished at 15:27 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March15:27 GMT 19 MarchImage source The statement was read to a crowd of journalists outside Luton Crown Court Det Supt Rob Hall read a statement on behalf of Ray Prosper He is the former husband of Juliana Falcon The statement read: "We are devastated by the loss of our loved ones and are horrified to hear what Nicholas had planned "He had completely isolated himself from us over the past year "Their deaths and the fast response of Bedfordshire Police stopped any other family in the community going through the pain we have suffered." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingProsper 'angry' at his mother for making him go to collegepublished at 15:18 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March15:18 GMT 19 MarchWe also heard more about Prosper's spiralling disengagement from the education system in the build-up to the murders Prosper was "made" by his mum to go to sixth form college in September 2022 This was something that made him "angry" at his mother He failed to work towards getting his A-levels and was subsequently asked to leave the college in March 2023 you existed in an online world choosing little real-life contact with others apart from attending a gym and working part-time stacking supermarket shelves for a few months," Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said The judge added he spent most of his time planning a school shooting "on a scale that you hoped would make you globally notorious" Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTimeline 13 September: Judge's comments detail the lead-up and aftermath of the murderspublished at 15:02 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March15:02 GMT 19 MarchAs the judge passed her sentence we gained further insight into what Nicholas Prosper did in the hours before he murdered his family as well what happened in the immediate aftermath Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'No comment' during police interviewpublished at 14:40 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March14:40 GMT 19 MarchThis video can not be played Nicholas Prosper was taken into custody by Bedfordshire Police Footage from the interview room shows the killer calmly and repeatedly answering "no comment" during an hour of questioning by detectives Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingCouncil leader pledges support for school communitypublished at 14:29 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March14:29 GMT 19 MarchImage source Hazel Simmons said security at Luton's schools was "constantly reviewed and monitored" The Labour leader of Luton Council said counsellors will be made available to pupils, family and staff members at the primary school where Nicholas Prosper planned to kill 30 pupils Hazel Simmons described the details that came out in Prosper's sentencing as "deeply distressing "We are supporting St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School.. as well as standing up wider support in the community for anyone that is distressed by the revelations "As troubling and concerning as these revelations are it is important to remember that this individual was not able to cause any harm to the school and there are robust systems in place to keep children safe at school at all times "Security at Luton schools is constantly reviewed and monitored and in the last couple of weeks we have asked schools to review their lockdown procedures and school site security; and offered to support any school that feels they would like to carry out additional site security surveys." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingCommissioner calls for 'urgent' review of firearms legislationpublished at 14:17 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March14:17 GMT 19 MarchImage source Laura Foster/BBCBedfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) says he has written to the home secretary to request an "urgent review" of legislation relating to firearms sales and exchange in light of the Nichola's Prosper murders wants Yvette Cooper to look at the law and "make us all safer" Tizard says his thoughts are with the victims following the "horrific" killings and thanks all those involved "in the response and investigation to bring the person [Proper] to justice" He adds he is "relieved" Prosper was not able to carry out his chilling plans to target a school Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSchool attack would have seen 'unimaginable level of harm'published at 14:08 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March14:08 GMT 19 MarchImage source Kyle Prosper (middle) and Giselle Prosper were killed before police arrived at about 05:50 on Friday A senior Bedfordshire Police officer has been paying tribute to Nichola's Prosper's victims and described the Luton killer has "truly evil" Det Ch Insp Sam Khanna said: "Our thoughts today are first and foremost with Juliana Kyle and Giselle and all who knew and loved them rather than the person who carried out these despicable murders and who intended to carry out an unimaginable level of harm to innocent school children which has included many years spent investigating murders I have never encountered anyone capable of such horrific acts whilst showing no remorse "I have been utterly shocked and appalled by the actions and plans of the offender in this case and am pleased that this truly evil individual will now be serving a significant proportion of his life behind bars." The officer also paid tribute to all of his colleagues involved in bringing Prosper to justice Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLuton killer wanted to be ‘notorious and infamous’published at 13:50 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March13:50 GMT 19 MarchBBC Sounds Nicholas Prosper was planning a mass school shooting after murdering his family Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHow Prosper's plan was interruptedpublished at 13:41 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March13:41 GMT 19 MarchSentencing has revealed that Nicholas Prosper's plan would have seen him kill 34 people in total: He had hoped to kill his family while they slept but his mother woke up and it seems she confronted her son Prosper's neighbours in the tower block alerted the police meaning the killer had to leave his home hours ahead of his schedule and schools opening for the day After the killing Prosper wrote a note which said: "I was right in predicting no-one would've called the police had I killed them in their sleep." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Sickening plans to target school children'published at 13:35 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March13:35 GMT 19 MarchWelcoming the life sentence with a minimum term of 49 years in jail Bedfordshire's Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy adds: “I know this does not take away from the sheer horror of the incident and his sickening plans to target school children "I do not underestimate the impact on the staff parents and carers of pupils at schools across the country but particularly those associated with St Joseph’s School Transport secretary Heidi Alexander grants consent to London’s fourth-biggest airport to allow potential 32m passengers a year Luton airport will be allowed to almost double in capacity after the government overruled planning inspectors who recommended blocking the scheme on environmental grounds The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, granted a development consent order for the airport’s plans to expand its perimeter and add a new terminal, allowing for a potential 32 million passengers a year. The approval comes despite concerns raised about ancient trees and the impact of more flights on the Chilterns, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Labour sources, however, said the promise of thousands of additional jobs had outweighed environmental considerations. Read moreLuton airport is also ultimately owned by the local council, meaning that a greater share of its profits are put back into local services. It has promised a “green controlled-growth mechanism”, which includes legally binding targets on noise and emissions, and public transport access to the airport. About 16.7 million people used the airport last year. It is the fourth largest in the London area and a base for a number of leisure airlines. It is also well situated for the Oxford-Cambridge arc championed by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, for future economic growth. The approval comes less than a week after Vauxhall’s van-making factory in Luton was closed by its parent company, Stellantis, putting as many as 1,100 jobs at risk. The airport claims to have majority local support for the expansion plan, although opponents cite the destruction of an adjacent park amid wider climate and noise concerns. Paul Kehoe, the chair of Luton Rising, the council’s airport-owning company, said: “Our scheme will deliver up to 11,000 new jobs, additional annual economic activity of up to £1.5bn, and up to an additional £13m every year for communities and good causes.” Free daily newsletterGet set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning He said the environmental limits in its application made it “the most far-reaching commitment to the sustainable operation of an airport ever put forward in the UK”, and that its own polling showed five times more support than opposition for the plans. The airport’s existing terminal will be enlarged again and a second terminal will be built. The Dart rail link, which opened in 2023, will also be connected to the second terminal, with new taxiways for aircraft and parking facilities added. Campaigners says the expansion will not bring growth while damaging the environment. The New Economics Foundation’s senior economist, Alex Chapman, said: “Expansion at Luton will see another 8 million UK residents taking their money overseas on holiday instead of spending it on UK high streets. “If this government is so desperate for growth, it should focus on investing properly in the vital public services upon which the health of our economy really depends.” David Oakley-Hill of Luton Friends of the Earth said the group was extremely disappointed that Alexander had ignored Labour’s own tests on emissions and noise for airport expansion. He said: “Increased flights and traffic will bring far more pollution, cause ill-health and early deaths for many residents, gridlock the east of the town and destroy Wigmore Park – a vital noise and pollution barrier between the airport and people’s homes.” Hull were safe after a point was enough to keep them up and send Luton Town down Hull City boss Ruben Selles says that after arriving when the club was at "rock bottom" it was "massive" to achieve Championship safety scored first through Matt Crooks before going on to draw with Portsmouth and remain in the division on just goal difference Luton Town's defeat at West Bromwich Albion meant that the Hatters would join Cardiff and Plymouth Argyle as the third team relegated to League One "I'm very proud of the courage and the way the players managed the game on the pitch." Selles told BBC Radio Humberside "Everyone in the club managed difficult moments and it has been a tough season for everyone and we deserved to stay in the division "We had a team that was rock bottom and to achieve the target this season with all the injuries and everything else is just massive "Now it's over and we crossed the line we can rest a little bit and I told the players that we will remember this day for years to come." players and staff spent time with the 2,100 supporters who had made the trip down to the south coast Selles started the season at Reading but made the move to Hull in early December He replaced Tim Walter after the Tigers sacked the German following a run of nine games without a win Hull came under some pressure in the final minutes before the final whistle confirmed their safety "For us we saw the other results and knew that they were going our way." Selles added "In the last 10 minutes because of the Luton result I just decided to shut it down "When the referee blew the whistle I just needed to be 100% secure that the other games were done I didn't want to make a mistake and celebrate to early but we were okay it was amazing we were able to achieve it." 13th July 1954 - 3rd May 20254 hours agoClub historian Roger Wash pays tribute to our former goalkeeper xemailNews has reached Kenilworth Road of the sad passing of Jake Findlay the larger than life goalkeeper who starred as the Town won the Division Two (now Championship) title in 1982 Born as John Williamson Findlay in Blairgowrie Scotland he acquired the nickname ‘Jake’ at school where he took part in trials for both the Scottish Schools and Youth sides Aston Villa manager Tommy Docherty fought off a shoal of clubs to sign Jake as a 15-year-old but although he starred in the Villans' 1972 Youth Cup triumph he found it difficult to displace Jim Cumbes and Jimmy Rimmer as first team goalkeeper It took a lot of pestering by Luton manager David Pleat though to get Villa to release Jake to replace Milija Aleksic in 1979 but once he came to Kenilworth Road he became a terrace favourite and starred as the Hatters won promotion to Division One in 1982 An incredibly brave keeper who was never afraid to throw his body at opposing forwards it was a badly broken thumb that effectively ended his Luton career the Town had signed Les Sealey and after a brief spell at Swindon Jake turned to running a successful driving school in Sutton Coldfield and had often been seen back at Kenilworth Road where he was always good company Our condolences go out to all his family and friends Main picture: Jake in match action against Watford at Kenilworth Road in December 1982 There is no division quite like the Championship and on its season’s final day there were half a dozen clubs still desperate not to leave it behind Only Cardiff City had seen relegation to League One confirmed would be Plymouth Argyle but relegation anxieties had remained with five other clubs all the way to the finish line Hull City had begun the day in the bottom three Derby County and Stoke City fearful of an inglorious fall to English football’s third tier The swings would be inevitable and the tension abundant The Athletic was at four of the Championship’s most important fixtures to watch a lunchtime finale not for the faint of heart It’s quite surreal to watch a game riddled with tension and anger but what actually happens in it is almost completely irrelevant That was the experience of Luton’s trip to West Brom By the time West Brom scored their fourth goal in the 57th minute of what would eventually be a 5-3 win it was clear that everything rested on what happened in Portsmouth vs Hull with one of the more pathetic performances you’ll see in a game with such high stakes the atmosphere among their fans had a couple of levels A group of young lads had come dressed as Mario and Luigi managed to be simultaneously pessimistic and optimistic: “I reckon we’ll lose and still stay up.” As it turns out The more positive emotions were partly caused by the safety net they were operating with Luton have spent most of the second half of the season in the bottom three but after a switch in system under new manager Matt Bloomfield meant they went into the final day outside the relegation zone they knew they didn’t have to win to stay up: if they did “I don’t think we’ll ever know that,” said Bloomfield when The Athletic asked if that was a factor in their performance “There were probably lots of contributory factors go for a point and hope that we would get a result (elsewhere) It’s just very frustrating and disappointing that the performance wasn’t good enough I totally understand the disappointment and the anger West Brom took the lead, but were only ahead for 119 seconds before Millenic Alli equalised for Luton. But by the 33rd minute it was 3-1, USMNT international Daryl Dike even scoring his first league goal in 781 days for Albion The optimism from the away end had turned into fury “You’re not fit to wear the shirt,” they sang When Jordan Clark scored to make it 5-2 in the second half Daryl Dike has restored West Brom’s lead and put Luton’s survival hopes in even more jeopardy! :chart_with_downwards_trend: pic.twitter.com/4iVL5tvWf8 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 3, 2025 Daryl Dike powers in a header at the back post for his first goal of the season for The Baggies :us::boom: pic.twitter.com/2XzY6Gl2h3 — CBS Sports Golazo :soccer:️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 3, 2025 “Play up Pompey” and “if Pompey score we’re on the pitch” sang the fans Luton become the fourth team in the Premier League era to suffer a double relegation from the top flight to League One in two years They famously went from non-League to the Premier League in a decade: now they are halfway to doing the reverse Hull missed out on the play-offs by three points you can forgive their supporters for waking up in the early hours of Saturday morning to board one of the 17 coaches departing the MKM Stadium at 4am for Portsmouth wondering where it has all gone wrong in the last 12 months The players must have thought the same at the beginning of this week only adding to the drama before a pivotal match especially after going from three points off the play-offs last season to this,” Owen Waugh As all 2,161 of their fans entered Fratton Park the nerves were palpable — but there was an air of confidence To contrast the emotions being felt by anyone associated with Hull was posing for pictures with the home supporters before kick-off As the Hull players emerged from the tunnel was in the directors’ box and only needed to wait a handful of minutes before the away end erupted in a chant of following West Brom’s early goal against Luton as Luton pegged them back but it was bedlam in the 18th minute in the away end Joao Pedro’s header from a corner was met by Matt Crooks Matt Crooks scores for Hull and Luton are sunk into the relegation zone! :scream: pic.twitter.com/UFCZ92tYN5 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 3, 2025 Even though Luton’s collapse, coupled with Hull winning, appeared to extinguish the jeopardy, Ruben Selles, their head coach appointed in December to keep them in the league, could not relax. Selles continued to maraud around his technical area and used a break in play in the 29th minute to deliver a team talk to all 10 outfield players. “We should definitely keep him,” Waugh said of Selles. “He’s a great manager. He’s winning games, so hopefully we can carry that on into next season.” Ten minutes after the restart, the mood in the away end changed. Christian Saydee equalised for Portsmouth and it meant the rest of the match was going to be agonising. With Luton shipping five, all Hull had to do was hold on — and they did, just. Crooks was the first to run over to the away end, who were singing, “We are staying up!” The rest of the squad eventually made their way over, and Selles, who had been unable to stand still and was jumping around in the final minutes, let all of his pent-up stress out. “When the referee blew the whistle, my first thought was to be sure we were 100 per cent secure,” Selles said. “But then the feeling was amazing. We need to celebrate in the proper way.” Selles stood in the middle of the pitch, watching on as the away end danced to Gala’s Freed from Desire, soaking it all in, having completed the task of keeping the club in the Championship. The dressing room at full time was a scene of jubilation and relief. “It’s relief, really,” Crooks said. “It wasn’t football utopia for most of the game, but we managed to do it.” Among the sensations at Ashton Gate, irony wasn’t at the forefront of people’s minds. Bristol City and Preston North End, the Championship’s longest-serving sides having been promoted together in 2015, went into the game with different ambitions: Bristol City staring at the play-off places; Preston fighting for survival. The facade was one of drama but for Preston, the reality has been a slow, weary decline. Having been 15th in February, 11 points above the relegation zone, a run of one win in 14 — including damaging results against teams around them — saw them dragged into the mire. Some have said they’ve been sleepwalking towards the trap door but Preston have been very much aware of their situation. Somehow, though, their stuttering vehicle was able to ignite, if only into second gear, to guide them to safety on the final day. In the end, a 2-2 draw was enough. Preston had taken the initiative; a contrast to the previous few months. Emil Riis and Milutin Osmajic haven’t had many opportunities to gel this season but scored a goal apiece. Two-nil up — only the 10th time they had scored more than once in a game all season. But Preston have been curtailed by their soft underbelly all season. They had dropped 28 points from winning positions, the second-most in the division, and went on to drop two more when Ross McCrorie scored twice for a 2-2 draw. For 45 games and 74 minutes, things had been in Preston’s hands. Now they were relying on results from elsewhere. As it was, Luton’s thrashing kept them up. So, for what the demise? Departures of key players. Injuries to others. Osmajic was banned for eight games for biting Blackburn’s Owen Beck in October. Heckingbottom bemoaned refereeing decisions, too. For supporters, though, a lot of the frustation has been directed towards director Peter Ridsdale. “The recruitment’s been poor,” says Keith Harrison, a Preston fan and author of North End Souls. “The set-up behind the scenes, the structure of the club, it just does not resemble what a functioning championship club should look like. “We’re all crying out really for change, for some sort of modernisation, hopefully, it won’t take relegation for that to happen. But if it does, that’s the only silver lining we can cling to that will be significant changes. Heckingbottom has said before the match “that no matter what happens, it will be a real wake-up call for the club.” Heckingbottom bit back at fan discontent. “When I came in, there was a negativity around the place and that’s reared a little bit because we’ve been dragged into it. If there are some fans out there who want to be losing millions of pounds every year, they can take over and do it.” With 14 players out of contract, a big summer awaits. “There’s a core there that we need to add to,” Heckingbottom said. “We need to keep some of the key characteristics. But loans are going to be important. Free transfers. As many permanents as possible. But the competition for those players will be immense. “Now the season’s over, my wife thinks she’s got me, but from Monday the work will begin right until the end of the window.” For Preston, a reprieve. Now, time for a reset. The front cover of Derby’s matchday programme captured the defiance that accompanied the club into the season’s final day. Nat Phillips’ celebrations — mid-air and fists clenched — late in the 1-0 win away to Hull seven days earlier spoke of a mood transformed after much of the campaign had been spent fearing an immediate return to League One. Derby had recorded back-to-back away victories after winning only two of 21 games on their travels. John Eustace had praised his side for “scrapping and fighting… to stay in the division” just two months after they had found themselves bottom and seven points adrift. Eustace has pushed hard down on Derby’s chest since the middle of March and found a pulse. He had walked away from a top-six challenge with Blackburn Rovers in February for a very different challenge but needed one last result for vindication. The same for Stoke City and Mark Robins, another manager tasked with keeping relegation demons at bay when appointed on New Year’s Day. Enough results had been collected to ensure the Championship’s perennial underachievers began the day sitting most comfortably but tension was still a travel companion on the 40-mile trip to the East Midlands. Stoke knew a point would be sufficient, keeping at least Derby beneath them, and played as such. The game was low-risk and lower in quality. All sections of a sell-out crowd north of 32,000, in truth, were appreciative of that small mercy. Word of Luton leaking goals had both home and away fans chanting of survival with increasing volume. Jeopardy was primarily being kept away by West Brom but Derby, the more proactive of the two, had the better chances to mark survival with a victory. Twice they hit the woodwork in quick succession in the second half, first through Jerry Yates and then Phillips, but it was a contest that routinely felt destined to end goalless. “The game was so lacking in quality it was frightening,” Robins said. “It was rubbish but we both got what we needed.” Robins had more interest in a summer he hopes will see days like these avoided. “We shouldn’t be talking about Stoke being anywhere near the bottom,” he said. “This is a mid-table team at worst.” Eustace could afford to find greater satisfaction after leading his squad on a lap of appreciation inside Pride Park. “I’m very proud of the group,” he said after a crucial haul of seven points from the last nine available. “We’re fighters, not victims.” And another club determined to look upwards in the Championship next season. “The potential of this club is unbelievable,” Eustace added. Staying up, just as Robins outlined, can be the first step to bigger things. (Top photo: Hull’s Charlie Hughes and John Egan after safety was secured while Luton captain Jordan Clark shows the pain of relegation. Getty Images) Coventry and Bristol City into play-offs3 May 20255 Live sport Leeds score late winner at Plymouth and pip Burnley to title Coventry beat Boro and Bristol City draw with Preston to earn play-off places Luton relegated after 5-3 defeat at West Brom Preston and Hull both safe after draws; Derby and Stoke also survive Plymouth also relegated after late defeat by Leeds via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only the Championship season has come to an end Plymouth and Cardiff will all be playing League One football in three months It remains to be seen who will be joining the Whites and Clarets in the Premier League Coventry and Sunderland will contest the play-offs with the semi-final first legs taking place on 8 and 9 May before the second legs on 12 and 13 May The final will then be held at Wembley on Saturday Thank you as always for following along on what has been a dramatic final day in the best league in the world Congratulations and commiserations where due.. enjoy the rest of your day and we will see you again soon 1606Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThe ecstasy...published at 16:46 British Summer Time 3 May16:46 BST 3 May#bbcefl Leeds United celebrate winning the Championship Coventry boss Frank Lampard celebrates reaching the play-offs Bristol City fans celebrate finishing in a play-off spot for the first time in 17 years And Burnley are back in the Premier League.. 7012Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThe agony...published at 16:44 British Summer Time 3 May16:44 BST 3 May#bbcefl Luton's Jordan Clark is dejected after relegation Luton fans react after relegation is confirmed Blackburn's Yuko Ohashi after Rovers missed out on the play-offs And Millwall boss Alex Neil after the Lions also fell short of the top six.. 435Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 3 May16:43 BST 3 May#bbcefl They say a picture paints a thousand words Here's a look at the contrast in emotions from today in the Championship.. 231Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We showed the Green Army our character' - Muslicpublished at 16:40 British Summer Time 3 May16:40 BST 3 MayFT: Plymouth 1-2 Leeds Plymouth Argyle head coach Miron Muslic told BBC Sport: We faced by far the best team in our competition "We were relegated last week and still showed this kind of performance to make it very difficult for Leeds to break us - it shows the good spirit and character of the lads "Our obligation today was to give it our all we played for the Green Army and we wanted to reward our fans for the last time with a strong performance "The lads went all in and we simply needed maybe just 120 seconds to have a result we deserved "But that's (what happens) when you face the champions 13210Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We didn't take our chances' - Neilpublished at 16:38 British Summer Time 3 May16:38 BST 3 MayFT: Burnley 3-1 Millwall Millwall boss Alex Neil speaking to BBC Radio London: "Whenever you’re playing the top teams in this division You need to have a game plan; you have to understand you’re not going to dominate the ball "That wasn’t our intention; we tried to get them to risk the ball so we could nick it and try to counter We had opportunities and didn’t make the most of them "In a game of this magnitude when Burnley are chasing the league and we’re chasing play-offs you need to take the key moments and we only converted one But I’ve been involved in those moments where if you take your chances you can take the points 183Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'100 points won't win the league No chance' - Parkerpublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 3 May16:36 BST 3 MayFT: Burnley 3-1 Millwall Burnley manager Scott Parker speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire: "I'm so proud We came into today hoping it would go our way but wanting to win the game and get to 100 points - we did that "If you'd have said to me you'd reach 100 points 16 goals conceded and you wouldn't win the league I'd have said 'no chance' the players' reaction is one of needing to get back in it created numerous chances; on another day it could have been a lot more "The challenge goes up a level or two next year We've got a rock solid foundation and we've proven that this season reboot and we'll come into next year with a driving ambition to be as successful as we can." 6916Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingElsewhere in the EFL...published at 16:32 British Summer Time 3 May16:32 BST 3 May#bbcefl We're nearing the end of our live coverage here from today's final game of the Championship regular season, but you can also follow the conclusion of the League One and League Two campaigns here 133Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We deserved to stay up' - Sellespublished at 16:30 British Summer Time 3 May16:30 BST 3 MayFT: Portsmouth 1-1 Hull City Hull City boss Ruben Selles speaking to BBC Radio Humberside: "I’m very proud of the courage and the way the players managed the game on the pitch "Now it’s over and we crossed the line 4811Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'It's a special feeling' - Farkepublished at 16:23 British Summer Time 3 May16:23 BST 3 MayFT: Plymouth 1-2 Leeds Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke told BBC Sport: I want to send my congratulations to Burnley "They've played a season that deserves to be crowned with some silverware "Of course I'm happy that we won this game in the final stages and are officially allowed to label ourselves as champions and be the best team this season "It's an emotionally moving day because we have invested so much and wanted to crown ourselves with some silverware pretty special in the dressing room and I'm very happy for my players and staff 37123Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We look in good shape to stay up this time' - Brownhillpublished at 16:19 British Summer Time 3 May16:19 BST 3 MayFT: Burnley 3-1 Millwall Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill told BBC Radio 5 Live: "To be promoted to the Premier League again is incredible - to celebrate with the fans at home is special we look in really good shape to go up for next season and hopefully stay up Is is going to be difficult but we've worked hard on everything; our defensive record speaks for itself "Credit to the staff and the fans but mainly the gaffer "If we didn’t win the league it doesn’t matter the main thing was getting promoted and we’ve done that." 7454Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We did everything to land a lucky punch' - Ismaelpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 3 May16:14 BST 3 MayFT: Sheffield United 1-1 Blackburn Blackburn Rovers boss Valerien Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Again it was an outstanding performance "The game plan until we conceded was perfect It was exactly what we expected but we conceded the goal too quickly One bad decision and you get punished but I think the performance was right we put every attacking player we have on the pitch we played with only one midfield player to try to have that lucky punch but it was a close call we are disappointed to miss out on the play-offs but at least we build some momentum and we can keep on going for the next season." "Tyrhys Dolan will be a player we will have to show patience [on] – it will be his decision [whether to stay at Blackburn] "He has put himself in a position [to be out of contract] It is a good position for him so we have to respect that he’s got the love we give him but at some point it depends on the offer he has." 149Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'The lads give everything for the shirt' - Manningpublished at 16:10 British Summer Time 3 May16:10 BST 3 MayFT: Bristol City 2-2 Preston Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol: "I have no idea how I am feeling "We made real hard work of it but I spoke to the lads beforehand and there's a lot made now about styles and philosophies and we spoke about us to underpin everything with the culture we have got "It says on the shirts 'always believe' and we have done that numerous times now and you see it today - it's a fantastic group of lads I couldn't be more proud of them and what they've done "There's no expectation or pressure on us so we have got to go and be brave and enjoy it the lads give everything for the shirt." 712Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We understand the disappointment and anger'published at 16:05 British Summer Time 3 May16:05 BST 3 MayFT: West Brom 5-3 Luton Luton Town manager Matt Bloomfield told BBC Three Counties Radio: "It is a particularly painful moment for us and everyone associated with our football club Sorry to our supporters for traveling up and down the country "I don’t know [where that performance came from] The goals we gave away were so disappointing We’ve been incredibly resilient in the last two months to really shore up at the back and unfortunately today it just wasn’t there." 4924Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We both got what we needed'published at 16:01 British Summer Time 3 May16:01 BST 3 MayFT: Derby 0-0 Stoke Stoke boss Mark Robins said: "It was a rubbish game but we both ended up getting what we needed "The game was so lacking in quality it’s frightening "The players managed themselves really well during the week and managed themselves through the game well today "Since I came in [to Stoke] in January it has been a really tough period - I think one of the toughest of my career It has been really difficult because I’m the third permanent manager and fourth voice they have had This team should never have been anywhere near the bottom "And had everyone been fit and we’d been in earlier things wouldn’t have got down to this day but thankfully we have managed to come out the other side okay." 446Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We got the job done' - Eustacepublished at 15:56 British Summer Time 3 May15:56 BST 3 MayFT: Derby 0-0 Stoke Derby County head coach John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby: “The job’s done and that’s the most important thing “What a fantastic effort from everyone connected to with the football club The players have been outstanding every day in training "They have dedicated themselves to getting to this moment and I couldn’t be any more proud of them home and away have been outstanding as well During some really difficult moments no-one stopped believing and if you believe in what you are doing you always have a chance "And here we are with us still in the Championship.” 12116Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We didn't find the solution today' - Le Brispublished at 15:51 British Summer Time 3 May15:51 BST 3 MayFT: Sunderland 0-1 QPR Sunderland will go into the play-offs following a run of five straight defeats Boss Regis Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle: "It's the end of the testing period we had some good periods but we were not able to create danger in the final third "At the end of the game with many players in the box and crosses it was really difficult to find a solution "It was the case today in another scenario where we have to run after something but unfortunately today we didn't find the solution." 1726Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'A dream come true' - Solomonpublished at 15:48 British Summer Time 3 May15:48 BST 3 MayFT: Plymouth 1-2 Leeds Leeds United winger Manor Solomon scored a 91st-minute winning goal to clinch the title for the Whites “I can’t put into words what I’m feeling right now It is a dream come true to score the winning goal and take this Championship "Throughout the season we’ve shown we deserve this trophy and to finish in the first spot “We all knew what was happening at Burnley and we knew we needed to score It paid off and the ball went into the net It will take me a few days to digest what happened today I’ve been focussed on this season; in two or three days we will talk and see what is happening I don’t know what the future holds but I can just say I love [Leeds].” 45836Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'90 points is an incredible achievement' - Wilderpublished at 15:44 British Summer Time 3 May15:44 BST 3 MayFT: Sheff Utd 1-1 Blackburn “We knew it was an awkward one with Blackburn Rovers having something to play for so their approach would be on the front foot “Second half we were really positive when we went behind I believe we deserved to win the game but the attitude “The overall thing for me is two points per game It’s an incredible achievement in my opinion with the challenges we’ve had to come The players have given everything for the shirt." he’s off to hospital so that’s the disappointing aspect of today but we can’t complain our injury record has been absolutely outstanding." 4742Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'I'm gutted for the boys' - Carrickpublished at 15:40 British Summer Time 3 May15:40 BST 3 MayFT: Coventry 2-0 Middlesbrough Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees: “It's a sickening feeling put in a really good performance for the most part and didn’t get what we wanted from the game “We didn’t manage to take our opportunities and in the end (On finishing 10th) “The fact we haven’t got in the play-offs is hurtful enough We’ve created our own expectations which is the positive The boys have shown what they can do and we feel the disappoint,ment we haven’t got that there is not really much difference to be honest.” you need to enable JavaScript in your browser xemailThe Hatters youth team completed a league and cup double with a superb 3-0 win in the U17 PDL Cup final at Swansea on Sunday afternoon who celebrated EFL Youth Alliance South title success a fortnight ago added more silverware to their season's haul with a terrific performance at the Swansea.com Stadium Tate Xavier-Jones and Benny Benagr saw off the hosts there were towering performances throughout the side Christian Chigozie at the back and midfield trio of Harry Fox Zach Ioannides and Dylan Stitt as the young Hatters proved worthy winners Town had to call on Thomas to make a big save from Kai Rhodes in the opening stages and Ioannides to make a perfectly timed block in his six-yard box to deny Harvey Gray an open goal after great footwork from Bobo Evans took the Swans winger past Thomas just after half-hour Stitt and Fox had already caused major concern in the hosts' defence by the time we took the lead six minutes before half-time The all-action Fox spread a beautiful ball out to the left where Benagr was rampaging and arced an inch-perfect cross into Shepherd's path to stroke home from eight yards out It was a deserved lead and soon after the break the Hatters were threatening to make it two Benagr and Xavier-Jones linking up with some scintillating play down the Town left Shepherd headed over at the far post on 53 minutes after strike partner Xavier-Jones picked him out with a lovely cross from the right but the advantage was doubled four minutes later then delivered a cross to the far post where skipper Chigozie rose to head back across goal for Xavier-Jones to nod into the net Thomas made another big save to preserve the two-goal advantage just after the hour keeping out Callum Jones' far-post volley before Benagr finished the job with the best goal of the game on 67 minutes The left-sided flyer picked the ball up in the middle of Swansea's half and wove his way through the heart of their defence trading passes with Stitt as he burst into the box to finish right-footed past home keeper Tom Wright It was a goal worthy of sealing any league and cup double and it might have been more emphatic had Wright not produced a great save to deny Lloyd Asamoah Jr a fourth in the closing stages while Chigozie celebrated a brilliant tackle in his own box to block Bobby Lewis' shot and preserve the clean sheet with two minutes to go as if he'd scored himself That was indicative of the spirit shown by the team who were a credit to coaches Deeney as they go in search of a treble next Friday when they travel to Bolton to take on the EFL Youth Alliance North champions Sorry, this blog is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Paul MacInnes was at the CBS Arena, where Coventry won a thrilling match to secure a playoff place. It’s tough to put into words. I feel sorry for the fans and also for the lads with the effort they’ve put in recently. We gave ourselves too much of a mountain to climb. To go out like that is really frustrating. We’ll receive a backlash for today’s result and rightfully so to an extent, but the lads have put blood, sweat and tears into the last few weeks. [On Luton fans chanting ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ at the players] You’ve got to face the music. Ultimately we’ve put ourselves in this situation and we need to take accountability. I loved it, I loved it. It’s so tense for everyone involved. The performance was brilliant in the first half and we fully deserved to lead. The second half was tense but I always felt we were a threat. The players deserve so much credit for getting over the line after where we’ve come from. We got what we deserved. [On the goalscorer Jack Rudoni] I speak a lot with Rudi because he’s a great kid: he wants to get better, he wants to do more. He’s got quality, and he’s definitely got more talent than me in the air! We have to expect respect the best version of Sunderland: for most of the season they were really strong. We need to rest up, reboot and go again. It’s great for the club. It’s been a long week! 3d ago15.47 CESTStill want more? Neither team got the result they wanted at Ashton Gate, but they both got the desired outcome. Thursday 8 MayBristol City v Sheffield United Monday 12 MaySheffield United v Bristol City The draw for the final will take place after Sunderland v Coventry on 13 May. 3d ago15.34 CESTThe final Championship tableAs it stands, now and forever. 3d ago15.32 CESTThe Championship ups and downsChampions Leeds Playoffs Sheff Utd, Sunderland, Coventry, Bristol City 3d ago15.32 CESTBristol City are in the playoffsFull time: Sheffield United 1-1 Blackburn The final whistle has gone at Bramall Lane, prompting an explosion of joy and a pitch invasion at Ashton Gate! Bristol City are in the playoffs Goodness knows how their manager Liam Manning must feel right now after everything he has been through this season. They and Burnley both finished with 100 points – but Leeds are champions on goal difference Updated at 15.39 CEST3d ago15.28 CESTLUTON ARE RELEGATED TO LEAGUE ONE!Full time: Portsmouth 1-1 Hull It’s all over at Fratton Park and Hull City have survived by the skin of their gnashers 3d ago15.27 CESTFull time: West Brom 5-3 LutonLuton need a goal from Portsmouth or they will be playing in League One next season. 3d ago15.26 CEST90+4 min: Sheff Utd 1-1 Blackburn the home side are down to 10 men because of injury – Chris Wilder has already used all his substitution windows. 3d ago15.24 CESTGOAL Burnley 3-1 Millwall (Brownhill 90+3)Josh Brownhill’s second goal They are going to finish second with 100 points 3d ago15.23 CESTGOAL! Plymouth 1-2 Leeds (Solomon 90+1)The brilliant Manor Solomon has won the Championship title for Leeds 3d ago15.20 CESTGOAL! West Brom 5-3 Luton (Alli 88)Millenic Alli’s second goal has given Luton an outside chance of an astonishing comeback from 5-1 down. But as it stands they are heading for League One. 3d ago15.19 CESTGOAL Coventry 2-0 Middlesbrough (Rudoni 88)Jack Rudoni’s second goal has secured a playoff place for Coventry 3d ago15.15 CESTThe latest scores (Swansea and Cardiff have scored in the last couple of minutes) 3d ago15.14 CEST82 min: Coventry 1-0 Middlesbrough Morgan Whittaker has hit the post for Boro with a fine effort from the edge of the area. You’ve got to love the Championship: with less than 10 minutes of the season remaining, Middlesbrough sit in in 10th place – yet they still have a realistic chance of promotion. 3d ago15.13 CESTRight. So. Blackburn will leapfrog Bristol City if they score a winner at Sheffield United. Luton are going down unless Portsmouth score a winning goal at home to Hull. 3d ago15.12 CEST80 min: Coventry 1-0 Middlesbrough “Watching an absolutely brilliant game of football,” says Espen Bommen, “where it’s attack vs attack with both teams adopting the defensive tactic known as desperate last ditch.” 3d ago15.11 CEST80 min: Sheff Utd 1-1 Blackburn Tom Cannon has missed a glorious chance for Bristol City/Sheffield United, blasting over from eight yards. 3d ago15.10 CESTSwansea 2-2 Oxford Joe Allen, playing his last game of professional football at the age of 35, walks off to a standing ovation. 3d ago15.08 CEST77 min: Coventry 1-0 Middlesbrough It sounds like this game could easily be about 5-5. Middlesbrough are tenth as things stand – but two goals would move them into the playoff places. 3d ago15.07 CESTOne more time 3d ago15.06 CESTGOAL Bristol City 2-2 Preston (McCrorie 74)Ross McCrorie – who the last time I checked was a left-back not Romario II – has scored his second goal to bring Bristol City level and finished smartly on the run with his right foot in that a Blackburn goal would move them above City but it increases City’s chances of winning the game The games in bold are the ones that are likely to decide who goes down and who makes the playoffs. 3d ago15.04 CEST72 min: Bristol City 1-2 Preston A Bristol City player – I don’t know, okay* – has just smashed a heatseeker off the crossbar. 3d ago15.02 CEST“Just to check, would Luton still get parachute payments in League One? It’d be bleak to see them distort two divisions at once.” I think so, but don’t quote me at the dinner party. I’m pretty sure Sunderland received parachute payment after back-to-back relegations in 2017 and 2018. 3d ago15.01 CESTGOAL! Bristol City 1-2 Preston (McCrorie 69)The left-back Ross McCrorie heads Bristol City back into the game at Ashton Gate. All bets are off in that one now – especially as Preston’s players must know they will be safe even if they lose this game. 3d ago14.59 CEST“Following this Clockwatch with you is like watching a horse race (which I might do later today), with the TV graphics showing the horse numbers constantly changing position,2 says Joe Pearson. “Very entertaining!” 3d ago14.58 CESTGoal! Norwich 4-1 Cardiff (Duffy 67) 3d ago14.58 CESTThe table as it stands It’ll probably have changed by the time you see this. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Matt Bloomfield began his managerial career with Colchester United Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield has told his team to go out and "complete the job" as they look to avoid relegation in their final game of the season A three-match winning run has lifted the Hatters out of the Championship's bottom three heading into Saturday's trip to West Bromwich Albion And they just need to match or better Hull City's result at Portsmouth to make certain of remaining in the second tier in 2025-26 "I'm looking forward to it - this is the reason why I wanted to become a manager," a smiling Bloomfield told BBC Three Counties Radio "Obviously you want to be at the other end of the table fighting but we're really proud of the way it's [their form] been turned and we want to complete the job and I'm relishing the opportunity to do so." Luton's focus on survival scrap before stadium move Championship: Who needs what on the final day Bloomfield said that when teams have momentum "We feel we've had it for a little while now so it's about focusing on the performance focusing on the job and using the psychological benefits from the run of form we've been in - but none of that counts if we don't perform," he continued "When the season is done and dusted we can sit back and assess and analyse what we've done and what we haven't done what's gone particularly well for us and what we need to do better that have needed a high level of resilience "But they are characteristics that a lifetime in this industry gives you And they are absolutely pivotal to try to create an environment to turn around the situation we needed to turn around." Bloomfield moved from League One club Wycombe Wanderers on 14 January to become Luton boss who had departed by mutual consent five days earlier they had just lost four successive games and were 20th in the Championship just two points above the relegation places They soon slipped into the bottom three and though they have only won six games of Bloomfield's 19 in charge their recent run of form has been timely and they have not conceded more than one goal in any of their past nine games "Matt Bloomfield will keep them steady," former Luton boss David Pleat told BBC Three Counties Radio "They'll have enough self belief they know the whole town and county of Bedfordshire is behind them stick their chests out and give it everything "West Brom can't go [up or down] they haven't got an appointed manager at the moment so there's a lot of things you can point in favour (of Luton) You have to go with a very positive mindset and I'm sure they will do." Luton will have midfielder Liam Walsh available after he won his appeal against his sending-off against Coventry which would have resulted in a five-match ban if it had been upheld It was the third time Walsh has been sent off this season and Bloomfield said they could not afford any red cards against West Brom "He's at his best when he plays with an edge," Bloomfield said of Walsh he tackles and drops on second balls - we've got to be careful not to make him too passive and we don't have the same player "He's been in great form recently and that's the Walsh we need on the pitch against West Brom." January loan signing Josh Bowler will not be involved at The Hawthorns because of a knee problem Swansea City Under-17s face Luton Town in the Professional Development League Cup final at the Swansea.com Stadium this afternoon (3pm) Tickets for this fixture are FREE, and can be claimed HERE. The young Swans reached the showpiece after a thrilling 4-2 victory in the semi-final against Cheltenham Town in March In the earlier rounds they saw off Newport County beat Bolton Wanderers 5-0 in their semi-final and their under-18s have recently been crowned champions of the EFL Youth Alliance South Coach Joe Roberts: "We've finished our under-18s season and now we've got this to look forward to and we're all excited "It's going to be a great experience for the boys and it's a stadium where they've watched a lot of games So for them to have this opportunity is really special.  They've done really well in their under-18s league so they'll be coming into the final with confidence and be looking to cap off their great season "Another positive of these competitions is that we're pitted against teams we never usually play so it's a new experience for both staff and players "It'll be really special if we can lift that trophy Watch all of Matt Bloomfield's press conference ahead of Saturday's clash at West Brom for free right here Five teams fight to avoid joining Cardiff and Plymouth in dropping to League One on the season’s final day Luton or HullFive teams fight to avoid joining Cardiff and Plymouth in dropping to League One on the season’s final day At some point, Rubén Sellés, the Hull head coach, seemingly got wind of the jarring circumstances and cancelled his team’s bash, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, to prevent a similarly tone-deaf evening. Read moreHull’s position is so delicate he even suggested he did not want his players having the added stress of adhering to the dress code “I told the club before we announced the player of the season [awards] that if we were playing for something The team needs to get out of the situation … I didn’t want the week to become a one-person week While Burnley and Leeds head into the final day of another enchanting English Football League season with eyes on taking the title and the five-way fight for the two remaining playoff places promises more lunchtime drama it is at the bottom where there is most jeopardy Luton and Hull – are fighting to avoid joining Cardiff and Plymouth giving his players Monday off despite a late defeat at home to Derby plunging them deeper into trouble people need an extra space to breathe,” he said before their trip to Portsmouth “Three training sessions this week will be enough to prepare the game.” The buildup has not been helped by the late payment of wages even if Sellés says it pales into insignificance compared with the myriad of problems he encountered at troubled Reading where at one point delays were commonplace It appeared a significant upgrade when Sellés left Reading for Hull in December but the teams could trade places if the Berkshire club beset by off-field problems and awaiting a takeover Hull went into their last game targeting the playoffs Their hopes ended with defeat at Plymouth and three days later Acun Ilicali sacked Liam Rosenior Hull’s owner citing a conflict of opinions who led Hull to seventh in his first full season is pushing to qualify for the Champions League with Ligue 1 Strasbourg while his previous club are at risk of dropping into League One who travel to playoff-chasing Bristol City are bottom of the form table after taking six points from the past 30 available are one of the form teams after two defeats in their past 10 matches have won three games on the spin under Matt Bloomfield who made a slow start after jumping up a division Free daily newsletterKick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Bloomfield’s first win after leaving a Wycombe side gunning for promotion came at the ninth attempt their marquee signing from Cardiff last summer has impressed in defence as has Thomas Kaminski in goal Kaminski started Luton’s priceless victory last Saturday over Coventry Bloomfield got the Eurostar to Brussels to accompany the Belgian back to England 48 hours before the win “It means everything to me,” a teary Kaminski said “Normally I should have had a message from my dad … I didn’t have it today but I know he is watching and with us and would have been very The only certainty from here is that the pendulum of emotions will continue given the stakes. This time last season Luton were winning friends in the Premier League, duking it out with Nottingham Forest to avoid the drop before succumbing on the final day Derby were in party mode after clinching promotion as runners-up Stoke finished strongly to dispel relegation worries ended 10th – nestled in the safe zone – after a dismal five-match losing run things are about to take a turn for the worse xemailMatt Bloomfield makes one change to the starting XI for the final game at West Brom as Jordan Clark replaces Lamine Fanne in the centre of midfield Fanne drops to a strong bench which includes last weekend’s matchwinner Shandon Baptiste Matt Bloomfield says the Hatters need to keep calm and carry on as their quest for Championship survival heads to West Bromwich for the final game of the season on Saturday Three wins in a row have propelled the Town out of the relegation zone for the first time since January and know three points at The Hawthorns will ensure another campaign in the second tier The boys have been performing well and that needs to continue tomorrow,” he said “We’ve been playing well but we’ve got to keep our focus and our drive because without that we have no chance of winning “We’re aiming for a performance and I believe we can get a result “The message to the boys will be stay calm and perform play the way we’ve done so in recent weeks “We’ve built momentum and now we’ve got to carry it through.” Previous acts of escapology have gone down in the Luton Town folklore Mick Harford’s own goal a year later and that Blackburn thriller during Covid Bloomfield was happy not to be drawn into any of the romance or reminiscence Without a positive result and performance against West Brom the Hatters fate could be sealed by results elsewhere “Apologies for being boring but I’m trying not look too much at that,” smiled the manager “Focus is on us performing well and be present in the moment “West Brom have got some excellent Championship-level players but we can’t take the focus away from us “We’ve had some good games against opposition towards the top half of the league We’ll respect their quality and the strengths they will bring.” The Hatters have no fresh selection issues for the fixture with Liam Walsh available after his red card against Coventry was overturned by the FA Watch the full press conference for free below xemailThe final fixture of the 2024/25 Sky Bet Championship season is almost upon us as Luton Town travel to The Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion (Saturday Matt Bloomfield’s Hatters are one win away from Championship survival after three monumental victories in a row means we start the final day outside the relegation zone West Brom parted ways with head coach Tony Mowbray after their defeat to Derby County on Easter Monday with former player James Morrison taking interim charge of the Baggies We are encouraging our 2,542 travelling fans to Go Orange for this fixture find out more type: entry-hyperlink id: 79rWFastJn9EWhCEenGetk Trams stop outside New Street Station at the Metro Grand Central tram stop in Stephenson Street (B2-4BL) these trams stop at The Hawthorns Trains also operate from Birmingham Snow Hill station B3-2BJ to The Hawthorns – this station is a 10-minute walk from Birmingham New Street Trams operate every eight minutes till 20:00 then every 15 minutes until the end of service The journey time from Grand Central to The Hawthorns tram stop is 15 minutes The last tram from The Hawthorns to Grand Central is 00:29 arriving at Grand Central station at 00:44 If you cannot join us at The Hawthorns and are following from overseas in one of the countries listed below, you can watch the game live on LTFC+ Not at The Hawthorns and not based in one of the listed countries You can still listen to the match live with Simon Pitts or follow game updates on our dedicated Match Centre Luton left it late before taking an invaluable three points against Coventry City last Saturday Substitute Shandon Baptiste raised the Kenilworth Road roof after breaking Coventry’s resolve in the 90th minute West Brom’s season grinded to a halt when they missed out on the play-offs after picking up three points just once in their last nine games Mowbray’s side were in fifth place and had been in and around the play-off places all season including under former head coach Carlos Corberán they came up short in key battles and lost their grip on the play-offs after defeats at top six rivals Bristol City and Coventry in the last nine games The referee for our fixture against West Brom will be Darren Bond 91 yellow cards and three red cards have been handed out by Bond across his 25 games this season 13 of Bond’s 25 games this season have been Premier League fixtures Bond last officiated a Luton fixture when we took all three points at Hull City just over a month ago Assistant Referees: Scott Ledger & Sian Massey-Ellis Luton Town Football Club has committed in its customer charter to providing safe match-day experiences for all supporters regardless of age and this applies equally to home and away fixtures In the event that any Luton supporters do make discriminatory chants the Club will work with the police and football authorities to help identify such individuals Any such fans would then face the strictest club sanctions including football banning orders that would prevent them attending any matches we would like to warn against pitch incursions and the use of pyrotechnics or missiles – which could lead to potential prosecution The Club can also be held responsible for the behaviour of its supporters which could lead to substantial fines being imposed we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow EFL clubs in supporting the FA’s ‘Love Football Protect the Game’ campaign and call on all fans to enjoy the game in a positive spirit If you are offended by any discriminatory abuse of any kind at any of our games, you can report it by clicking HERE or by contacting your nearest steward immediately Alternatively, email [email protected] or report the incident via Kick it Out's free confidential reporting app on the App Store and Google Play