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Ipswich Town scored 11 goals in three play-off games to blow Bolton Wanderers and Barnsley away in 2000. And they continued their great form upon their return to the top flight, sealing a shock fifth-placed finish and Uefa Cup football. ‘Second-season syndrome’ set in and the Tractor Boys were relegated back to the second tier in 2002. But not before a famous 1-0 home win over Inter Milan in the Uefa Cup third round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After losing to Ipswich in the play-off semi-finals a year prior, Sam Allardyce guided Bolton Wanderers all the way to the Premier League with wins over West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End in 2001. Bolton went on to finish 16th the following season and slowly became regulars in the top half of the Premier League, with Allardyce attracting veterans such as Jay-Jay Okocha, Ivan Campo and Fernando Hierro to the North West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A 10-game unbeaten run at the end of the 2001-02 season catapulted Birmingham City into the play-offs, where they scraped past Millwall and Norwich City (the latter on penalties) to reach the promised land. Steve Bruce, who had joined the club in December 2001 to mastermind their rise, guided the club to 13th during their first season back in the top flight, and they managed to stay in the Premier League all the way until 2006 before their famous yo-yo period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A rag-tag band of players that included then-youngster Joleon Lescott playing alongside veterans Denis Irwin and Paul Ince was able to guide Wolverhampton Wanderers to fifth in the Championship before beating Reading and Sheffield United in the play-offs. But Lescott missed the following season through injury, meaning Wolves conceded a massive 77 goals and finished bottom of the Premier League to go straight back down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After limping through the first half of the season, Iain Dowie was appointed Palace manager in December 2003 and inspired his side to rocket up the table and into the play-off places, inspired by a 32-goal season by Andy Johnson. From there, they beat the far more fancied Sunderland and West Ham United to seal their Premier League return. Despite Johnson managing another 21 goals in the top flight the following year, they were relegated on the final day, returning straight to the Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a team full of then-England youth internationals like Bobby Zamora, Nigel Reo-Coker and Anton Ferdinand, led by veteran forward Teddy Sheringham, West Ham’s 2004-05 side was definitely one of the most talented to appear in a play-off final. So, despite finishing sixth, it’s little surprise they swept away Ipswich and Preston before going on to finish ninth in the Premier League the following season, also reaching the FA Cup final (losing to Liverpool) and qualifying for the Uefa Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watford couldn’t get close to Reading and Sheffield United in the automatic promotion spots but still breezed into the Premier League with dominant 3-0 play-off wins over Crystal Palace and Leeds United. But Aidy Boothroyd’s men finished bottom of the Premier League in 2006-07, selling Ashley Young to Aston Villa mid-season. But they did reach the FA Cup semi-finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Derby County were actually very unlucky not to go up automatically, finishing just two and four points below Birmingham and Sunderland above them, respectively. But after beating Southampton and West Brom in the play-offs, the Rams were immediately relegated with a Premier League-record low 11 points the following season, winning just one of their 38 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Few can forget a 39-year-old Dean Windass firing Hull City into the top flight for the first time in their history in 2008, beating Bristol City in the Premier League. By matchweek nine the following year, Hull were as high as third in the Premier League, though they fell off hard, barely managing to survive in 17th. Still, a great achievement all things considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before Sean Dyche’s Burnley, there was Owen Coyle’s Burnley, who beat Reading and Sheffield United in the play-off without conceding a goal to reach the Premier League. Just as Dyche’s side would in years to come, the Clarets went straight back down a year later, finishing 18th and with Coyle losing his job in January. Fast forward over 15 years and Burnley are once again a yo-yo club. <\/p>\n\n\n How to claim:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n 18+ New customers only. Place a \u00a310+ bet at min odds 1\/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get \u00a330 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets only. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org<\/em><\/p>\r\n When Blackpool scraped into the Championship play-offs in 2009-10, few expected them to make much of an impression. But the Seasiders defied all the odds to beat Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City to reach the top flight for the first time since 1971. Despite sitting ninth after 20 games, Ian Holloway’s men fell off fast to sink all the way down to 19th. They haven’t recovered since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even in the second tier, English football was transitioning to a more possession-based style in 2011 and few teams did it better than Brendan Rodgers’ Swansea City. Rodgers guided the south Wales side to 11th in the Premier League following their 2010-11 play-off win, playing some wonderful football. Of course, Rodgers impressed so much that by 2012, he found himself in charge of Liverpool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember when we said West Ham’s 2005 side was one of the most talented in play-off history? Their 2012 contingent would give them a run for their money. Sam Allardyce’s men missed out on automatic promotion by just two points and swept aside Cardiff and Blackpool in play-offs, scoring seven goals and conceding just one. West Ham have been to great heights since then and have lifted silverware, winning the Europa Conference League in 2023. However, they are now staring a return to the Championship in the face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After losing their opening three games of the season, few could have foreseen Crystal Palace reaching the Premier League in 2012-13 but a strong middle of the campaign saw them race up the table, eventually finishing fifth. The Eagles beat Brighton and Hove Albion and Watford in the play-offs without conceding a goal and have remained in the top flight ever since. Like West Ham before them, Palace have also won silverware — making the FA Cup in 2025 their first-ever major trophy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After suffering relegation from the Premier League in 2013, Harry Redknapp was able to bring Queens Park Rangers straight back up at the first time of asking in 2014. Powered by Charlie Austin’s goals, the London side never dropped lower than fifth in the table and beat Wigan Athletic and Derby in the play-offs. But once again, their return to the Premier League lasted just one season, with Redknapp leaving the club in February 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although they were once again immediately relegated a year later, Norwich will always remember their 2014-15 campaign for beating local rivals Ipswich in the play-off semi-finals. The Canaries beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in the final that year, thanks to two goals inside 15 minutes from Cameron Jerome and Nathan Redmond. But Jerome only scored three goals in the Premier League the following year, while Redmond netted six as Norwich went down. <\/p>\n\n\n Not signed up to BetMGM yet? Here's how eligible readers* can take advantage of their welcome offer:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of \u00a310 at 1\/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x \u00a310 Free Bets. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. 18+\u00a0GambleAware.org<\/a><\/p>\r\n After suffering relegation in 2015, Hull immediately returned for a third spell in the Premier League in 2016, beating Derby and Sheffield Wednesday in the play-offs. Lining up for Hull that season were Andy Robertson and Harry Maguire. Whatever happened to them? Hull’s return to the Premier League was short-lived again as they suffered immediate relegation, with the worst defence in the league in 2016-17 — conceding 80 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a 45-year absence, three-time English champions Huddersfield Town pulled off the great shock of returning to the top flight via the play-offs in 2017. The Terriers did it the hard way, though, beating both Sheffield Wednesday and Reading on penalties. David Wagner further enhanced his reputation by guiding Huddersfield to 16th in the Premier League a year later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After four years of Championship football, Fulham returned to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2018, beating Midlands giants Derby and Aston Villa along the way. Although they were immediately relegated, this campaign proved to be a breakthrough one for Ryan Sessegnon, who looked like a world-beater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aston Villa’s relegation from the top flight for the first time since 1988 shook the English football world in 2016 and it took the six-time champions three years to make it back. They did so the hard way, too, losing the 2018 play-off final to Fulham before beating Midlands rivals Derby 2-1 in the 2019 edition. The Villans had a scare in their first season back and were mid-table for a few years. But they have thrived under Unai Emery, who led them back to the Champions League and a Europa League trophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fulham had joined the likes of Norwich, West Brom and Birmingham in the yo-yo club department. The Cottagers once again earned promotion via the play-offs in 2020, with a brilliant Joe Bryan strike sealing a 2-1 final win over London rivals Brentford. But despite playing some attractive football, Scott Parker’s men went straight back down, failing to turn performances into points. They did bounce back again in 2021 and look to have finally put their up-and-down era behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the heartache of that 2020 play-off final defeat to Fulham, Thomas Frank’s men transformed their fortunes under the arch last season, winning the Wembley showpiece at the expense of Swansea. There were doubts about Brentford after their promotion, but Frank had the Bees looking like a Premier League side immediately. A 13th-placed finish in their maiden campaign showed a sign of things to come, and Brentford have looked very comfortable since. They look even better with Keith Andrews at the helm, chasing European football.<\/p>\n\n\n Not signed up to bet365 yet? Here's how to claim one of the best bookmaker welcome offers around...\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.<\/em><\/p>\r\n Nottingham Forest ended their long absence from the Premier League with a play-off final win over Huddersfield, who were looking to book their own return. A first-half own goal was enough to seal the win for Forest, who beat fourth-placed Sheffield United in the semi-finals. Nottingham Forest’s Premier League return wasn’t a fairytale, but they did eventually secure safety. It was a similar story the following season, but Forest shocked everyone to finish seventh in their third year back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luton Town lost in the play-off semi-finals in 2022, but they didn’t let their heartbreak get the better of them. The Hatters returned a year later, beating Sunderland and Coventry City to secure their return to the top flight for the first time since 1991-92 — the season before the Premier League started. They needed penalties to beat Coventry in the play-off final, having led at half-time. Luton’s Premier League stay was brief, as the Hatters finished 18th with just six wins and 85 goals conceded. They suffered relegation from the Championship on their return, one of just a few sides to drop from the Premier League to League One in two seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Southampton were relegated from the Premier League in 2022-23 but secured an immediate return the following year through the play-offs. The Saints had finished fourth in the table and beat West Brom to book their spot in the final. It was a quiet game in terms of goals, with Adam Armstrong netting midway through the first half to seal the Wembley win over Leeds. Unfortunately, Southampton followed that up by being one of the worst Premier League sides in history, finishing 20th to drop straight back down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunderland suffered play-off heartbreak upon their return to the Championship in 2022-23. But two years later, they’d have no such problem. The Black Cats narrowly beat Coventry in the play-off semi-finals, needing a Dan Ballard winner in the second minute of injury-time, in extra-time, to see off the Sky Blues. They went into the play-off final against Sheffield United as the underdogs and trailed with 15 minutes to go. But Eliezer Mayenda and Tom Watson scored — the latter deep into injury-time — to secure the comeback and Sunderland’s return. They’ve been excellent in their first Premier League campaign back, holding an outside chance of European football going into the final day. <\/p>\n\n\n Considered the most valuable single game in world football, there’s nothing quite like the drama of the Championship play-off final. For the winners, the untold riches and glamour of the Premier League await, while the losers must suffer Wembley heartache before going back to the drawing board for another year. But even for those who…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":1262293,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Championship play-off final winners: What happened next?","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Considered the most valuable single game in world football, there's nothing quite like the drama of the Championship play-off final.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1205476","cult-corner","type-cult-corner","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1024x290.png\")
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18+ NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E\/W BET ONLY ODDS OF 1\/1 OR GREATER. 4 X \u00a310 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS EXPIRE AFTER 30 DAYS. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY.<\/h5>\r\n
\n\n\n\nIpswich (2000)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Bolton (2001)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Birmingham (2002)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Wolves (2003)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Crystal Palace (2004)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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West Ham (2005)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Watford (2006)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Derby (2007)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Hull (2008)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Burnley (2009)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nBlackpool (2010)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Swansea (2011)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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West Ham (2012)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Crystal Palace (2013)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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QPR (2014)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Norwich (2015)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nHull (2016)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Huddersfield (2017)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Fulham (2018)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Aston Villa (2019)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Fulham (2020)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Brentford (2021)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nNottingham Forest (2022)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Luton (2023)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Southampton (2024)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Sunderland (2025)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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