Premier League
Final Table
CHELSEA produced an imperious display to thrash Wigan Athletic 8-0 at Stamford Bridge and win the Premier League for the first time since 2005-06.
The Blues scored a Premier League record 103 goals to finish on 86 points, one point ahead of defending champions Manchester United, as Carlo Ancelotti won the title in his first season in charge.
Having hit seven goals at home three times already this season against Aston Villa, Sunderland and Stoke City, Wigan were always likely to suffer at the Bridge.
In a game that meant nothing to the Latics and everything to Chelsea, Ancelotti's men set about ripping their opponent's notoriously leaky defence to shreds from first whistle to last.
Drogba hit a hat-trick to win the golden boot with 29 league goals for the season. Nicolas Anelka scored twice and there was one goal each for Frank Lampard, Sebastian Kalou and Ashley Cole in the rout.
Chelsea's emphatic triumph rendered United's own fine 4-0 win against Stoke City at Old Trafford irrelevant.
Despite goals from Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs, Ji-Sung Park and another own goal, Sir Alex Ferguson's men had to settle for second place.
It meant United failed to win what would have been an English record of four successive titles and that they remain on 18 English league championships, still level with Liverpool.
Arsenal also won 4-0 to confirm their third-place finish against a Fulham side with more than one eye on their Europa League final against Athletico Madrid on Wednesday night.
Andrei Arshavin, Robin van Persie, an own goal, and Carlos Vela ensured the Gunners ended the season at the Emirates on a high note.
Victory over the Cottagers also brought to an end a late-season slump which had seen Arsene Wenger's side take just one point from the previous 12 and which gave Tottenham Hotspur a sniff of third.
Spurs had beaten Manchester City 1-0 away in midweek to reach the Champions League qualifying round but disappointed on the final day in a 4-2 loss at already-relegated Burnley.
City had to settle for fifth place and the Europa League, ending the season with a timid 1-1 draw at West Ham United. That meant the season ended with just one win in five for Roberto Mancini's men.
And Martin O'Neill at Aston Villa also completed their season on a disappointing note, despite securing another top-six finish.
Villa lost for a second successive week, with the 1-0 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers following last week's 3-1 reverse at Manchester City, leaving O'Neill's future in some doubt.
Meanwhile, Rafa Benitez's days at Liverpool must surely be numbered after a desperate 0-0 draw at Hull City summed up a wretched season for the Reds.
It left Liverpool in seventh with just five wins from 19 away league matches, and eight losses. Anfield also bore witness to three home defeats against Chelsea, Arsenal and Villa.
Everton ended in eighth place after a final-day 1-0 win over Cup finalists Portsmouth, whose nine-point deduction left them a long way short of safety.
Since their semi final win over Spurs, Pompey have won just once in the league - against Wolverhampton Wanderers - and their final day defeat left them on just 19 points, 16 adrift of safety.
Despite slightly better results on the final day, both Burnley and Hull struggled over the past nine months to compete in the top division, managing only 30 points apiece.
Burnley finished above Hull, courtesy of one goal, but their woeful form meant only 31 points were required to stay in the Premier League this season, a record low.
The relegation places had been decided long before the final day, giving a stay of execution to West Ham who finished fourth-bottom on 35 points and Wigan who were 16th on 36 points despite conceding 79 goals.
Wolves, in 15th on 38 points, and Bolton Wanderers, in 14th on 39 points, also just failed to reach the 40-point mark.
The Championship
Final Table
CRYSTAL PALACE gained a point in final day thriller against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in a 2-2 draw which relegated the Owls.
Palace, who began the day two points ahead of Wednesday, further strengthened their position by taking the lead through Alan Lee on 24 minutes.
Alan Irvine's Owls responded and got a deserved equaliser before half time when Leon Clarke curled the ball around Palace keeper Julian Speroni.
Wednesday continued to dominate after the interval but left Darren Ambrose unmarked for an easy goal for 2-1 after a brilliant break by Dean Scanell.
Darren Purse set up a grandstand finish with a second equaliser with three minutes plus five stoppage-time minutes remaining.
But the Eagles were able to close out the game and secure Championship status, so long as the club survives off the pitch.
Palace had only got into relegation trouble after a 10-point deduction for entering administration and the Eagles survived in the end on 49 points.
Wednesday finished on 47 points, despite a brief resurgence in January, and they will join already-relegated Plymouth Argyle and Peterborough United in League One next season.
Peterborough won 2-1 at Plymouth on the final day but the Pilgrims, on 41 points, still finished above Posh, who were bottom on 34.
The only other issue to be decided on the final day was the identity of the team who would take the final playoff spot with Blackpool and Swansea City competing for one place.
Nerves seemed to get the better of both sides and Blackpool fell behind at home against Bristol City to give the Swans real hope.
But, despite their relatively lofty position, Paulo Sousa's men were the lowest scorers in the division and could not find a goal in a 0-0 draw at home against Doncaster Rovers.
Ian Holloway's Blackpool came back to get a point against Bristol City and that was enough to secure sixth place and a playoff semi final meeting with Nottingham Forest who they have been twice already.
Forest finished the season in third, some way short of promoted pair Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion in the end, after a collapse in their away form.
A 2-2 draw at Scunthorpe United on the final day of the regular season made it nine matches in a row without a win on the road, hardly the best form to be taking into the playoffs.
Fourth-placed Cardiff City have better form, going 10 matches unbeaten before a final day 2-0 defeat at Derby County.
But it is the Bluebirds' playoff opponents Leicester City who have the most momentum after a routine 2-0 home success over Middlesbrough made it five wins in a row for the Foxes.
League One
Final Table
LEEDS UNITED finally escaped League One after a dramatic final day win over Bristol Rovers at Elland Road secured the second automatic promotion spot.
Ten-man United came from behind to beat Rovers 2-1 with goals from Jonathan Howson and Jermaine Beckford cancelling out Darryl Duffy's opener.
The win brings to an end Leeds' three-year stay in the third tier but, looking back, it should have been much easier than this.
Simon Grayson's men had led the division by eight points with a game in hand before their famous FA Cup win against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
But the Cup run proved to be a distraction and Norwich City overhauled Leeds' advantage to finish nine points clear at the top.
It got worse for Leeds when a whole host of other teams also caught them up though none of them could overcome the jitters to pull away.
It meant that any one of five teams - Leeds, Millwall, Swindon Town, Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town - could take the second automatic promotion spot on the final day.
Third-placed Millwall beat fifth-placed Swindon 3-2 in a dramatic game at the Den and, at one stage, the Lions were in the promotion spot with Leeds behind.
But Leeds' comeback scuppered their bid and that of Charlton Athletic who overtook Swindon to finish fourth after a 2-0 win at Oldham Athletic.
Huddersfield only ever had an outside chance and were relying on all the results going in their favour.
But the Terriers could not even win their own match as Exeter City beat them 2-1 at St James's Park to haul themselves out the drop zone and secure League One safety on the final day.
Indeed, the bottom end of the division was no less dramatic than the top and Gillingham paid the price for failing to win away from the Priestfield Stadium all season.
A terrible final day 3-0 loss at Wycombe Wanderers meant the Gills dropped three places from 18th to 21st, joining Wycombe, Southend United and Stockport County in the basement division next season.
In addition to Exeter, Hartlepool United and Tranmere Rovers were the other beneficiaries of Gillingham's plunge.
Pools had only been put in a trouble after losing three points for fielding an ineligible player and a 0-0 draw at Brentford was enough to secure League One football at Victoria Park for 2010-11.
Tranmere's season had been wrecked by their terrible start under John Barnes but the Prenton Park club improved as the campaign went on and ensured survival with an easy 3-0 win over rock-bottom Stockport.
League Two
Final Table
GRIMSBY TOWN failed to pull off a great escape, losing their league status after a 99-year stay following a 3-0 loss at Burton Albion.
The Mariners had given themselves a chance of an unlikely escape after a 2-0 home win against third-bottom Barnet last week made it four wins and a draw from six games.
But Neil Woods' men, who went 25 matches without a win between September and March, reverted to type and two first half goals turned the final day into a damp squib.
Barnet got an impressive home win against promoted Rochdale while Cheltenham Town showed they always had just enough to avoid a second successive relegation in a 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley.
Meanwhile, in the Grimsby match, the mid-table Brewers added a third goal in the second period to confirm the Mariners will join Darlington in the Blue Square Premier next season.
The Quakers' fate had long since been decided and a 2-0 home loss to Dagenham & Redbridge left them on just 30 points, 18 adrift of safety.
That win was enough to put the Daggers in the playoffs in a dramatic scramble for the four places which involved most of the top half.
Like Darlington's demotion, the automatic promotion places had already been decided before the final day with a series of thumping wins giving Notts County a deserved title win.
Rochdale won a first promotion for 41 years and 32-year-old manager Eddie Howe achieved success against the odds at Bournemouth.
But none of teams below them was assured of a playoff spot going into a dramatic last day.
In the end, Sammy McIlroy's Morecambe took fourth place after a 1-0 win over Aldershot made it seven wins out of nine.
Despite that loss, Aldershot took sixth place with Bury and Port Vale missing out after draws against Northampton Town and managerless Shrewsbury Town.
Sandwiched in between Morecambe and Aldershot were Rotherham United in a fifth-place finish.
That is a little disappointing for the Millers who led the league in its early stages this season and remained in with a chance of automatic promotion until a collapse in late-March.
But Ronnie Moore's men could still go up. They face Aldershot in one playoff tie with Morecambe and Dagenham & Redbridge in the other.
Blue Square Premier
Final Table
OXFORD UNITED and York City will meet at Wembley next Sunday in the final of the Blue Square playoffs as both clubs look to return to the Football League.
Oxford beat Rushden & Diamonds 2-0 for a 3-1 aggregate win to reach a Wembley final for the first time since their 1986 league cup win.
The Us became the first English team to have won a major trophy and fallen out of the League in 2006 but victory over York would end four years of Conference football.
Although they finished eight points behind in the final league standings, York will be no push-overs after two hard-fought 1-0 wins over favourites Luton Town secured a 2-0 aggregate victory.
The second match at Kenilworth Road was marred by a pitch invasion by the Luton fans which turned into a violent attack on the York players who had to run for cover in the stands.
But that nightmare end to the Bank Holiday Monday afternoon could all be forgotten if the Minstermen win back the league status which they lost in 2004.
The regular season had ended with Stevenage Borough 11 points clear at the top - a deserved championship for the club who will play in the Football League for the first time in August.
But Boro were unable to complete a non-league double after a surprise 2-1 defeat in extra time against Barrow in the FA Trophy at Wembley.
At the bottom, Ebbsfleet United suffered final day heartache, going down despite a 4-3 win at Tamworth Town.
Forest Green Rovers were also relegated but they can have few complaints, having blown the chance for survival by being beaten by rock-bottom Grays Athletic.
That allowed Gateshead to survive by a margin of just three goals after a tense 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon.
Blue Square Premier status was vital for the Tynesiders who will turn full time this summer in a bid to avoid a second season of struggle.
Eastbourne Borough and Histon also survived on the last day - Eastbourne beat Oxford 1-0 at home, while Histon did enough with a 2-2 home draw against Barrow.
Joining those clubs in the Blue Square Premier next season are Southport and Fleetwood who won promotion from the Blue Square North, and Newport County and Bath City who went up from the Blue Square South.
good reading pete come on the toon for next year
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