| Premier League | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Arsenal | 36 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 88 | 28 | +60 | 83 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 35 | 25 | 7 | 3 | 87 | 33 | +54 | 82 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 36 | 23 | 9 | 4 | 81 | 38 | +43 | 78 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 36 | 20 | 7 | 9 | 73 | 53 | +20 | 67 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 18 | 6 | 11 | 69 | 58 | +11 | 60 |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 35 | 17 | 5 | 13 | 78 | 56 | +22 | 56 |
| 7 | Chelsea | 35 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 70 | 59 | +11 | 54 |
| 8 | Manchester United | 35 | 16 | 6 | 13 | 52 | 55 | -3 | 54 |
| 9 | West Ham United | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 56 | 70 | -14 | 49 |
ARSENAL find themselves in a familiar position as they lead the Premier League in its closing stages but have Manchester City breathing down the back of their neck.
The Gunners, fresh from holding their nerve in the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur after a fast start, beat Bournemouth comfortably on Saturday.
And Mikel Arteta's men appear to be dealing with the pressure rather better this time than last season ahead of their final couple of fixtures against Manchester United (12 May) and at home to Everton (19 May).
Of course, the big problem for Arsenal is that their fate is not in their own hands.
Man City have a game in hand against Tottenham Hotspur on 14 May, as well as fixtures against Fulham (11 May) and West Ham United (19 May) as they seek to extend their current sequence of six wins in a row.
Win all three remaining games - and Pep Guardiola's men will become the first team in English football history to achieve four top division titles in a row, and there is nothing which Arsenal will be able to do about it.
Now, for much of the season, the title race had actually been a three-way tussle - but Liverpool fell away badly in April.
Jurgen Klopp's men dropped 10 points from the 18 available last month - and went out of the Europa League to Atalanta after an unexpected collapse in the first leg at Anfield.
In March, the Reds were beaten 4-3 after extra time by Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter finals at Old Trafford - and all this has left Klopp's ambitions of a glorious trophy-laden conclusion to his nine-year reign on Merseyside rather diminished.
The German will not finish the season entirely empty-handed after Virgil van Dijk headed a late extra time winner against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final in February.
However, this is not exactly how Klopp would have envisaged his last few weeks in charge at Anfield playing out.
The top three have, of course, secured Champions League football in 2024-25 - leaving only one place remaining after the Italian Serie A and German Bundesliga teams outperformed Premier League clubs in Europe this season to take the new-fangled extra spots.
Despite defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, Aston Villa are still deservedly big favourites to qualify having been almost ever-present in the top four since beating Tottenham away at the end of November.
Unai Emery's outfit need only three points from their last two games against Liverpool (13 May) and Crystal Palace (19 May) to guarantee their place in the premier European premier competition for the first time since 1982-83.
But it may well be less than three required as the signs are that fifth-placed Spurs' race is run following a series of recent damaging defeats.
Since beating Villa 4-0 in their return fixture in March, Ange Postecoglu's side have taken just seven points from their last eight matches with defeats on the road at Fulham, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool compounded by the 3-2 defeat at home in the North London Derby.
By contrast, Newcastle have hit their best form since the autumn - and, in thumping Sheffield United for a second time as well as Spurs and Burnley, Eddie Howe's side have moved up to sixth.
Consequently, the Magpies could yet finish a difficult, injury-ravaged campaign on a high by securing European football in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the Sir Bobby Robson era.
Then again, Chelsea's recent upturn in form - with back-to-back London Derby victories over Spurs and West Ham - has propelled the Blues right back into the reckoning.
Additionally, a favourable-looking fixture list against Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Bournemouth suggests the Stamford Bridge club could yet finish in the top six after all.
Certainly, though, the same cannot be said with any confidence by Man United supporters after the Red Devils stayed in eighth place following their 4-0 humbling at Crystal Palace last night.
Erik Ten Hag's men remain two points behind Newcastle, who they play at Old Trafford on 15 May - while the heavy defeat also meant they slumped back to a negative goal difference.
But, whatever happens from hereon in, this campaign has undoubtedly been a backwards step for the Dutch manager following his team's third-placed finish in 2022-23.
Indeed, it could have been worse if Coventry City had completed their comeback in the FA Cup semi final - or rather had been allowed to.
The Sky Blues forced extra time from 3-0 down with 20 minutes left - and then thought they had won it, only for Victor Torp's effort in injury time in extra time to be ruled out by a dubious offside call.
In the subsequent penalty shoot-out, Man United won 4-2 - but, even aside from that massive let-off, performances by Ten Hag's men have been unconvincing with just two wins coming inside 90 minutes in their 10 other matches since the start of March.
Now, while there is much yet to be decided at the top end of the Premier League, the battle to avoid relegation has - amid much controversy - started to become a little clearer.
For a start, Sheffield United are definitely down - having suffered throughout a truly dreadful season.
Beaten by four goals or more on no fewer than seven occasions, the Blades have became the first Premier League team since Swindon Town in 1993-94 to concede 100 goals - and there are still two matches left.
Above the hapless Yorkshire club, only three other teams now can be condemned to the other two relegation places.
For now, the two other clubs promoted from the Championship last season - Burnley and Luton Town - remain in most trouble, with Nottingham Forest just outside the bottom three.
In fact, Vincent Kompany's Clarets have been in the relegation zone since the very first day of the season - and their 4-1 home defeat to Newcastle means they will be relegated on Saturday if they fail to beat Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Luton's form - which picked up with 11 points from six matches either side of Christmas - has tailed off badly in the spring.
A run of just one win in 15 games has left Rob Edwards's side in 18th place - although their remaining fixtures against West Ham (11 May) and Fulham (19 May) provide a realistic prospect of points.
The Hatters cannot control their own destiny, though - and at least one of their rivals will pick up points on the final day when Burnley take on Forest at Turf Moor.
The Tricky Trees beat Sheff United on Saturday to improve their chances of survival - but, along with the alarming frequency of the errors made by video assistant referees (VAR), points deductions among the bottom half teams have been the scourge of the season.
Everton were first to fall foul of the profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and received a 10-point deduction on 26 February which was reduced to six points on appeal.
Then, on 8 April, the Toffees were hit with another two-point deduction to take their overall penalty to eight points, although again the Merseysiders have lodged an appeal.
At least, for their own sake, Everton have played well enough on the field in recent weeks to pull away from trouble regardless.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo's side were also given a four-point deduction on 18 March for breaching PSR - and it was announced today that the decision would stand following the failure of the appeal submitted by the East Midlands club.
At least now Forest and the two other potential relegation candidates know exactly where they stand ahead of their final two fixtures.
In the wider scheme of things, though, the highly restrictive nature of PSR has left newly-promoted clubs with one hand tied behind their back in their attempts to improve their squad to compete in the top division.
Moreover, the rules prevent highly-ambitious clubs with wealthy owners like Aston Villa and Newcastle from challenging the established elite.
In response to concerns raised by several Premier League clubs, a new spending cap in place of PSR is set to be introduced from the 2025-26 season onwards - with the threshold linked to a multiple of the amount which the lowest-earning club receives in television revenue.
Strikingly, though, comprehensive details behind the new regulations have yet to be made available.
| 17 | Nottingham Forest* | 36 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 45 | 63 | -18 | 29 |
| 18 | Luton Town | 36 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 49 | 78 | -29 | 26 |
| 19 | Burnley | 36 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 39 | 74 | -35 | 24 |
| R | Sheffield United | 36 | 3 | 7 | 26 | 35 | 100 | -65 | 16 |
⚽
| EFL Championship | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| C | Leicester City | 46 | 31 | 4 | 11 | 89 | 41 | +48 | 97 |
| P | Ipswich Town | 46 | 28 | 12 | 6 | 92 | 57 | +35 | 96 |
| 3 | Leeds United | 46 | 27 | 9 | 10 | 81 | 43 | +38 | 90 |
| 4 | Southampton | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 87 | 63 | +24 | 87 |
| 5 | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 70 | 47 | +23 | 75 |
| 6 | Norwich City | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 79 | 64 | +15 | 73 |
| 7 | Hull City | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 68 | 60 | +8 | 70 |
| 8 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 71 | 62 | +9 | 69 |
JAMIE VARDY hit a brace as Leicester City comfortably beat Preston North End 3-0 last Monday to seal the Championship title following their immediate return to the top flight.
The Foxes gained promotion on the previous Friday without kicking a ball after Leeds United were thrashed 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers.
But all this came much later in the season than expected for Leicester after they dominated the first two-thirds of the campaign.
In mid-February, the title and rise back to the top flight seemed inevitable – Leicester were 12 points clear at the top and had a 14-point cushion to third place, with 25 wins and 78 points from 32 games.
But there followed a run of just one win and four defeats in six matches - and, with Leeds and Ipswich Town both in good form, the gap quickly closed.
Leicester even fell out of the automatic promotion places over the Easter weekend - but, just as the Foxes faltered, those around them also dropped crucial points.
Leeds took just eight points from six matches while Ipswich similarly stalled with three consecutive draws.
That allowed Leicester to regroup through back-to-back wins against West Bromwich Albion and Southampton - with the 5-0 thrashing of the Saints last Tuesday showing Enzo Maresca's side truly had overcome their wobble.
Nevertheless, the Foxes celebrations have been tempered somewhat by news that they may face an immediate points deduction in the Premier League for breaching PSR after announcing a near-£90 million loss for 2022-23.
Meanwhile, Ipswich - who were only just promoted from League One last season - took the second automatic place after winning 2-1 at Coventry City last Tuesday before beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 in the sunshine at Portman Road on Saturday.
It is a magnificent achievement by Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys who became the first team since Southampton made a double bounce between 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Consequently, Leeds must now settle for the playoffs alongside fourth-placed Southampton who won 2-1 in front of a nervy Elland Road.
The Saints had already secured a top six position - but will be disappointed having pushed themselves into the top two on the back of a record unbeaten run of 22 league games between September and February.
Ultimately, though, a slow start and - more critically - a run of three successive defeats in April left Russell Martin's men out of the picture.
Elsewhere, the last two playoff spots went to West Brom and Norwich City, with the pair swapping places back on the final day after the Baggies beat Preston North End while the Canaries were beaten at Birmingham City.
Hull City, in seventh, had harboured hopes of gatecrashing the playoff places - but lost away at relegation-threatened Plymouth Argyle, leading to the sacking today of Tigers boss Liam Rosenior.
Indeed, those fixtures for Norwich and Hull ultimately had more bearing on the battle at the bottom of the table.
With Rotherham United relegated way back on 5 April and Huddersfield effectively down after their draw on the previous weekend against Birmingham, only one place remained to be avoided.
At one stage, it looked as if most of the bottom half would be involved in the scrap - but, during the course of April, Millwall, QPR and Stoke City all earned a string of key wins to pull away from danger.
As a result, four clubs were in trouble at the start of the final day - with Birmingham in the bottom three, one point adrift of Plymouth ahead of the visit of Norwich to St Andrews.
The Blues won their own game, beating the playoff-bound Canaries - but the Pilgrims also pulled off that unexpected victory against Hull.
Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday had also mathematically been at risk - but Rovers secured their status against a Leicester side which failed to put on a champions' display at the King Power Stadium.
Elsewhere, the Owls had a plum fixture against a Sunderland side which treaded water for months after the ill-fated Michael Beale tenure ended on Wearside in February.
By contrast, Wednesday manager - 34-year-old German Danny Roehl - revived his team upon taking charge at Hillsborough in October, following the worst start in the club's history.
The Foxes gained promotion on the previous Friday without kicking a ball after Leeds United were thrashed 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers.
But all this came much later in the season than expected for Leicester after they dominated the first two-thirds of the campaign.
In mid-February, the title and rise back to the top flight seemed inevitable – Leicester were 12 points clear at the top and had a 14-point cushion to third place, with 25 wins and 78 points from 32 games.
But there followed a run of just one win and four defeats in six matches - and, with Leeds and Ipswich Town both in good form, the gap quickly closed.
Leicester even fell out of the automatic promotion places over the Easter weekend - but, just as the Foxes faltered, those around them also dropped crucial points.
Leeds took just eight points from six matches while Ipswich similarly stalled with three consecutive draws.
That allowed Leicester to regroup through back-to-back wins against West Bromwich Albion and Southampton - with the 5-0 thrashing of the Saints last Tuesday showing Enzo Maresca's side truly had overcome their wobble.
Nevertheless, the Foxes celebrations have been tempered somewhat by news that they may face an immediate points deduction in the Premier League for breaching PSR after announcing a near-£90 million loss for 2022-23.
Meanwhile, Ipswich - who were only just promoted from League One last season - took the second automatic place after winning 2-1 at Coventry City last Tuesday before beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 in the sunshine at Portman Road on Saturday.
It is a magnificent achievement by Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys who became the first team since Southampton made a double bounce between 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Consequently, Leeds must now settle for the playoffs alongside fourth-placed Southampton who won 2-1 in front of a nervy Elland Road.
The Saints had already secured a top six position - but will be disappointed having pushed themselves into the top two on the back of a record unbeaten run of 22 league games between September and February.
Ultimately, though, a slow start and - more critically - a run of three successive defeats in April left Russell Martin's men out of the picture.
Elsewhere, the last two playoff spots went to West Brom and Norwich City, with the pair swapping places back on the final day after the Baggies beat Preston North End while the Canaries were beaten at Birmingham City.
Hull City, in seventh, had harboured hopes of gatecrashing the playoff places - but lost away at relegation-threatened Plymouth Argyle, leading to the sacking today of Tigers boss Liam Rosenior.
Indeed, those fixtures for Norwich and Hull ultimately had more bearing on the battle at the bottom of the table.
With Rotherham United relegated way back on 5 April and Huddersfield effectively down after their draw on the previous weekend against Birmingham, only one place remained to be avoided.
At one stage, it looked as if most of the bottom half would be involved in the scrap - but, during the course of April, Millwall, QPR and Stoke City all earned a string of key wins to pull away from danger.
As a result, four clubs were in trouble at the start of the final day - with Birmingham in the bottom three, one point adrift of Plymouth ahead of the visit of Norwich to St Andrews.
The Blues won their own game, beating the playoff-bound Canaries - but the Pilgrims also pulled off that unexpected victory against Hull.
Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday had also mathematically been at risk - but Rovers secured their status against a Leicester side which failed to put on a champions' display at the King Power Stadium.
Elsewhere, the Owls had a plum fixture against a Sunderland side which treaded water for months after the ill-fated Michael Beale tenure ended on Wearside in February.
By contrast, Wednesday manager - 34-year-old German Danny Roehl - revived his team upon taking charge at Hillsborough in October, following the worst start in the club's history.
| 15 | Watford | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 61 | 61 | 0 | 56 |
| 16 | Sunderland | 46 | 16 | 8 | 22 | 52 | 54 | -2 | 56 |
| 17 | Stoke City | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 49 | 60 | -11 | 56 |
| 18 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 47 | 58 | -11 | 56 |
| 19 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 60 | 74 | -14 | 53 |
| 20 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 15 | 8 | 23 | 44 | 68 | -24 | 53 |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 59 | 70 | -11 | 51 |
| R | Birmingham City | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 50 | 65 | -15 | 50 |
| R | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 48 | 77 | -29 | 45 |
| R | Rotherham United | 46 | 5 | 12 | 29 | 37 | 89 | -52 | 27 |
⚽
| EFL League One | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| C | Portsmouth | 46 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 78 | 41 | +37 | 97 |
| P | Derby County | 46 | 28 | 8 | 10 | 78 | 37 | +41 | 92 |
| 3 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 86 | 51 | +35 | 87 |
| 4 | Peterborough United | 46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 89 | 61 | +28 | 84 |
| 5 | Oxford United | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 79 | 56 | +23 | 77 |
| 6 | Barnsley | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 82 | 64 | +18 | 76 |
| 7 | Lincoln City | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 65 | 40 | +25 | 74 |
| 8 | Blackpool | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 65 | 48 | +17 | 73 |
| 9 | Stevenage | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 71 |
PORTSMOUTH ended their long absence from the second tier by winning promotion and taking the League One title on the same night.
Conor Shaughnessy's late winner sealed a 3-2 win over Barnsley on 16 April as Pompey ended 12 years of exile in the lower two divisions.
Four of those seasons came in the League Two basement - but, having fallen through the leagues at a rapid rate amid financial turmoil in the early 2010s, the south coast club return to the Championship on a much surer footing.
Derby County took the second automatic promotion place to ensure their own tenure at this level lasted only two seasons.
The Rams were involved in a tight tussle with yet another former Premier League outfit, Bolton Wanderers - but, after a good late run of form, Paul Warne's men needed only a draw on the final day.
A 2-0 victory at Pride Park against already-relegated Carlisle United therefore proved more than enough - and the pitch invasion at full-time signalled a huge emotional release from the sold-out crowd of 31,027.
By contrast, Bolton have now been left to consider how to make it through the playoffs, where the Trotters will be joined by Peterborough United.
Posh's slim hopes of gatecrashing the automatic promotion places were ended in a crushing 5-0 defeat at Oxford United on 13 April - and, coincidentally, the two teams will meet again in the playoff semi finals.
But, despite that recent mauling, Darren Ferguson's side will fancy their chances in that tie.
After all, Peterborough have already proven their knockout credentials at this level this year by beating Wycombe Wanderers to win the EFL Trophy at Wembley.
Furthermore, Oxford - and sixth-placed Barnsley - only sealed their playoff places on the final day after being threatened by a late run of form from Lincoln City.
Indeed, Lincoln beat Oxford on 16 April and, four days later, moved into the top six at the expense of the Us after defeating Cheltenham Town.
But the Imps then lost at home to Pompey on Saturday and allowed Oxford to take the place back again with a 2-1 win at mid-table Exeter City.
Barnsley, meanwhile, used almost all of the comfort room which they had built up - and head into the post-season on the back of a dismal run of two draws and four defeats from their last six matches.
At the bottom, Carlisle were relegated back on 6 April following a 2-0 defeat at Northampton Town - while Port Vale fared only marginally better after taking until 23 March to record their first win of 2024.
Fleetwood Town also failed to take their survival fight to the last day, leaving Cheltenham, Burton Albion and Cambridge United in a scrap on Saturday to avoid the fourth and final place.
Ultimately, Cheltenham went down following defeat at Stevenage, as they paid the price for hideous start to the season.
It took the Robins until 7 October to score a single league goal, let alone win a game - and, though they were vastly improved after Darrell Clarke replaced Wade Elliott as manager, they were never able to clamber out of the bottom four at any stage.
Burton then were left to breathe a sigh of relief as their 3-0 defeat at Fleetwood did not cost them, while Cambridge secured the point which they needed in a stalemate at Vale.
Conor Shaughnessy's late winner sealed a 3-2 win over Barnsley on 16 April as Pompey ended 12 years of exile in the lower two divisions.
Four of those seasons came in the League Two basement - but, having fallen through the leagues at a rapid rate amid financial turmoil in the early 2010s, the south coast club return to the Championship on a much surer footing.
Derby County took the second automatic promotion place to ensure their own tenure at this level lasted only two seasons.
The Rams were involved in a tight tussle with yet another former Premier League outfit, Bolton Wanderers - but, after a good late run of form, Paul Warne's men needed only a draw on the final day.
A 2-0 victory at Pride Park against already-relegated Carlisle United therefore proved more than enough - and the pitch invasion at full-time signalled a huge emotional release from the sold-out crowd of 31,027.
By contrast, Bolton have now been left to consider how to make it through the playoffs, where the Trotters will be joined by Peterborough United.
Posh's slim hopes of gatecrashing the automatic promotion places were ended in a crushing 5-0 defeat at Oxford United on 13 April - and, coincidentally, the two teams will meet again in the playoff semi finals.
But, despite that recent mauling, Darren Ferguson's side will fancy their chances in that tie.
After all, Peterborough have already proven their knockout credentials at this level this year by beating Wycombe Wanderers to win the EFL Trophy at Wembley.
Furthermore, Oxford - and sixth-placed Barnsley - only sealed their playoff places on the final day after being threatened by a late run of form from Lincoln City.
Indeed, Lincoln beat Oxford on 16 April and, four days later, moved into the top six at the expense of the Us after defeating Cheltenham Town.
But the Imps then lost at home to Pompey on Saturday and allowed Oxford to take the place back again with a 2-1 win at mid-table Exeter City.
Barnsley, meanwhile, used almost all of the comfort room which they had built up - and head into the post-season on the back of a dismal run of two draws and four defeats from their last six matches.
At the bottom, Carlisle were relegated back on 6 April following a 2-0 defeat at Northampton Town - while Port Vale fared only marginally better after taking until 23 March to record their first win of 2024.
Fleetwood Town also failed to take their survival fight to the last day, leaving Cheltenham, Burton Albion and Cambridge United in a scrap on Saturday to avoid the fourth and final place.
Ultimately, Cheltenham went down following defeat at Stevenage, as they paid the price for hideous start to the season.
It took the Robins until 7 October to score a single league goal, let alone win a game - and, though they were vastly improved after Darrell Clarke replaced Wade Elliott as manager, they were never able to clamber out of the bottom four at any stage.
Burton then were left to breathe a sigh of relief as their 3-0 defeat at Fleetwood did not cost them, while Cambridge secured the point which they needed in a stalemate at Vale.
| 18 | Cambridge United | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 39 | 61 | -22 | 48 |
| 19 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 13 | 9 | 24 | 35 | 67 | -32 | 48 |
| 20 | Burton Albion | 46 | 12 | 10 | 24 | 39 | 67 | -28 | 46 |
| R | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 12 | 8 | 26 | 41 | 65 | -24 | 44 |
| R | Fleetwood Town | 46 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 49 | 72 | -23 | 43 |
| R | Port Vale | 46 | 10 | 11 | 25 | 41 | 74 | -33 | 41 |
| R | Carlisle United | 46 | 7 | 9 | 30 | 41 | 81 | -40 | 30 |
⚽
| EFL League Two | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| C | Stockport County | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 96 | 48 | +48 | 92 |
| P | Wrexham | 46 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 89 | 52 | +37 | 88 |
| P | Mansfield Town | 46 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 90 | 47 | +43 | 86 |
| 4 | Milton Keynes Dons | 46 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 83 | 68 | +15 | 78 |
| 5 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 73 | 68 | +5 | 71 |
| 6 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 69 | 65 | +4 | 71 |
| 7 | Crawley Town | 46 | 21 | 7 | 18 | 73 | 67 | +6 | 70 |
| 8 | Barrow | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 62 | 56 | +6 | 69 |
| 9 | Bradford City | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 69 |
| 10 | AFC Wimbledon | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 64 | 51 | +13 | 65 |
STOCKPORT COUNTY took another big stride to recovering the ground which they painfully lost between 2002 and 2013 when they dropped from the second tier to the sixth.
The Hatters went from reaching the League Cup semi finals in 1997 and then playing in five successive Championship-level seasons to enduring a six-year spell in the National League North.
But promotion from that level finally came in 2019 and they then added the National League title in 2022.
Last season ended in playoff final heartache after a penalty shoot-out at Wembley - but Dave Challinor's side left nothing to chance this time.
Having been placed in the top two since October, Stockport were promoted on 13 April with a 2-0 win over Morecambe before sealing yet another title with a 5-2 bashing of Notts County.
Elsewhere, on the same day as the Hatters went up, Wrexham added the latest chapter to their Disney fairytale, thumping Forest Green Rovers 6-0 to confirm their return to the third tier for the first time since 2004-05.
Third-placed Mansfield Town waited only three days longer for their own promotion party which began after Nigel Clough's Stags beat Accrington Stanley.
And, in truth, there has been little doubt for some time about the trio of clubs who would be promoted automatically.
Milton Keynes, in fourth place, were the best of the rest - but still ended eight points adrift - while sixth-placed Crewe Alexandra and Crawley, in seventh, were always there or thereabouts.
However, Doncaster Rovers are easily the most remarkable of the playoff contenders.
Rovers strung together a club record sequence of 10 consecutive wins to rise all the way up from 22nd place on 3 February, eventually finishing in fifth.
By contrast, Barrow - who had occupied a playoff spot since mid-November - slipped the other way and out of the reckoning on the last day.
Pete Wild's men took just two points out of the 21 available in April - although at least the Bluebirds still have their Football League status.
That cannot be said for Sutton United who head back down to the National League, after just three seasons - despite a four-match winning run in March and April giving the south London club hope of surviving the drop.
Steve Morison's side even made a gallant comeback on the last day in their 4-4 draw at Milton Keynes - but they needed three points at the very minimum.
Indeed, their result was rendered academic as Colchester United took a home point against Crewe to guarantee safety.
Below Sutton, Forest Green had already been relegated ahead of the final day following that earlier heavy reverse at Wrexham, although they did bow out by beating Notts at the New Lawn.
Undoubtedly, though, a second successive relegation has left attention-seeing owner Dale Vince and the pitiful fanbase choking on their vegan sausage rolls.
For sure, the Gloucestershire non-entities are unlikely to be much missed by too many opposition supporters in the Football League.
| 22 | Colchester United | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 59 | 80 | -21 | 45 |
| R | Sutton United | 46 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 59 | 84 | -25 | 42 |
| R | Forest Green Rovers | 46 | 11 | 9 | 26 | 44 | 78 | -34 | 42 |
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