Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham Utd both relegated
It came down to the last game of the Championship season
Last updated 9th May 2021
Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United will both be playing League One football next season after a dramatic last day of the season that saw both teams and Derby County all staying up at various points of the game.
After taking the lead early on in the game with an incredible goal from Lewis Wing on the eighth minute, Rotherham were denied Championship safety after a devastating late equaliser from Cardiff City's Marlon Pack. The goals over at Pride Park were filtering through to the directors box with Rotherham safe for a time - but that equaliser sealed their fate with just minutes to go.
Rotherham boss Paul Warne said it was a cruel way to end their one-season stay in the second tier. "I think the lads realise how close they were to pulling something amazing off."
"I just feel for them.... it's their careers, I've had mine. I just they deserved to play in the Championship again next year. So we're sad."
Meanwhile Derby and Sheffield Wednesday battled it out to save themselves from relegation First to score was Wednesday's Sam Hutchinson on 45+3. Derby equalised not long after half-time and then went ahead three minutes later. Wednesday then brought it back to 2-2 and Julian Borner took the Owls ahead.
However safety for Sheffield Wednesday wasn't to be as Derby's Martyn Waghorn held his nerve to score the penalty which saved his side from relegation and sent Sheffield Wednesday down.
Later Sheffield Wednesday's owner Dejphon Chansiri said, "As your owner and chairman, I take full responsibility for everything that happens at our club. I am the leader and in good times or bad, the responsibility for Sheffield Wednesday lies with me. I am sorry to you all that we have been relegated."
He continued, "We must pick ourselves up from the floor and move forward in a positive way. We have had plans for both scenarios and now our immediate future is clear, we can start to put those plans into place. I can pledge that as chairman, I will give everything I can and offer as much support as possible to everyone as we try and achieve promotion at the first attempt." You can read the statement in full here.
Elsewhere in South Yorkshire Sheffield United have been relegated from the Premier League to the Championship, whilst Barnsley FC will be in the play-offs fighting to get promotion to the Premier League. Doncaster Rovers will stay in League One, where they will be playing local derbies with Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United next season.