With the Sky Bet Play-Offs approaching their denouement, the list of teams that will compete in the 2018/19 Sky Bet Championship is moving closer to completion and one more was added to the list last night. The Championship Play-Off Semi-Final between Fulham and Derby County was played to a conclusion last night and it was the West London outfit that progressed. A 2-0 win for Fulham gave them a place at Wembley and means Derby are confirmed as the 21st team in the Championship for next season.
Derby held a 1-0 lead going in to the Second Leg last night and got to 0-0 at half-time thanks to some stout defending and good goalkeeping. But Ryan Sessegnon broke the deadlock just after half time and Denis Odoi headed Fulham in to the final just past the hour mark. That means Derby will be in the second tier for the 11th consecutive season in 2018/19. The Bees will be hoping for better luck against County next season. The Rams grabbed a point in a 1-1 draw at Griffin Park and then won 3-0 in Derby after Sergi Canós was controversially sent off early on.
The 21 teams confirmed in the Championship next season are as follows:
Swansea CityStoke CityWest Bromwich AlbionDerby CountyPreston North EndMillwallBRENTFORDSheffield UnitedBristol CityIpswich TownLeeds UnitedNorwich CitySheffield WednesdayQueens Park RangersNottingham ForestHull CityBirmingham CityReadingBolton WanderersWigan AthleticBlackburn Rovers
The three remaining places in the Championship for next season will be filled over the next 12 days and there are now just six teams that could fill them. One place in the Championship will go to the League One Play-Off winners and Shrewsbury Town have already booked their place in the Wembley final with a 2-0 aggregate win over Charlton Athletic. They will face either Rotherham United or Scunthorpe United, who drew 2-2 in their first meeting, at Wembley on 27 May for a place in the second tier.
The two remaining spots in the division for next season will be filled by current Championship teams that fail to win promotion via the Play-Offs. Aston Villa are in pole position to meet Fulham at Wembley on 26 May after winning their first leg against Middlesbrough respectively. The teams will meet again tonight and the winners will then play for a place in the Premier League. One team will go up and the other two will have another visit to Griffin Park to look forward to.
Lots of Bees supporters have already secured their places for our 2018/19 Championship season. All seats are now on General Sale so don’t forget to buy your 2018/19 Season Tickets here before our Early Bird Deadline on Thursday 31 May.