Premier League and Football League: Ups and downs

soccersports has outlined the promotion and relegation issues - and the race for Europe - in England and Scotland.

PREMIER LEAGUE

The top three teams qualify for the Champions League group stage, with the fourth-placed team entering the preceding play-off round.
English clubs have three places in the Europa League - for the FA Cup winners, Capital One Cup winners and fifth-placed Premier League side


 

Chelsea were the first English team to guarantee a European place for 2015-16

Chelsea were the first English side to book their place in Europe by winning the League Cup, and are now assured of a top-four place and thus will play Champions League football next season. Chelsea's Europa League slot as Capital One Cup winners will be transferred to the team in sixth. However, if Arsenal finish sixth and win the FA Cup, they will qualify for the Europa League through their league placing, with the team in seventh inheriting their slot for winning the FA Cup.
Jose Mourinho's side will be Premier League champions on Sunday, 3 May if they beat Crystal Palace.
Should Arsenal win the FA Cup and finish in the top four, their Europa League place will be allocated to the next highest club in the Premier League that has not yet qualified for the tournament, rather than to the beaten finalists.
The top three countries in Uefa's Respect Fair Play league get an extra Europa League place.

CHAMPIONSHIP

The champions and runners-up will be promoted to the Premier League, and the next four teams will contest the play-offs.
Watford secured promotion on 25 April and Bournemouth all but sealed their place in the top flight on 27 April, as they moved three points and 19 goals clear of third-placed Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough and Norwich are guaranteed at least a play-off place, while Ipswich, Derby, Brentford and Wolves will scrap for the two remaining play-off berths.
Ipswich will claim a play-off place if they beat Blackburn on 2 May or match the results of Brentford and Wolves.
Derby will secure their top-six spot if they better the results of Brentford and Wolves.
Wigan and Millwall joined Blackpool as the three teams relegated to League One.
Blackpool were the first Football League team to go down this season, after fellow strugglers Rotherham beat Brighton 1-0 on 6 April.
The question of who finishes in the other relegation places was slightly complicated by 21st-placed Rotherham's three-point deduction. They have until 1 May, the day before the final fixtures of the season, to appeal.
But the Millers' 2-1 win over Reading on 28 April meant Wigan and Millwall filled the remaining relegation places.

LEAGUE ONE

Bristol City secured the first of two automatic promotion places with a stunning 6-0 win at Bradford on 14 April, and then clinched the title with the point they needed in a 0-0 draw against Coventry.
The second spot is between Preston and MK Dons, who are each guaranteed one of the four play-off places at least along with Swindon.
Preston will be promoted if they beat Colchester or match MK Dons' result against Yeovil.
Sheffield United and Chesterfield have secured the other play-off spots.

Bristol City secured promotion to the Championship with a stunning 6-0 win at Bradford

At the bottom, four teams will be relegated to League Two. Yeovil Town have already filled one of those positions after a draw against Notts County on 11 April condemned them to a second straight relegation.
Three from a further six teams will join them, with Leyton Orient, Colchester, Crawley, Notts County, Crewe and Coventry all still in danger.
Coventry, Crewe, Notts County and Crawley all know that they will stay up if they win their final games. A draw would be enough for Crewe and Coventry, who play fellow strugglers Crawley. Leyton Orient and Colchester are dependent on other results.

LEAGUE TWO

The top three teams will be promoted to League One, while teams finishing from fourth to seventh will contest the play-offs.
Burton were the first team to secure promotion on 18 April and Shrewsbury joined them by beating Cheltenham on 25 April. Burton will be crowned champions if they beat Cambridge on the final day of the season, or if Shrewsbury fail to overcome Plymouth.
The other automatic place is between Southend, Bury and Wycombe, who are all assured of at least a play-off place.
Southend will be promoted if they beat Morecambe, or if Bury and Wycombe both fail to win.
Stevenage have secured a play-off place and Plymouth will definitely join them if they get a point against Shrewsbury, although the Pilgrims' goal-difference means they are all but certain of a top-seven finish anyway.
The bottom two teams - Cheltenham and Tranmere - have been relegated to the Conference Premier (or the National League as it will be called next season).

CONFERENCE PREMIER

Barnet are the champions and will be promoted to League Two.
The teams finishing from second to fifth - Bristol Rovers, Grimsby, Eastleigh and Forest Green - will contest the play-offs for the second promotion place.
The bottom four teams have been relegated, and replaced by the champions and play-off winners of the Conference North and South divisions.
AFC Telford United became the first team in England's top five divisions to be relegated on 4 April after they could only draw 1-1 with Kidderminster.
Welling's win against Wrexham on 14 April condemned both Dartford and Nuneaton Town to the drop. The last relegation place was filled by Alfreton.

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP

The Scottish Premiership will split in half after all teams have played 33 games, with the top six and the bottom six playing the other sides in their 'half' for a fourth and final time.
The champions will enter the Champions League in the second qualifying round.
The teams finishing second and third qualify for the Europa League along with the Scottish Cup winners.
The cup winners enter the competition in the second qualifying round, and the second and third-placed teams in the first qualifying round.
Should Inverness beat Falkirk in the final and finish in the top three in the league, the fourth-placed team would also qualify.
The top three countries in Uefa's Respect Fair Play league get an extra Europa League place, which is given to the highest-placed team in the top flight's Fair Play table that has not yet qualified for Europe.
In Uefa's interim rankings on 31 December 2014, Scotland were 12th in the Fair Play table. 
The bottom side will be relegated to the Scottish Championship, while the 11th-placed side will face the winners of the Championship play-offs over two legs, with the losers condemned to a place in the second tier next season.
St Mirren can, at best, finish 11th and will be relegated if they fail to beat Partick and Motherwell beat Ross County.

SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP

Hearts were the first team in Scotland or England's top four leagues to clinch promotion

Hearts clinched the title and an immediate return to the Premiership on 22 March after rivals Hibernian lost 2-0 to Rangers.
The third and fourth-placed teams will meet in the first round of the play-offs, with the winners playing the division's second-placed team. Whoever emerges victorious from that two-legged encounter will face the second bottom side in the Premiership - again on a home and away basis - with a spot in the top flight the prize.
Hibernian, Rangers and Queen of the South are in the play-offs.
The bottom club will be relegated to League One, while the ninth-placed team will enter a play-off with three League One sides.

SCOTTISH LEAGUE ONE

The champions will be promoted to the Championship. The next three teams will enter a play-off with the ninth-placed Championship side.
Leaders Morton, as well as Forfar and Stranraer, are assured a place in the play-offs at least.
Bottom team Stirling Albion were relegated to League Two after losing 2-1 at Brechin on 11 April, while the ninth-placed team - Ayr or Stenhousemuir - will enter a play-off.

SCOTTISH LEAGUE TWO

Albion Rovers wrapped up the title and promotion with a 3-2 win at Clyde on 18 April, coming back from two goals down.
The teams finishing second, third and fourth will enter a play-off with the ninth-placed League One team.
Queen's Park and Arbroath are already sure of play-off places.
Montrose, who are guaranteed to finish bottom, will enter a play-off against the winner of a play-off between Highland League champions Brora Rangers and Lowland League title winners Edinburgh City for the final place in next season's League Two.