Sheffield Wednesday’s three-year stay in the Championship was ended in a cruel final twist of fate by Sheffield United after a 2-1 derby defeat at Bramall Lane.
For their city rivals to operate the relegation trap door only added insult to injury as Wednesday’s miserable mathematical fate was confirmed.
Excluding Bury, who were expelled from League One in 2019-20 without playing a game, this is the earliest a team have been relegated in EFL history.
There was little by way of empathy from the Sheffield United supporters, who serenaded their visitors in added time with chants of “Wednesday’s going down”.
It was a feisty contest won by United despite a 49th-minute red card for Kalvin Phillips for a dangerous tackle on Svante Ingelsson and one that added further impetus to their long-distance promotion playoff push. Wednesday also had a player sent off in the 90th minute, Gabriel Otegbayo, for a second yellow card.
