Premier League, EFL, Scottish football: Ups, downs & European qualification

BBC Sport outlines the promotion and relegation issues - and the race for European qualification - in England and Scotland for 2020-21.

The coronavirus pandemic forced some leagues to be suspended for a spell, and others to be shortened or curtailed prematurely.

Recent confirmed promotions, relegations, titles & qualifications

Premier League

Manchester City clinched the title on 11 May after nearest rivals Manchester United lost 2-1 to Leicester. Pep Guardiola's side will be joined in the Champions League group stage by Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. There is no extra European place, even though Chelsea won the Champions League, as they finished in the top four anyway.

FA Cup winners Leicester City (who finished fifth) and sixth-placed West Ham United qualify for the Europa League group stage.

Manchester City's Carabao Cup final victory means that that competition's Europa Conference League place (Uefa's new tournament) reverts to the league - going to the highest-placed team not yet qualified for Europe - seventh-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who will enter in the play-off round.

Sheffield United were relegated to the Championship when they lost 1-0 at Wolves on 17 April, going down with six games still to play. West Bromwich Albion joined them after losing 3-1 at Arsenal on 9 May, as did Fulham after losing 2-0 to Burnley on 10 May.

Championship

Long-time leaders Norwich were the first English team to win promotion

Norwich City were promoted before kicking a ball on 17 April after rivals Swansea and Brentford both failed to win, and clinched the title with a game to spare by beating Reading 4-1 on 1 May. Watford secured the second automatic promotion slot with a 1-0 win over Millwall on 24 April, and Brentford were promoted after beating Swansea 2-0 in the play-off final on 29 May.

Three teams were relegated to League One, all on the final day of the season - Sheffield Wednesday went down after drawing 3-3 with Derby (who stayed up), while Rotherham United suffered the drop after a 1-1 draw at Cardiff and Wycombe Wanderers were relegated despite beating Middlesbrough 3-0.

League One

Hull have secured an immediate return to the Championship

Hull City confirmed their promotion to the Championship with a 2-1 win at Lincoln on 24 April, and clinched the title on 1 May by beating Wigan 3-1. Peterborough United clinched the second automatic promotion place on 1 May after a 3-3 draw with Lincoln. They will be joined by play-off winners Blackpool, who beat Lincoln 2-1 in the final on 30 May.

Bristol Rovers were relegated to League Two on 24 April after losing 1-0 at Portsmouth and Swindon Town joined them later that day after a 5-0 loss at Milton Keynes. Rochdale and Northampton Town went down on 1 May after losing to Doncaster and Blackpool respectively.

League Two

Cheltenham were the first League Two team to clinch promotion

Cheltenham Town secured promotion to League One with a 1-1 draw against Carlisle on 27 April, and clinched the title on the final day of the season by beating Harrogate 4-1. Earning the other automatic promotion places on the final day were Cambridge United, who beat Grimsby 3-0, and Bolton Wanderers, who hammered Crawley 4-1.

Morecambe clinched the fourth and final promotion place on 31 May by beating Newport 2-0 after extra time in the play-off final.

Grimsby Town were relegated to the National League after losing 3-2 at Exeter on 27 April, while Southend United joined them on 1 May despite a 2-1 win at Barrow.

National League

Champions Sutton United will be automatically promoted to League Two after beating Hartlepool 3-0 on 23 May to clinch the title with a game to spare - while Hartlepool United took the second promotion place after beating Torquay on penalties on 20 June in the final of the six-team play-off.

With Macclesfield Town expelled, Dover Athletic's results expunged, and the National League North and South divisions declared null and void for 2020-21, there will be no relegation from the National League this season.

Scottish Premiership

Rangers were confirmed as champions on 7 March after nearest rivals Celtic drew 0-0 with Dundee United, and will enter the Champions League at the third qualifying round.

Celtic finished as runners-up and will enter the Champions League at the second qualifying round.

Scottish Cup winners St Johnstone will enter the Europa League play-off round, with third-placed Hibernian and fourth-placed Aberdeen in the Europa Conference League's second qualifying round.

Bottom club Hamilton Academical were relegated to the Championship on the final day of the season after losing 2-0 to 11th-placed Kilmarnock, who were themselves relegated after losing to Dundee in the play-off final.

Scottish Championship

Hearts made sure of an immediate return to the Premiership

Hearts clinched the title and promotion to the Scottish Premiership on 10 April after two of their rivals could only draw, while Dundee were also promoted after beating Premiership side Kilmarnock over two legs in the play-off final.

Bottom club Alloa Athletic were relegated to Scottish League One after losing 2-1 to Raith on 17 April. Ninth-placed Greenock Morton beat League One side Airdrieonians 4-0 over two-legs to keep their place in the Championship.

Scottish League One

Ian McCal's Partick Thistle returned to the Championship at the first time of asking

Champions Patrick Thistle secured automatic promotion to the Scottish Championship with a 5-0 win over Falkirk on 29 April. They were the only team promoted after Airdrieonians lost to Championship side Greenock Morton in the play-off final.

Bottom club Forfar Athletic were relegated to Scottish League Two on 1 May despite a 2-1 win at Peterhead. Ninth-placed Dumbarton retained their League One place after beating Edinburgh City in the play-off final.

Scottish League Two

Queen's Park clinched promotion before the league split in two

Queen's Park were promoted to Scottish League One as champions after a goalless draw with Elgin on 20 April. But they were the only team promoted after Edinburgh City lost to ninth-placed League One side Dumbarton in the play-off final.

Bottom side Brechin City were relegated after losing their two-legged play-off to Lowland League winners Kelty Hearts - who will take their place in League Two, with Brechin expected to join the Highland League for 2021-22.