Oxford United will be playing in the Championship for the first time in the 21st century
Oxford United has secured the right to compete in the Championship for the first time in 25 years. This achievement came after today's victory over Bolton in the English League One playoff final.
Finishing fifth in the league, Oxford earned the opportunity to vie for promotion to the second-tier division of English football through the playoffs. In the semifinals, they narrowly defeated Peterborough United over two legs, and in today's final at Wembley, they emerged victorious over Bolton, thanks to a brace from Josh Murphy.
The last time the team reached such heights was in the 1998/99 season, after which they spent many years wandering through the lower tiers of English football. Over the last 8 years, Oxford United has been competing in League One and has made sporadic attempts at promotion through the playoffs, finally achieving it now.
It's worth noting that Portsmouth and Derby County secured direct promotion to the Championship, while Birmingham, Huddersfield, and Rotherham were relegated from the league.