Leeds United are worthy champions, but its fearless Barnsley FC who encapsulate the Championship - Sue Smith

I was watching the players and coaches being interviewed after the game and they were delighted but the interviewer dampened the mood a bit by mentioning Wigan Athletic have appealed against their 12-point deduction for going into administration.

It is not right that the season is over and Barnsley, Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday do not know where they stand. No wonder Barnsley came out with such a strong statement yesterday evening criticising the governance of the league.

The football, though, was brilliant. It frustrates me that some of my friends who support Premier League clubs do not give the Championship a go. They are missing out because it is so exciting and unpredictable.

Teams can go seven or eight games unbeaten, then go as long without winning. You need a method that works for your players and you need to stick to it, as Leeds United have done this season and surely will next when they play Premier League football under Marcelo Bielsa.

When football resumed I certainly thought Nottingham Forest would make the play-offs and even with a couple of minutes to go it looked like they would, only for Swansea City to pip them with a dramatic goal difference swing.

But there was just as much excitement at the bottom end, where Barnsley have done so well to turn it around. I covered a couple of their games after the restart and was impressed.

I wrote when the season resumed they had nothing to lose and maybe that worked in their favour. You could see the nervousness in teams like Brentford once they got into a position where they were expected to win promotion, and that was what was so good about the way Leeds finished. There were similar pressures at the other end of the table.

Barnsley emerged from lockdown seven points adrift of safety with only nine games left. Norwich City were six points adrift in the Premier League and did not put up much of a fight but the Reds gave it everything. Perhaps there was a bit of anger at being written off.

But like Brentford, Barnsley went from very little expectation to a position where their goal was suddenly in sight. Unlike the Bees, they handled the new mindset very well.

I cannot see Wigan’s 12-point deduction for going into administration being overturned but if it is, that will put Barnsley back into the bottom three.

We are also waiting to hear from the Owls’ misconduct charge, where a guilty verdict could relegate them.

They were charged in November and their case was only heard last month, so it is ridiculous we still do not know what will happen to them.

It was not fair that Barnsley and their relegation rivals went into the final game not knowing what they needed.

Someone made the point on social media that they could go into the last minute at 1-1 thinking they had to win, concede pushing for the goal only to find out that because of points deductions a draw would have done. Thankfully, the goal at Griffin Park went their way.

The transfer window opens on Monday and Barnsley, Wednesday and Wigan will want to make signings quickly with the new season starting on September 12, but how can they?

Hull City went down and I feel for their coach Grant McCann.

Some fans want him to go after one Championship win since New Year’s Day. Unlike them I do not watch the team every week or suffer when they lose but I think he was dealt a horrible hand, losing his two best players in January and captain and vice-captain in June when they could not agree new contracts.

McCann also has a decent track record in League One, taking Doncaster Rovers to the 2019 play-offs.

I am not sure who they would turn to if they sacked him because they are not a very attractive proposition. I think it is worth giving him the chance to take them back up.

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