Follow live coverage as Bristol City face Sheffield United in the Championship today. An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.

A home crowd that has waited 17 years for a night like this. City’s last playoff appearance was in 2008, when they beat Crystal Palace in a dramatic semi-final before losing 1-0 to Phil Brown’s Hull at Wembley. They haven’t been in the top flight of English football since 1979-80.

Bristol City welcome Sheffield United to Ashton Gate for the first leg of their play-off semi-final on Thursday evening (8:00pm kick-off)