Scotland stars and Rangers duo win league without kicking ball - ex-SPFL men can win 2 trophies in 24 hours

Birmingham City have been crowned champions of English football’s League One without kicking a ball after nearest challengers Wrexham slipped up away at Wigan Athletic.

The Welsh side needed to win at The Brick Community Stadium to have any chance of overhauling Birmingham City, but were held to a 0-0 draw by the Latics. It means that the Blues, who are managed by former Celtic coach Chris Davies, return to the Championship at the first time of asking as champions following their relegation last season.

Birmingham have clearly been the best team in third tier of English football this season and have an unassailable 13-point lead at the top of the table. They are inactive this weekend in the league as they are in the EFL Trophy final on Sunday against Peterborough at Wembley and could claim two pieces of silverware in one weekend.

Rangers loanee Kieran Dowell has won the League One title with Birmingham City. | Getty Images

Birmingham have spent big this season and have a number of players in their squad with Scottish links, not least striker Lyndon Dykes, who joined them from QPR last year. The former Livingston hitman has struggled for starts, however, and is currently sidelined by injury. His international teammate Grant Hanley joined from Norwich earlier this year, but the centre-half has been a peripheral figure at St Andrew’s.

Rangers duo Ben Davies and Kieran Dowell are on loan at Birmingham from the Ibrox side, while Scott Wright made a permanent move from the Govan outfit in the summer. Celtic’s former Japanese midfielder Tomoki Iwata is on loan from Celtic and has chipped in with important goals this term, while ex-Hearts defender Alex Cochrane has been a dependable left-back this term. Another former Jambo in midfielder Marc Leonard is also in the squad and veteran ex-Motherwell striker Lukas Jutkiewitz is also on the Blues’ books.