Burnley have sealed automatic promotion into the Premier League thanks to a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Turf Moor on Monday.
Sean Dyche and his men, who were relegated to the Championship this time last year, guaranteed their place back in the top flight after Sam Vokes scored just after the hour mark this afternoon.
The Clarets, who have won 25 of their 45 games, will wrap up their season with a trip to Charlton Athletic next Saturday.
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Three minutes after this afternoon's kickoff Sebastian Polter caused some controversy when he lunged in on Joey Barton, but instead of seeing red, the referee opted to give the QPR forward a yellow card.
It was a relatively slow start with regards to chances as neither side were able to create much in the final third during the opening quarter of an hour.
It was the visitors who forced the first save of the game, though, as Polter nodded down a long ball for Matt Phillips, who fired a low shot from the edge of the box, but Tom Heaton made the stop.
Burnley had an opportunity from a free kick in the 22nd minute, but Barton's attempt failed to get over the wall, and one minute later, they were almost gifted a goal from Cole Kpekawa.
The defender fluffed his clearance from the box by heading straight down to Vokes, who drilled a shot at goal on his second touch, but his effort was blocked.
Burnley looked to have let the nerves get the better of them when QPR had a flurry of chances, one of which came from Junior Hoilett, whose first-time strike from just outside the box was saved by Heaton.
Minutes later, a long ball was sent over the top for Michael Petrasso, who would have been one-on-one with the goalkeeper had he met the pass, but Heaton did well to come off his line and clear the danger.
The home side's best chance of the match came four minutes into the second half when Scott Arfield collected the ball after a scramble in the box and aimed for the far post, but it fell just wide.
The deadlock was broken in the 61st minute via a free kick, which was delivered into the area by David Jones, and Vokes latched on to header the ball into the far corner.
Despite taking the lead, the Clarets struggled to impose more of a threat and they almost conceded an equaliser when Alejandro Faurlin let one fly from 25 yards out, but his attempt smashed off the post.
At the other end, Arfield was denied a goal when his shot from 10 yards out was stopped by Matt Ingram, and Burnley almost began celebrating a second one minute later.
The ball nestled into the back of the net from a corner, but the goal was swiftly ruled offside following a foul on Ingram, much to the displeasure of the home players.
Burnley, managed to hold on, though, and earned their place in the Premier League with one week left to go.
Dyche's side have a two-point lead in the Championship, above Middlesbrough and Brighton & Hove Albion, who will fight it out for the remaining automatic promotion place next weekend.
Danielle Joynson
