West Ham United are the first team to be relegated from English football's Premiership after letting a 2-goal lead slip as they went down 3-2 at Wigan Athletic.
Avram Grant's strugglers knew only three points would give them any hope of avoiding the drop after a six-year stay in the top flight.
That sad end was the final act following a match which saw a first half of optimism and hope for the Hammers transformed into a second period of abject misery.
Manager Avram Grant parted company with the club and summed up the feeling of the club and fans.
So with one round to go West Ham have gone, while Wigan have a lifeline... although they are still second bottom with 39 points, the same as Blackpool and Birmingham, Wolves and Blackburn have 40.
Chelsea secured second spot with a 2-all draw with Newcastle, while Arsenal lost 2-1 to Aston Villa.
Liverpool missed the chance to secure fifth spot and a Europa League place at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur after a 2-nil home defeat to the London side who leapfrogged them into the European position.
