| EFL Championship | |
| |
| Country |  England Wales
|
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Founded | 2004–present 1992–2004 (as Division One) 1892–1992 (as Division Two) |
| Number of teams | 24 |
| Promotion to | Premier League |
| Relegation to | EFL League One |
| Levels on pyramid | 2 |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup, Football League Cup |
| Current champions | Leeds United (2019–20) |
| Most successful club | Newcastle United, Reading, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers (2 titles) |
| TV | Sky Sports Quest (highlights only) |
| Website | Official website |
 2020-21
| |
The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the highest division of the English Football League and second-highest overall in the English football league system, after the Premier League. Each year, the top finishing teams in the Championship are promoted to the Premier League, and the lowest finishing teams are relegated to League One.
The Football League Championship, which was introduced for the 2004–05 season, was previously known as the Football League First Division (1992–2004), and before that was known as Division Two (1892–1992). The winners of the Championship receive the Football League Championship trophy, the same trophy as the old First Division champions were handed prior to the Premier League's inception in 1992.
The Championship is the wealthiest non-top flight football division in the world and the seventh richest division in Europe. With an average match attendance for the 2014–15 season of 17,857, the Championship ranked slightly ahead of the German 2. Bundesliga as the most-watched secondary league in the world.
In the 2015–16 season, Burnley were the division champions, Middlesbrough were the runners up, and Hull City were promoted via the play-offs. At present, Ipswich Town hold the longest tenure in the Championship, last being out of the division in the 2001–02 season when they were relegated from the Premier League.
Clubs participating in the 2019–20 season
The following 24 clubs competed in the EFL Championship during the 2019–20 season.
| Club | Finishing position last season | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | 2nd in League One (promoted) | Barnsley | Oakwell | 23,287 |
| Birmingham City | 17th | Bordesley | St Andrew's | 30,016 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 15th | Blackburn | Ewood Park | 31,367 |
| Brentford | 11th | London (Brentford) | Griffin Park | 12,763 |
| Bristol City | 8th | Bristol | Ashton Gate | 27,000 |
| Cardiff City | 18th in Premier League (relegated) | Cardiff | Cardiff City Stadium | 33,316 |
| Charlton Athletic | 3rd in League One (promoted via play-offs) | London (Charlton) | The Valley | 27,111 |
| Derby County | 6th | Derby | Pride Park Stadium | 33,597 |
| Fulham | 19th in Premier League (relegated) | London (Fulham) | Craven Cottage | 19,000 |
| Huddersfield Town | 20th in Premier League (relegated) | Huddersfield | Kirklees Stadium | 24,121 |
| Hull City | 13th | Kingston upon Hull | KCOM Stadium | 25,404 |
| Leeds United | 3rd | Leeds | Elland Road | 37,900 |
| Luton Town | 1st in League One (promoted) | Luton | Kenilworth Road | 10,356 |
| Middlesbrough | 7th | Middlesbrough | Riverside Stadium | 34,742 |
| Millwall | 21st | London (South Bermondsey) | The Den | 20,146 |
| Nottingham Forest | 9th | Nottingham | City Ground | 30,576 |
| Preston North End | 14th | Preston | Deepdale | 23,408 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 19th | London (Shepherd's Bush) | Loftus Road | 18,360 |
| Reading | 20th | Reading | Madejski Stadium | 24,200 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 12th | Sheffield | Hillsborough | 39,732 |
| Stoke City | 16th | Stoke-on-Trent | bet365 Stadium | 30,089 |
| Swansea City | 10th | Swansea | Liberty Stadium | 21,088 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 4th | West Bromwich | The Hawthorns | 26,850 |
| Wigan Athletic | 18th | Wigan | DW Stadium | 25,133 |
Results
League champions, runners-up and play-off finalists
1 When Norwich City gained promotion to the Premier League they were the first team to be relegated to, relegated from, promoted to and promoted from the Championship.
2 When Burnley were promoted they gained the most points for a second placed team.
Relegated teams (from Championship to League One)
| Season | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Gillingham (50), Nottingham Forest (44), Rotherham United (29) |
| 2005–06 | Crewe Alexandra (42), Millwall (40), Brighton & Hove Albion (38) |
| 2006–07 | Southend United (42), Luton Town (40), Leeds United (36) |
| 2007–08 | Leicester City (52), Scunthorpe United (46), Colchester United (38) |
| 2008–09 | Norwich City (46), Southampton (45), Charlton Athletic (39) |
| 2009–10 | Sheffield Wednesday (47), Plymouth Argyle (41), Peterborough United (34) |
| 2010–11 | Preston North End (42), Sheffield United (42), Scunthorpe United (42) |
| 2011–12 | Portsmouth (40), Coventry City (40), Doncaster Rovers (36) |
| 2012–13 | Peterborough United (54), Wolverhampton Wanderers (51), Bristol City (41) |
| 2013–14 | Doncaster Rovers (44), Barnsley (39), Yeovil Town (37) |
| 2014–15 | Millwall (41), Wigan Athletic (39), Blackpool (26) |
| 2015–16 | Charlton Athletic (40), Milton Keynes Dons (39), Bolton Wanderers (30) |
Relegated teams (from Premier League to Championship)
| Season | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Crystal Palace (33), Norwich City (33), Southampton (32) |
| 2005–06 | Birmingham City (34), West Bromwich Albion (30), Sunderland (15) |
| 2006–07 | Sheffield United (38), Charlton Athletic (34), Watford (29) |
| 2007–08 | Reading (36), Birmingham City (35), Derby County (11) |
| 2008–09 | Newcastle United (34), Middlesbrough (32), West Bromwich Albion (32) |
| 2009–10 | Burnley (30), Hull City (30), Portsmouth (19) |
| 2010–11 | Blackpool (39), Birmingham City (39), West Ham United (33) |
| 2011–12 | Bolton Wanderers (36), Blackburn Rovers (31), Wolverhampton Wanderers (25) |
| 2012–13 | Wigan Athletic (36), Reading (28), Queens Park Rangers (25) |
| 2013–14 | Norwich City (33), Fulham (32), Cardiff City (30) |
| 2014–15 | Hull City (35), Burnley (33), Queens Park Rangers (30) |
| 2015–16 | Newcastle United (37), Norwich City (34), Aston Villa (17) |
Promoted teams (from League One to Championship)
Top scorers
External links
- Championship official site Football League
- Championship Fan site The Championship Fan Site
- Championship Stadia The Championship Stadia
| EFL Championship seasons |
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1992-93 · 1993-94 · 1994-95 · 1995-96 · 1996-97 · 1997-98 · 1998-99 · 1999-00 · 2000-01 · 2001-02 · 2002-03 · 2003-04 · 2004-05 · 2005-06 · 2006-07 · 2007-08 · 2008-09 · 2009-10 · 2010-11 · 2011-12 · 2012-13 · 2013-14 · 2014-15 · 2015-16 · 2016-17 · 2017-18 · 2018-19 · 2019-20 · 2020-21 · |
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