Football League Championship

history

,
| founded = 2004
1992–2004 (as Division One)
1892–1992 (as Division Two) | teams = 24 | promotion = Premier League | relegation = League One | levels = 2 | domest_cup = FA Cup
League Cup | confed_cup = | champions = West Bromwich Albion | season = 2007–08 | current = Football League Championship 2008–09 | website = »Official }}

The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short, or the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League.

The Football League Championship was introduced for the 2004–2005 season, having been previously known as the Football League First Division. According to Deloitte, in the 2004–05 season it was the richest non-top flight football division in the world, and the sixth richest division in Europe.»First fall in Premiership wages, BBC News, 31 May 2006, reporting on Deloitte's review of football finance in 2004-05. TV revenue plays a big part in this with even Icelandic TV channel Stöð 2 Sport 2 giving live coverage on many matches.

History

:For history before 2004, see Football League First Division after 1993 and Football League Second Division before that year. In 2004-05, the Football League Championship announced a total attendance (including postseason) of 9.8 million, which it said was the fourth highest total attendance for a European football division, behind the FA Premier League (12.88m), Spain's Primera división (11.57m) and Germany's Bundesliga (10.92m), but beating Italy's Serie A (9.77m) and France's Ligue 1 (8.17m).»BBC SPORT | Football | Countdown underway to new season[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,174-1712938,00.html Championship glories in outstripping Serie A | Football - Times Online]»TheFA.com - First class second division The total figures were aided somewhat by the presence of 24 clubs, compared to 20 clubs in both Serie A and Ligue 1, and 18 in the Bundesliga. A major factor to the competition's success comes from television revenue.

Structure of the league

The league is comprised of 24 teams. Over the course of a season, which runs annually from August to the following May, each team plays twice against the others in the league, once at 'home' and once 'away', resulting in each team competing in 46 games in total. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the league table by points gained, then goal difference and then goals scored. In the event that two or more teams finish the season equal in all these respects, teams are separated by alphabetical order, unless a promotion, relegation or play-off place (see below) is at stake, when the teams are separated by a playoff game.

The two teams finishing the season in the top two positions are promoted to the Premier League and the bottom three teams are relegated to Football League One. In addition, the teams finishing in positions 3-6 compete in the Football League Championship Play-Offs, a knock-out competition with the winner also being promoted to the Premier League. In the playoffs, the third placed team plays against the sixth-placed team and the fourth placed team plays against the fifth placed team in two-legged semi-finals. The winners of each semifinal then compete in a single match with the prize being promotion to the Premier League and the Championship playoff trophy.

The three promoted teams are replaced in the division for the next season by the teams finishing in the bottom three in the Premier League and the relegated teams are replaced by the two teams finishing at the top of Division One and the winner of the Division One playoff final.

Football League Championship clubs 2008–09

The following 24 clubs will compete in the Championship during the 2008–09 season:

{|border="3" style="text-align:center;" |-style="height:38px" |width="200pt" style="background:red; color:white"|Barnsley |width="200pt" style="background:blue; color:white"|Birmingham City |width="200pt" style="background:#FF4500; color:white"|Blackpool |width="200pt" style="background:red; color:white"|Bristol City |width="200pt" style="background:#8B008B; color:white"|Burnley |width="200pt" style="background:blue; color:white"|Cardiff City |width="200pt" style="background:red; color:white"|Charlton Athletic |width="200pt" style="background:#1E90FF; color:white"|Coventry City |-style="height:38px" |bgcolor="red"|Crystal Palace bgcolor="white"| Derby County bgcolor="red"| Doncaster Rovers bgcolor="blue"| Ipswich Town bgcolor="yellow"|Norwich City bgcolor="red"| Nottingham Forest bgcolor="#013220"| Plymouth Argyle bgcolor="white"| Preston North End |- style="height:38px;" |bgcolor="blue"|Queens Park Rangers bgcolor="blue"| Reading bgcolor="red"| Sheffield United bgcolor="blue"| Sheffield Wednesday bgcolor="red"| Southampton bgcolor="white"| Swansea City bgcolor="yellow"|Watford bgcolor="#FF7F00"| Wolverhampton Wanderers |}

Broadcasting rights

The television rights for the Football League Championship are currently held by Sky Sports. Sky Sports will hold the exclusive rights until the 2009-2010 season. Highlights of Championship matches and goals of league one and league two matches are shown by ITV on The Championship. From 2009-2012 Sky Sports will show 65 live matches. The BBC will show 10 live games a season and has rights to show a highlight show. The deal is on a three year contract and is worth £264m that will mostly be paid by Sky.

In Australia, Fox Sports broadcasts live Coca Cola Championship matches every weekend, as well as a Highlights show every Tuesday night at 7 pm.

Local radio stations with a local football team in The Championship usually offer audio coverage of every live game. BBC Sport holds exclusive national rights to broadcast Championship matches live to the whole of the United Kingdom; most matches are broadcast on local BBC radio stations for the area of their respective teams while some headline are broadcast on national stations, either BBC Radio Five Live or BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra under their Five Live Sport banner. Most matches broadcast on BBC radio are also broadcast online to UK users on the BBC website.

History of the current 24 clubs in the Championship

The following table provides information on the 24 clubs currently in the football league Championship.

Notes
Current spell of a club in the league may predate the creation of the champinship.
Consecutive seasons in league toal includes the clubs current spell only.
Total seasons in league/spells in league/relegation to/relegation from & promotion to and promotion from figures include "championship era" only. (last five seasons)
Codes: C = Champions, r-up = League runner-up (second placed finisher) p.w = Play-off Winner

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |- !Club names (space) !Finishing position 2007-08 season !Member since season !Consecutive seasons in league !Total seasons in league* !Spells in league* !Relegated to league* !Promoted from League* !Relegated from league* !Promoted to League* , |- |style="text-align:left;"|BarnsleyR18th2006-0733/510001 (p.w) |- |style="text-align:left;"|Birmingham CityB19th in Premier League2008–0913/5211 (r-up)00 |- |style="text-align:left;"|BlackpoolS19th2007-0822/510001 (p.w) |- |style="text-align:left;"|Bristol CityD4th2007-0822/510001 (C) |- |style="text-align:left;"|BurnleyM13th2000-0195/510000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Cardiff City1L12th2003-0465/510000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Charlton AthleticK11th2007-0822/511000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Coventry CityU21st2001-0285/510000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Crystal PalaceE5th2005-0644/511000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Derby CountyC20th in Premier League2008–0914/5211 (p.w)00 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Doncaster RoversX3rd in League One (play-off winner)2008–0911/510001 (p.w) |- |style="text-align:left;"|Ipswich TownH8th2002-0375/510000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Norwich CityQ17th2005-0644/511000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Nottingham ForestW2nd in League One2008–0912/520011 (r-up) |- |style="text-align:left;"|Plymouth ArgyleJ10th2004-0555/510000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Preston North EndO15th2000-0195/510000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Queens Park RangersN14th2004-0555/510000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|ReadingA18th in Premier League2008–0913/5211 (C)00 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Sheffield UnitedI9th2007-0824/5211 (r-up)00 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Sheffield WednesdayP16th2005-0644/510001 (p.w) |- |style="text-align:left;"|SouthamptonT20th2005-0644/511000 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Swansea City1V1st in League One2008–0911/510001 (C) |- |style="text-align:left;"|WatfordF6th2007-0824/5211 (p.w)00 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Wolverhampton WanderersG7th2004-0555/510000 |}

1 Club is located in

Previous seasons

League champions, Runners-up & play-Off winners

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- !Season !League champions !points !Runner-Up !points !Promoted Play-Off Winner |-

2004–05
|Sunderland |94 |Wigan Athletic |87 |West Ham United |-
2005–06
|Reading |106 |Sheffield United |90 |Watford |-
2006–07
|Sunderland |88 |Birmingham City |86 |Derby County |-
2007–08
|West Bromwich Albion |81 |Stoke City |79 |Hull City |} For past winners at this level before 2004, see List of winners of English Football League Championship and predecessors.

Play-off results

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- !Season !Semifinal (1st Leg) !Semifinal (2nd Leg) !Final |-

2004-05
|Preston North End 2-0 Derby County
West Ham United 2-2 Ipswich Town |Derby County 0-0 Preston North End
Ipswich Town 0-2 West Ham United |West Ham United 1-0 Preston North End |-
2005-06
|Leeds United 1-1 Preston North End
Crystal Palace 0-3 Watford |Preston North End 0-2 Leeds United
Watford 0-0 Crystal Palace |Leeds United 0-3 Watford |-
2006-07
|Southampton 1-2 Derby County
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-3 West Bromwich Albion |Derby County 2-3 Southampton
(Derby won 4-3 on penalties, AET)
West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers |Derby County 1-0 West Bromwich Albion |-
2007-08
|Crystal Palace 1-2 Bristol City
Watford 0-2 Hull City |Bristol City 2-1 Crystal Palace AET
Hull City 4-1 Watford |Bristol City 0-1 Hull City |}

Relegated teams (from the championship)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;" |- !Season !Clubs |-
2004-05
|Gillingham, Nottingham Forest, Rotherham United |-
2005-06
|Crewe Alexandra, Millwall, Brighton & Hove Albion |-
2006-07
|Southend United, Luton Town, Leeds United |-
2007-08
|Leicester City, Scunthorpe United, Colchester United |}

Promoted teams (to the championship)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;" |- !Season !Clubs |-
2004-05
|Luton Town, Hull City, Sheffield Wednesday |-
2005-06
|Southend United, Colchester United, Barnsley |-
2006-07
|Scunthorpe United, Bristol City, Blackpool |-
2007-08
|Swansea City, Nottingham Forest,Doncaster Rovers |}

Top scorers

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- !Season !Top scorer !Club !Goals |-
2004-05
|style="text-align:left;"| Nathan Ellington |Wigan Athletic |24 |-
2005-06
|style="text-align:left;"| Marlon King |Watford |21 |-
2006-07
|style="text-align:left;"| Jamie Cureton |Colchester United |23 |-
2007-08
|style="text-align:left;"| Sylvan Ebanks-Blake |Plymouth Argyle/Wolverhampton Wanderers |23 |}

Championship Stadia 2008-09

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Home Club !Stadium Name !Capacity |- |style="text-align:left;"|Sheffield WednesdayHillsborough39,814 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Derby CountyPride Park Stadium33,597 |- |style="text-align:left;"|SouthamptonSt Mary's Stadium 32,689 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Sheffield UnitedBramall Lane32,609 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Coventry CityRicoh Arena32,609 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Nottingham ForestCity Ground30,602 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Ipswich TownPortman Road30,311 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Birmingham CitySt. Andrew's30,009 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Wolverhampton WanderersMolineux28,525 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Charlton AthleticThe Valley27,111 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Crystal PalaceSelhurst Park26,309 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Norwich CityCarrow Road26,034 |- |style="text-align:left;"|ReadingMadejski Stadium24,161 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Preston North EndDeepdale23,408 |- |style="text-align:left;"|BarnsleyOakwell23,009 |- |style="text-align:left;"|BurnleyTurf Moor22,546 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Cardiff CityNinian Park*22,008 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Bristol CityAshton Gate21,497 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Plymouth ArgyleHome Park20,922 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Swansea CityLiberty Stadium20,532 |- |style="text-align:left;"|WatfordVicarage Road19,920 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Queens Park RangersLoftus Road18,200 |- |style="text-align:left;"|Doncaster RoversKeepmoat Stadium15,231 |- |style="text-align:left;"|BlackpoolBloomfield Road9,650 (16,000) |- |} *This ground contains terracing

See also

References

External links

home | This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. See full license termsIt uses material from the Wikipedia article "Football_League_Championship ". | compliance | January 08th 2009