FOOTBALL_LEAGUE_CHAMPIONSHIP

(Redirected from Coca Cola Championship)
Football League Championship
''The Football League 2007-08''
'Founded'
2004
1992 - 2004 ''(as Division One)''
1892 - 1992 ''(as Division Two)''
'Nation'
'Promotion To'
Premier League
'Relegation To'
League One
'Number of Teams'
24
'Level on Pyramid'
Level 2
'Cups'
FA Cup
League Cup
'Current Champions (2006-07)'
Sunderland
'Website'
Official

The 'Football League Championship' (often referred to as 'The Championship' for short, 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. It was previously known as the Football League First Division. According to Deloitte, in 2004-05 it was the richest non-top flight football division in the world, and the sixth richest division in the world. [1]
After analysis of the 2006-2007 season only 13 points separated the top 6 teams, also The Championship was the 5th most watched Football League in Europe behind The Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1, most notably beating Serie A.

Contents
History
Football League Championship clubs, 2007-08
Play-off results
Relegated teams
Top Scorers
Championship Stadia 2007-08
References
See also
External links

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).[2][3][4] 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. Worldwide viewing figures for the 2004/2005 season revealed that it is the most watched sporting event in Europe.

Football League Championship clubs, 2007-08


ClubFinishing position last season
Barnsley20th
Blackpool3rd in League One (play-off winner)
Bristol City2nd in League One
Burnley15th
Cardiff City113th
Charlton Athletic19th in the Premier League
Colchester United10th
Coventry City17th
Crystal Palace12th
Hull City21st
Ipswich Town14th
Leicester City19th
Norwich City16th
Plymouth Argyle11th
Preston North End7th
Queens Park Rangers18th
Scunthorpe United1st in League One
Sheffield United18th in the Premier League
Sheffield Wednesday9th
Southampton6th
Stoke City8th
Watford20th in the Premier League
West Bromwich Albion4th
Wolverhampton Wanderers5th

1Club is located in

Play-off results


Main articles: Football League Championship Play-Offs

SeasonSemifinal (1st Leg)Semifinal (2nd Leg)Final
2004-05Preston 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
2005-06Leeds 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
2006-07Southampton 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

Relegated teams


SeasonClubs
2004-05Gillingham, Nottingham Forest, Rotherham United
2005-06Crewe Alexandra, Millwall, Brighton & Hove Albion
2006-07Southend United, Luton Town, Leeds United

Top Scorers


SeasonTop scorerClubGoals
2004-05Nathan EllingtonWigan Athletic24
2005-06Marlon KingWatford21
2006-07Jamie CuretonColchester United23

Championship Stadia 2007-08


Home ClubStadium NameCapacity
Sheffield WednesdayHillsborough39,814
Coventry CityRicoh Arena32,712
SouthamptonSt Mary's Stadium 32,689
Sheffield UnitedBramall Lane32,609
Leicester CityWalkers Stadium32,500
Ipswich TownPortman Road30,311
Wolverhampton WanderersMolineux28,525
Stoke CityBritannia Stadium28,383
West Bromwich AlbionThe Hawthorns28,003
Charlton AthleticThe Valley27,111
Crystal PalaceSelhurst Park26,309
Norwich CityCarrow Road26,034
Hull CityKC Stadium25,404
BarnsleyOakwell23,009
BurnleyTurf Moor22,546
Preston North EndDeepdale22,225
Cardiff CityNinian Park22,008
Bristol CityAshton Gate21,497
Plymouth ArgyleHome Park20,922
WatfordVicarage Road19,920
Queens Park RangersLoftus Road19,148
BlackpoolBloomfield Road9,612
Scunthorpe UnitedGlanford Park9,183
Colchester UnitedLayer Road6,200

References



1. First fall in Premiership wages, BBC News, 31 May 2006, reporting on Deloitte's review of football finance in 2004-05.
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4748403.stm
3. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,174-1712938,00.html
4. http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/NewsFromTheFA/Postings/2005/08/Features_ChampionshipSuccess.htm


See also



Sports league attendances

External links



Championship official site

Football League Championship clubs' locations

2005-2006 English Championship League Final Season, Team, and Player Statistics in .PDF format - (www.worldcupadvice.com)


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