Football League Championship guide - history, titles, league map

Full Name: Football League Coca-Cola Championship
Level: 2
Founded: 1893 (2004)
Teams: 24
Previous: Football League Division Two (1893-1993), Football League Division One (1993-2004)

Official Website: football-league.co.uk

Description:

The rival Football Alliance was largely absorbed into the Football League for the 1892-93 season, meriting the creation of the Second Division of the Football League. It remained as such until the 1992-93 season when the Premier League was formed and the Second Division was renamed the Football League First Division. For the 2004-05 season it changed names to the Football League Championship, though it remains the second tier of professional football in England.

2009-10 Football League Championship Map:

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Format:

The 24 teams play each othe twice (home and away) for a total of 46 games. The season begins in early August and runs through early May, with no winter break. The top two teams are automatically promoted to the English Premier Leagues. The teams finishing 3rd to 6th enter a playoff to determine one further team to be promoted. The bottom three teams are relegated to Football League One.

Football League Championship Titles:

2 Sunderland

1 Reading
1 West Bromwich Albion
1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Total Second Tier Championships:

7 Manchester City FC

6 Leicester City

5 The Wednesday/Sheffield Wednesday,
5 Sunderland AFC

4 Small Heath/Birmingham/Birmingham City FC
4 Liverpool FC
4 Derby County
4 Middlesbrough FC

3 Notts County
3 Preston North End
3 Ipswich Town FC
3 Leeds United
3 Bolton Wanderers
3 Nottingham Forest
3 Norwich City FC
3 West Bromwich Albion
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers

2 Grimsby Town
2 Tottenham Hotspur
2 Aston Villa
2 Stoke City
2 Burnley FC
2 Manchester United
2 West Ham United
2 Chelsea FC
2 Newcastle United
2 Crystal Palace FC
2 Fulham FC

1 Bury
1 Bristol City
1 Bradford City FC
1 Blackpool FC
1 Everton FC
1 Brentford
1 Blackburn Rovers
1 Sheffield United
1 Coventry City
1 Huddersfield Town
1 Luton Town
1 Queen's Park Rangers
1 Oxford United
1 Millwall
1 Oldham Athletic
1 Charlton Athletic
1 Portsmouth FC
1 Reading FC