Top 10 Greatest Championship Teams of All Time
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Top 10 Greatest Championship Teams of All Time

Top 10 Greatest Championship Teams of All Time

The Championship has been host to some memorable teams over the years. Often, the league is a lottery, comprising of teams that may not look out of place in League Two, and some teams that could do a job in Europe's lower competitions. It has also been host to some true "streets won't forget" players, as well as players who went on to have fantastic careers at a higher level. Today, we will be breaking down the top 10 greatest sides to ever grace the division.

Honourable Mentions

Before we get into the top 10 teams, there are some honourable mentions that need to be included. These include teams that edged a play-off spot, came out of nowhere in the league to get promoted, or just extremely exceeded expectations.

Ipswich Town 2023/24

Fresh off a promotion from League One, the Tractor Boys steamrolled the Championship and earned a back-to-back promotion to the Premier League. Kieran McKenna's side finished the Championship in second place, earning automatic promotion with a whopping 96 points. Their notable standout player this season was England U21 international Omari Hutchinson who was on loan from Chelsea at the time, with the player netting 11 goals and grabbing 5 assists at just 20 years old.

Huddersfield Town 2016/17

After surviving relegation by the skin of their teeth the season before, Huddersfield town relied on a last minute push to make the play-offs back in 2017. The Terriers finished 5th and went on to beat Reading in the play-off final on penalties. Spearheaded by then Manchester City loanee Aaron Mooy, Huddersfield miraculously managed to survive relegation in the following Premier League season against all odds. What happened after that hasn't been too pretty, but this will for sure go down in history as one of the Championship's greatest tales.

Luton Town 2022/23

The story of Luton Town is a known fairy-tale for football fans across the globe. After progressing through the entire football league in under a decade, the Hatters reached obscurity back in 2023 after beating Coventry on penalties to earn their place in the Premier League. Despite their best efforts, the side failed to stay in the Premier League for longer than a season, but their journey will always remain the stuff of legend for any avid follower.

Norwich City 2018/19

Norwich won the Championship back in the 2018/19 season with Daniel Farke at the helm. This season saw the comeuppance of Finnish striker Teemu Pukki, with the player scoring 29 goals across the campaign. Pukki went on to win the Premier League Player of the Month award in August of the following season.

While not the most impressive Championship winners of all time, the side will be remembered for their valiant efforts to stay up despite financial pressure. Pukki scored 11 goals in their Premier League campaign.

Middlesborough 2015/16

Middlesborough finished the 2015/16 season in second place, earning automatic promotion to the Premier League. While this may seem like a strange choice at first glance, the side boast one of the best defensive records the Championship has ever seen.

In total, Boro conceded 31 goals across the 46 game season, conceding the second least amount of goals in the league of all time. In addition to this, Greek goalkeeper Dimitrios Kostantopoulous kept 22 clean sheets across the entirety of the season.

Former Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham midfielder Stewart Downing returned to the club after coming from their academy and featured in all of their games in the campaign, cementing his legend status at the club. This was also the season where Dael Fry broke out for Boro, with the player still playing for them 10 years later. Furthermore, academy talent Ben Gibson starred at the back for Middlesborough, making 33 league appearances for the side at 22-years old.

Now the honourable mentions have been cleared, and our writer feels a lot less guilty about excluding teams from his top 10, let's get into the crux of it.

10. Queens Park Rangers 2010/11

QPR won the Championship back in 2011, finishing on 88 points. While this may not be the most impressive points tally, the players in the side are some that won't be forgotten for a long time.

On paper, the 2010/11 squad is somewhat forgettable to non-QPR fans, yet one name everyone will remember is Adel Taarabt.

Signing from Tottenham Hotspur in 2009, Adel Taarabt was the focal point of the QPR team that got promoted. Playing as an attacking midfielder, many argued that he is the greatest player to ever play in the Championship owing to his plethora of skill. The former Morocco international scored 19 goals and bagged 17 assists across the 46 game season, with his goal catalogue being something to behold.

Despite only being 22 at the time, he was never able to reach a higher number of goals and assists in a season. Therefore, his career after this may seem underwhelming to some. However, after QPR, Taarabt enjoyed spells in the Premier League with both QPR and Fulham, played in the Champions League with giants AC Milan and was an integral part of two Liga Portugal titles for Benfica - Not a bad career at all.

9. Fulham 2021/22

This season saw Fulham finish top of the Championship under Scott Parker with 90 points. To many, it was no surprise Fulham were promoted this season, after just being relegated from the Premier League, the side had proven quality across the park. Many of the players in this squad have gone on to have great careers that are yet to reach their potential heights. Notably, Tosin Adarabioyo was part of the squad and now plays for Chelsea. Additionally, Antonee Robinson was signed from Wigan, and is now regarded as one of the best left-backs in the Premier League.

The focal point of this team was Serbian striker Aleksander Mitrovic, with the player netting an astonishing 43 goals in the Championship. Mitrovic holds the record for the most goals scored in a single Championship season and it doesn't look like it will be broken anytime soon, with the runners up Ivan Toney and Glen Murray both netting a respectable 30. Mitrovic sits at the throne as the greatest Championship striker of all time.

8. Leeds 2024/25

After being relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 season, Leeds failed to earn promotion at the first time of asking, losing in the play-off final. However, the side did not slump as The 2024/25 season saw them finish top of the Championship with 100 points.

May 2024 saw Leeds join the Red Bull group, with the company becoming a minor investor of the club. This followed some heavy investment to add to their already stable side. The signing of Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Dusseldorf was a shrewd acquisition, with the player featuring in 43 of the 46 games in the Championship season, adding some much needed defensive stability in the midfield which was instrumental to their promotion push. Joel Piroe was the division's top scorer, with the Leeds striker netting 19 goals as Leeds edged themselves into history among the EFL Championship centurions.

7. Leicester City 2013/14

The Foxes steamrolled the Championship with 102 points, winning the league by a nine-point margin. Their 2013/14 squad was stacked with household names: up front, you had a European Golden Boot winner in Kevin Phillips, a future Premier League battering ram in Chris Wood, and none other than Jamie Vardy.

Out wide? A certain Riyad Mahrez arrived quietly in January, alongside Anthony Knockaert, a proven menace in the division. At the back, Wes Morgan marshalled the defence and wore the captain’s armband with authority as the Foxes did the business.

And then came the Premier League. At first, it was ugly, sitting rock-bottom for most of 2014/15. But then, seven wins from nine sparked a miraculous escape. The following season? Well… let’s just say football’s greatest fairytale doesn’t need a spoiler.

6. Fulham 2000/01

A second inclusion for Fulham on this list, the 2000/01 season saw the side finish top of the division with 101 points, reaching English Football's top flight for the first time since the 1960s.

The star of the side was Louis Saha, with the then 22-year old netting an impressive 27 goals across the campaign. Saha earned a move to Manchester United a few years later. The side also included the likes of winger Luis Boa Morte who went on to become a cult hero in English football, playing for both Fulham and West Ham across the Championship and Premier League.

At the time, Fulham were one of the few teams to ever reach above 100 points in the Championship, therefore this squad is a notable addition to the Championship hall of fame.

5. Burnley 2022/23

After only one win from their opening 5 fixtures, many questioned whether Vincent Kompany had learned anything at all from his previous boss Pep Guardiola. However, this doubt was short lived as Kompany revolutionised the way Burnley played. Taking them from the more rigid, back-to-front style of Sean Dyche, Kompany transformed Burnley into a possession-based team.

Following on from their shaky start in the early stages of the season, the Clarets only lost 3 games all season, and finished the season with 101 points, 10 points clear of second placed Sheffield United. The top scorer for the Clarets this season was Nathan Tella, who signed for Bayer Leverkusen following on from his efforts in the Championship. Tella went on to win another league title, this time featuring in an unbeaten Leverkusen side under Xabi Alonso that took the German top flight by storm.

Burnley cruised the league, lifting the title as early as May. The side suffered relegation from the Premier League the following season, as well as lost Vincent Kompany to Bayern Munich, however their triumph in the Championship and lack of losses firmly places them as the fifth best Championship team of all time.

4. Newcastle United 2009/10

Formerly a Champions League outlet, Newcastle spent a fair bit of the early 2010s in the Championship. Being a fan of Newcastle United is never a boring ordeal however, with the Magpies topping the league with a gargantuan 102 points within the turn of the decade.

The side was not short of talent after coming straight down from the Premier League, and this helped them breeze the division. 20 year-old youth product Andy Carroll was the breakout star of the season, netting 17 goals across the campaign, On top of this, former Bolton Wanderers legend Kevin Nolan also scored 17 goals, and club icon Shola Ameobi also boasted a double figure tally for Newcastle. This is a side truly worthy of Championship legendary status.

3. Sunderland 1998/99

This season saw Sunderland win the division with 105 points, a league record at the time. In addition to this, the club reached the semi-finals of the League Cup. Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn led the line for the Black Cats, and this was arguably the breakout season for Kevin Phillips, with the player netting 23 goals in 26 appearances in the Championship.

Kevin Phillips would then go on to score 30 goals the following season for Sunderland in the Premier League, winning the European Golden Boot award and becoming the first English player to do so.

The 1998/99 season was a memorable season for Sunderland and laid the foundations for a fantastic career in English football for Kevin Phillips.

2. Wolverhampton Wanderers 2017/18

After suffering back-to-back relegations from the Premier League down to League One at the end of the 2012/13 season, Wolves gained promotion back to the Championship in the 2013/14 season, winning League One. Despite being promoted, the club remained in dire need of rejuvenating if they were to ever re-join the top flight.

In 2016, Wolverhampton Wanderers were taken over by the Fosun Group who held strong ties with Portuguese clubs. The start of the 2017 season really began the comeback for Wolves with the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo.

Santo's appointment led to an onslaught of signings which appeared unattainable for a Championship club at first glance. This included the signing of 20-year old Ruben Neves from Porto. Neves was widely regarded as one of the most promising talents in world football and is the youngest player to ever captain a Champions League side, wearing the armband for Porto at just 18 years and 221 days. This was a statement signing of clear intent.

Other signings appeared even more obscure for a Championship side, names such as Willy Bolly, Ruben Vinagre and Diogo Jota were all brought in on loan from top European clubs to propel the side to promotion.

This huge investment allowed Wolves to burst through the Championship, winning the league with 99 points. Despite Wolves not having the highest points tally for a Championship side ever, many regard them as the greatest team to ever play in the division from a football point-of-view. This argument can be supported, as their first season back in the Premier League saw them finish 7th and attain a spot in the Europa League. Before this, only Ipswich Town had achieved a European spot after being newly promoted.

1. Reading 2005/06

The top spot, the pinnacle, the greatest team in EFL Championship history is... Reading!

Finishing the season with 106 points, Reading set the record for the highest Championship points tally, and still hold it to this day. Their squad was brimming with talent both young and experienced.

Up front, Reading had Irish duo Shane Long and Kevin Doyle, with the former being 19 and the latter 22. Reading also signed Leroy Lita in this season, who would go on to have an impressive career with the Royals.

Despite the influx of young talent up top, it was the experienced David Kitson who ended up being the side's top scorer this season, netting 22 goals. The Royals relied on the widely admired, young prodigy Steve Sidwell to marshal the midfield, ensuring the defence was well protected. Sidwell did a fine job alongside his defensive compatriots, as Reading only lost 1 game all season.

Reading thrashed everyone during this season, scoring 5 goals in a single game on 4 separate occasions. This saw them enter the Premier League for the first time - Some way to enter!

Closing Remarks

After a day of mind-boggling debate within Arthur's head, a trip down Adel Taarabt lane, and a flurry of Transfermarkt searches, here lies the top 10 greatest EFL Championship teams of all time. Any complaints? Any honourable mentions missed? Come and argue your case, our DMs are wide open.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist

Arthur Turner

EFL Transfer and News Writer

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