The EFL Championship is the second-highest division in England after the Premier League. It was founded in 2004 and replaced the former First Division.
A total of 24 teams participate in it and determine three promotions and three relegations to the Premier League and the First Division below it in 46 seasonal matches. Two of the teams currently participating (Swansea and Cardiff) are from Wales and are allowed to participate in league play in England under an exemption, as are Newport County, Wrexham and Merthyr Town in the lower English divisions.
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The origins of the Championship date back to the formation of the Football League Second Division in 1892 – at that time as a sub-structure of the English Football League, which had been introduced a few years earlier.
In 1992 it was renamed the Football League First Division and in 2004 the Football League Championship, the name still in use today. The twelve founding members included Manchester City, then known as Ardwick, Crewe Alexandra, Lincoln City and current or returning Championship clubs Sheffield United and Birmingham City.
Current participants include many clubs with glorious traditions, such as former Champions League winners Nottingham Forest and former European Cup finalists FC Middlesbrough, FC Fulham and Derby County.
The Championship is one of the ten richest leagues in the world due to its high television revenues. Here you can experience gripping football and enthusiastic fans. Before the pandemic restrictions, an average of 20,000 spectators attended the league’s matches. This makes it the tenth most attended league in the world.
The 24 teams play 46 matches per season in the first and second round, in which promotion and relegation are decided. The top two teams of the season automatically qualify for the Premier League, while the teams in third to sixth place play a promotion round. The third-placed team meets the sixth-placed team and the fourth-placed team meets the fifth-placed team, both in first and second legs. The away goals rule does not apply here. The respective winners progress to the grand final for promotion, which is played annually at London’s Wembley Stadium. The last three teams are automatically relegated to the current First Division.
Sports betting and the Championship have a close connection. For some years now, the betting provider Sky Bet has been the official sponsor of the league. In addition, a total of six clubs advertise for sports betting providers. These are Birmingham City (Boylesports), Bristol City (Mansion Bet), Coventry City (Boylesports), Derby County (32Red), Middlesbrough (32Red) and of course Stoke City at Bet365. Stoke is the home of the sports betting giants and the club is controlled by the owners of Bet365.
Due to the high number of games each season – 552 in total – there is a Championship game almost every day. These are also offered by all bookmakers that have football in their programme. All matches can be watched on television worldwide. There are also countless websites, podcasts, news channels and statistics providers to keep you up to date. However, the abundance of information also means that the bookmakers’ odds are very detailed and well-founded and it is not easy to philtre out advantages.
In general, however, a slight trend towards more games with less than 2.5 goals can be observed in the championship: In 53% of the matches, less than 3 goals were scored. The home advantage is also minimal, amounting to only 0.33 goals per game (1.40:1.07).
So in the championship, you have to take an individual approach from game to game. However, the authors of Bettingtipsafrica are all experienced professionals and know the clubs and players in the championship like the back of their hands. We regularly study all the team reports and know which players are currently in top form or are out injured.
In addition, we have many statistics at our disposal that are less noticed by the bookmakers or the market. These include, in particular, player ratings, goal efficiency or XGoals (expected goals).
In England’s Championship, the fixtures of the fifth round will be played on Saturday. At 16:00 CET, for example, the clash Rotherham United vs Norwich City will take place. Thus, the fourth-last and the twelfth in England’s ...
On Sunday at 17:30 the final of the Championship play-offs Huddersfield Town vs. Nottingham Forest will take place at London’s Wembley Stadium. So, the third in the regular season will face the fourth. Thereby, the teams scor...
On Sunday 30 January, these two clubs will meet at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff. Here you will find our preview of the match, an analysis of the general situation, statistics and the best odds. The kick-off of the Champion...