The Championship is widely regarded as one of the hardest leagues to get promoted from, while some fans believe that it is even on par with some of the major European competitions in terms of how competitive it is.
While mid-table is often seen as a respectable finish, it is often the case that for smaller clubs who don’t have the resources or clubs that have faced financial difficulty, surviving in England’s second tier is considered to be a notable achievement.
It is worth noting as well, that the Championship has been home to some very good players over the years – many people will remember the likes’ of Chris Wood and Robbie Earnshaw!
Teams relegated from the Championship / Second Tier since 1992
| Season | Relegated Clubs (to third tier) |
|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Brentford#, Cambridge United, Bristol Rovers |
| 1993–94 | Birmingham City, Oxford United, Peterborough United# |
| 1994–95 | Swindon Town, Burnley, Bristol City# |
| 1995–96 | Millwall, Watford#, Luton Town |
| 1996–97 | Grimsby Town, Oldham Athletic, Southend United |
| 1997–98 | Manchester City, Stoke City, Reading |
| 1998–99 | Bury, Oxford United, Bristol City# |
| 1999–2000 | Walsall#, Port Vale, Swindon Town |
| 2000–01 | Huddersfield Town, Queens Park Rangers, Tranmere Rovers |
| 2001–02 | Crewe Alexandra, Barnsley, Stockport County |
| 2002–03 | Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton & Hove Albion#, Grimsby Town# |
| 2003–04 | Walsall, Bradford City, Wimbledon |
| ^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 |
| 2008–09 | Norwich City, Southampton, Charlton Athletic |
| 2009–10 | Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle, Peterborough United# |
| 2010–11 | Preston North End, Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United |
| 2011–12 | Portsmouth, Coventry City, Doncaster Rovers |
| 2012–13 | Peterborough United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bristol City |
| 2013–14 | Yeovil Town#, Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers |
| 2014–15 | Millwall, Wigan Athletic, Blackpool |
| 2015–16 | Charlton Athletic, Milton Keynes Dons#, Bolton Wanderers |
| 2016–17 | Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic#, Rotherham United |
| 2017–18 | Barnsley, Burton Albion, Sunderland |
| 2018–19 | Rotherham United#, Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town |
| 2019–20 | Charlton Athletic, Wigan Athletic*, Hull City |
| 2020–21 | Wycombe Wanderers#, Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday |
| 2021–22 | Peterborough United#, Derby County, Barnsley |
| 2022–23 | Reading, Blackpool#, Wigan Athletic |
| 2023–24 | Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United |
| 2024–25 | Luton Town, Plymouth Argyle, Cardiff City |
| 2024–25 | -, -, – |
*Wigan Athletics’ 2019–20 relegation followed a 12-point deduction for entering administration.
Teams marked with # were relegated in the season immediately after promotion.
^ Denotes the start of the Championship era, formerly the second division.
Over the years, there have been some ‘big clubs’ that have been relegated to League One – especially what you would call established Premier League clubs at some point.
Perhaps, most notably, Leeds United were relegated to England’s third tier for the first time in the club’s history in the 2006/07 season, while Leicester City followed a season later. Others have included Sheffield Wednesday (2002/03) and again in 2020/21, while Norwich City, Southampton and Charlton Athletic all went down in the 2008/09 campaign.
In 2016/17, Blackburn Rovers who won the Premier League in the mid-nineties also dropped into the third tier. Nottingham Forest have also been victims of Championship relegation (2004/05).
Clubs Relegated More Than Once (1992-93 to 2024–25)
| Club | Times Relegated | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Rotherham United | 5 | 2004–05, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2023–24 |
| Barnsley | 4 | 2001–02, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2021–22 |
| Peterborough United | 4 | 1993–94, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2021–22 |
| Wigan Athletic | 4 | 2014–15, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2022–23 |
| Bristol City | 3 | 1994–95, 1998–99, 2012–13 |
| Charlton Athletic | 3 | 2008–09, 2015–16, 2019–20 |
| Luton Town | 3 | 1995–96, 2006–07, 2024–25 |
| Millwall | 3 | 1995–96, 2005–06, 2014–15 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 3 | 2002–03, 2009–10, 2020–21 |
| Birmingham City | 2 | 1993–94, 2023–24 |
| Blackpool | 2 | 2014–15, 2022–23 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2 | 2015–16, 2018–19 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2 | 2002–03, 2005–06 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 2 | 2001–02, 2005–06 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 2 | 2011–12, 2013–14 |
| Grimsby Town | 2 | 1996–97, 2002–03 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2 | 2000–01, 2023–24 |
| Oxford United | 2 | 1993–94, 1998–99 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 2 | 2009–10, 2024–25 |
| Reading | 2 | 1997–98, 2022–23 |
| Scunthorpe United | 2 | 2007–08, 2010–11 |
| Southend United | 2 | 1996–97, 2006–07 |
| Swindon Town | 2 | 1994–95, 1999–2000 |
| Walsall | 2 | 1999–2000, 2003–04 |
Perhaps surprisingly, no club has been relegated to the third tier of English football, more than five times. This record is held by Rotherham United, who are considered to be the perennial ‘yo-yo’ club of the second tier. They always seem to be too good for League One, though they always struggle in the Championship. Any good players they have on their books always seem to leave, though they have always been able to operate within tight constraints.
Barnsley, Peterborough United and Wigan Athletic have dropped down on four occasions to the third tier and have usually struggled to bounce straight back up at the first attempt. Even Brighton have been relegated twice to League One, though following their takeover by Tony Bloom became one of the most well-run clubs in the country and transitioned into a very good Premier League side.
Longest Continuous Stays in the Second Tier (1992–93 to 2024–25)
No club has remained in the second tier for the entire period without promotion or relegation. The table below highlights the longest unbroken runs.
| Club | Seasons | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich Town | 17 | 2002–03 to 2018–19 | Longest continuous Championship run in this era. |
| Derby County | 14 | 2008–09 to 2021–22 | Relegated to League One in 2022 after 14 years. |
| Preston North End | 10 (ongoing) | 2015–16 to 2024–25 | Currently in their 10th straight Championship season. |
| Millwall | 7 (ongoing) | 2017–18 to 2024–25 | Regular Championship stalwarts across the modern era. |
| Nottingham Forest | 7 | 2010–11 to 2016–17 | Later promoted to the Premier League in 2022. |
| Bristol City | 9 | 2015–16 to 2023–24 | Relegated in 2024–25 after long stay (example data). |
Perhaps interestingly, Ipswich Town have spent the longest amount of time consecutively so far in the third tier of English football – 17 years in total, between 2002/03 to 2018/19.
Meanwhile, Derby County; once a notable top-flight side, spent 14 consecutive seasons in the third tier, between 2008/09 until the 2021/22 season.
Championship Relegation Records & Trivia
Perhaps the most notable bit of trivia is the dreaded back-to-back relegations, which are something that many clubs fear. Sometimes, coming down from the Premier League can result in a club essentially being ‘asset-stripped’ which has a major negative effect on their ability to perform in the Championship.
Swindon Town in the 1992/93 suffered relegation from the top-flight before dropping down again a season later, while Wolves followed this in 2011/12 and then the 2012/13 campaign. Sunderland (2016/17 and 2017/18) was the next club, while Luton Town suffered the same feat seven years later (2023/24 – 2024/25).
- Most relegations (since 1992–93): Rotherham United – five drops (2004–05, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2023–24).
- Highest points while still relegated: Peterborough United – 54 points (2012–13). Widely cited as the Championship-era record for a relegated side.
- Fewest points: Rotherham United – 23 points (2016–17). Also recorded the worst goal difference at −58 and finished 28 points from safety.
- Earliest confirmed relegation (by date): Rotherham United – relegated on 1 April 2017 (2016–17).
- Relegation via points deduction: Wigan Athletic (2019–20) – relegated after a 12-point deduction for entering administration; their appeal was dismissed.
- Back-to-back “double drops” from PL to L1: Four clubs have fallen from the Premier League and then out of the second tier the very next season:
Swindon Town (1993–94 → 1994–95), Wolverhampton Wanderers (2011–12 → 2012–13), Sunderland (2016–17 → 2017–18), Luton Town (2023–24 → 2024–25).