The 2005–06 Football League Championship (known as the Coca-Cola Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the second season of the league under its current title and fourteenth season under its current league division format.
Reading dominated the Championship, setting a new league record of 33 league games unbeaten between the opening day defeat by Plymouth Argyle and the loss at Luton Town in February; these were the only league defeats the team would suffer that season. On 25 March 2006 they clinched promotion to the top flight for the first time in their 135-year history thanks to a 1–1 draw away to Leicester City. Coppell's team secured the league title in the following week, with a 5–0 drubbing of Derby County, and they would go on to set a new English league record for the number of points won in a season, with 106. Until 2025, Birmingham City set a new English league record for the number of points in a season, with 111 in the 2024–25 EFL League One season.
Changes from last season
Team changes
From Championship Promoted to Premier League Sunderland Wigan Athletic West Ham United
Relegated to League One Gillingham Nottingham Forest Rotherham United
To Championship Promoted from League One Luton Town Hull City Sheffield Wednesday
Relegated from Premier League Crystal Palace Norwich City Southampton
Team overview
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium CapacityBrighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Withdean Stadium 8,850Burnley Burnley Turf Moor 22,546Cardiff City Cardiff Ninian Park 21,508Coventry City Coventry Ricoh Arena 32,602Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Stadium 10,153Crystal Palace London Selhurst Park 26,309Derby County Derby Pride Park Stadium 33,597Hull City Hull KC Stadium 25,586Ipswich Town Ipswich Portman Road 30,311Leeds United Leeds Elland Road 39,460Leicester City Leicester Walkers Stadium 32,500Luton Town Luton Kenilworth Road 10,226Millwall London The Den 20,146Norwich City Norwich Carrow Road 26,018Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Home Park 18,000Preston North End Preston Deepdale 23,408Queens Park Rangers London Loftus Road 18,360Reading Reading Madejski Stadium 24,161Sheffield United Sheffield Bramall Lane 32,702Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Hillsborough Stadium 39,812Southampton Southampton St Mary's Stadium 32,690Stoke City Stoke Britannia Stadium 27,740Watford Watford Vicarage Road 17,504Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Molineux 27,828
Personnel and sponsoring TeamManagerKit makerMain sponsorBrighton & Hove Albion Mark McGheeErreàSkint RecordsBurnley Steve CotterillErreàHunters Estate AgentsCardiff City Dave JonesJomaRedrow HousesCoventry City Micky AdamsKit@Cassidy GroupCrewe Alexandra Dario GradiDiadoraMornflake OatsCrystal Palace Iain DowieDiadoraChurchill InsuranceDerby County Terry WestleyJomaThe DerbyshireHull City Peter TaylorDiadoraBonus ElectricalIpswich Town Joe RoylePunchPowerGenLeeds United Kevin BlackwellAdmiralWhyte & MackayLeicester City Rob KellyJJBAlliance & LeicesterLuton Town Mike NewellDiadoraElectroluxMillwall Tony Burns & Alan McLearyLonsdaleBekoNorwich City Nigel WorthingtonXaraProton Cars (H) / Lotus Cars (A)Plymouth Argyle Tony PulisPumaGinstersPreston North End Billy DaviesDiadoraEnterprise plcQueens Park Rangers Gary WaddockLe Coq SportifBinatoneReading Steve CoppellPumaKyoceraSheffield United Neil WarnockLe Coq SportifHFS LoansSheffield Wednesday Paul SturrockDiadoraPlusnetSouthampton George BurleySaintsFriends ProvidentStoke City Johan BoskampPumaBritannia Building SocietyWatford Aidy BoothroydDiadoraLoans.co.ukWolverhampton Wanderers Glenn HoddleLe Coq SportifChaucer Consulting
League table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
First leg
Second leg
Leeds United win 3–1 on aggregate.
Watford win 3–0 on aggregate.
Final
Results
Attendances Source:
No. Club Average Change Highest Lowest 1 Norwich City 24,952 2.5% 27,470 23,838 2 Sheffield Wednesday 24,853 7.6% 33,439 20,244 3 Ipswich Town 24,253 -5.5% 29,184 22,551 4 Derby County 24,166 -4.2% 30,391 21,434 5 Sheffield United 23,650 20.7% 30,558 17,739 6 Wolverhampton Wanderers 23,624 -11.3% 27,980 21,683 7 Southampton 23,614 -22.9% 30,173 19,086 8 Leeds United 22,355 -23.5% 27,843 18,353 9 Leicester City 22,234 -7.9% 25,578 18,856 10 Coventry City 21,302 32.7% 26,851 16,156 11 Reading 20,207 17.7% 23,845 14,027 12 Hull City 19,841 10.1% 23,486 17,698 13 Crystal Palace 19,457 -19.3% 23,843 17,291 14 Watford 15,450 8.1% 19,842 11,722 15 Preston North End 14,619 5.3% 19,350 12,453 16 Stoke City 14,432 -12.3% 20,408 10,121 17 Plymouth Argyle 13,776 -16.1% 17,726 10,460 18 Queens Park Rangers 13,441 -16.3% 16,152 10,901 19 Burnley 12,462 -1.4% 17,912 10,431 20 Cardiff City 11,720 -9.7% 16,403 8,724 21 Millwall 9,529 -18.2% 13,209 7,108 22 Luton Town 9,139 15.1% 10,248 7,474 23 Brighton & Hove Albion 6,802 5.8% 7,999 5,859 24 Crewe Alexandra 6,732 -9.1% 8,942 5,686
References