List of winners of the EFL Championship and predecessors

English League (2nd tier) Country England Founded 1892 Number of teams 24 (2025–26 season) Current champions Coventry City (2025–26) Most successful club Leicester City (8 championships)

A national second tier of English league football was established in 1892–93, at the demise of Football Alliance, as the Second Division. In 1992, with the departure of the then First Division clubs to become the Premier League, the second tier became known as the First Division. In 2004 it was re-branded as the Football League Championship before it was renamed the EFL Championship in 2016.

The current champions of the league are Coventry City, having clinched the title with two matches to spare in the 2025–26 season.

Football League Second Division (1893–1992) Teams marked with an asterisk (*) were not promoted

SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird qualifiersFourth qualifiers1892–93Small Heath*Sheffield UnitedDarwen1893–94LiverpoolSmall Heath 1894–95BuryNotts County* 1895–96Liverpool (2)Manchester City* 1896–97Notts CountyNewton Heath* 1897–98BurnleyNewcastle United 1898–99Manchester CityGlossop North End 1899–1900The WednesdayBolton Wanderers 1900–01Grimsby TownSmall Heath 1901–02West Bromwich AlbionMiddlesbrough 1902–03Manchester City (2)Small Heath 1903–04Preston North EndWoolwich Arsenal 1904–05Liverpool (3)Bolton Wanderers 1905–06Bristol CityManchester United 1906–07Nottingham ForestChelsea 1907–08Bradford CityLeicester Fosse 1908–09Bolton WanderersTottenham Hotspur 1909–10Manchester City (3)Oldham Athletic 1910–11West Bromwich Albion (2)Bolton Wanderers 1911–12Derby CountyChelsea 1912–13Preston North End (2)Burnley 1913–14Notts County (2)Bradford Park Avenue 1914–15Derby County (2)Preston North EndArsenal1915–16 to 1918–19League suspended due to World War I1919–20Tottenham HotspurHuddersfield Town 1920–21Birmingham City (2)Cardiff City 1921–22Nottingham Forest (2)Stoke City 1922–23Notts County (3)West Ham United 1923–24Leeds UnitedBury 1924–25Leicester CityManchester United 1925–26The Wednesday (2)Derby County 1926–27MiddlesbroughPortsmouth 1927–28Manchester City (4)Leeds United 1928–29Middlesbrough (2)Grimsby Town 1929–30BlackpoolChelsea 1930–31EvertonWest Bromwich Albion 1931–32Wolverhampton WanderersLeeds United 1932–33Stoke CityTottenham Hotspur 1933–34Grimsby Town (2)Preston North End 1934–35BrentfordBolton Wanderers 1935–36Manchester UnitedCharlton Athletic 1936–37Leicester City (2)Blackpool 1937–38Aston VillaManchester United 1938–39Blackburn RoversSheffield United 1939–40 to 1945–46League suspended due to World War II1946–47Manchester City (5)Burnley 1947–48Birmingham City (3)Newcastle United 1948–49FulhamWest Bromwich Albion 1949–50Tottenham Hotspur (2)Sheffield Wednesday 1950–51Preston North End (3)Manchester City 1951–52Sheffield Wednesday (3)Cardiff City 1952–53Sheffield UnitedHuddersfield Town 1953–54Leicester City (3)Everton 1954–55Birmingham City (4)Luton Town 1955–56Sheffield Wednesday (4)Leeds United 1956–57Leicester City (4)Nottingham Forest 1957–58West Ham UnitedBlackburn Rovers 1958–59Sheffield Wednesday (5)Fulham 1959–60Aston Villa (2)Cardiff City 1960–61Ipswich TownSheffield United 1961–62Liverpool (4)Leyton Orient 1962–63Stoke City (2)Chelsea 1963–64Leeds United (2)Sunderland 1964–65Newcastle UnitedNorthampton Town 1965–66Manchester City (6)Southampton 1966–67Coventry CityWolverhampton Wanderers 1967–68Ipswich Town (2)Queens Park Rangers 1968–69Derby County (3)Crystal Palace 1969–70Huddersfield TownBlackpool 1970–71Leicester City (5)Sheffield United 1971–72Norwich CityBirmingham City 1972–73Burnley (2)Queens Park Rangers 1973–74Middlesbrough (3)Luton TownCarlisle United1974–75Manchester United (2)Aston VillaNorwich City1975–76SunderlandBristol CityWest Bromwich Albion1976–77Wolverhampton Wanderers (2)ChelseaNottingham Forest1977–78Bolton Wanderers (2)SouthamptonTottenham Hotspur1978–79Crystal PalaceBrighton & Hove AlbionStoke City1979–80Leicester City (6)SunderlandBirmingham City1980–81West Ham United (2)Notts CountySwansea City1981–82Luton TownWatfordNorwich City1982–83Queens Park RangersWolverhampton WanderersLeicester City1983–84ChelseaSheffield WednesdayNewcastle United1984–85Oxford UnitedBirmingham CityManchester City1985–86Norwich City (2)Charlton AthleticWimbledon1986–87Derby County (4)Portsmouth 1987–88MillwallAston VillaMiddlesbrough1988–89Chelsea (2)Manchester CityCrystal Palace1989–90Leeds United (3)Sheffield UnitedSunderland1990–91Oldham AthleticWest Ham UnitedSheffield WednesdayNotts County1991–92Ipswich Town (3)MiddlesbroughBlackburn Rovers

Football League First Division (1992–2004) SeasonChampionsRunners-upPlay-off winners1992–93Newcastle United (2)West Ham UnitedSwindon Town1993–94Crystal Palace (2)Nottingham ForestLeicester City1994–95Middlesbrough (4)Reading*Bolton Wanderers1995–96Sunderland (2)Derby CountyLeicester City1996–97Bolton Wanderers (3)BarnsleyCrystal Palace1997–98Nottingham Forest (3)MiddlesbroughCharlton Athletic1998–99Sunderland (3)Bradford CityWatford1999–2000Charlton AthleticManchester CityIpswich Town2000–01Fulham (2)Blackburn RoversBolton Wanderers2001–02Manchester City (7)West Bromwich AlbionBirmingham City2002–03PortsmouthLeicester CityWolverhampton Wanderers2003–04Norwich City (3)West Bromwich AlbionCrystal Palace

Football League Championship/EFL Championship (2004 onwards) SeasonChampionsRunners-upPlay-off winners2004–05Sunderland (4)Wigan AthleticWest Ham United2005–06ReadingSheffield UnitedWatford2006–07Sunderland (5)Birmingham CityDerby County2007–08West Bromwich Albion (3)Stoke CityHull City2008–09Wolverhampton Wanderers (3)Birmingham CityBurnley2009–10Newcastle United (3)West Bromwich AlbionBlackpool2010–11Queens Park Rangers (2)Norwich CitySwansea City2011–12Reading (2)SouthamptonWest Ham United2012–13Cardiff CityHull CityCrystal Palace2013–14Leicester City (7)BurnleyQueens Park Rangers2014–15BournemouthWatfordNorwich City2015–16Burnley (3)MiddlesbroughHull City2016–17Newcastle United (4)Brighton & Hove AlbionHuddersfield Town2017–18Wolverhampton Wanderers (4)Cardiff CityFulham2018–19Norwich City (4)Sheffield UnitedAston Villa2019–20Leeds United (4)West Bromwich AlbionFulham2020–21Norwich City (5)WatfordBrentford2021–22Fulham (3)BournemouthNottingham Forest2022–23Burnley (4)Sheffield UnitedLuton Town2023–24Leicester City (8)Ipswich TownSouthampton2024–25Leeds United (5)BurnleySunderland2025–26Coventry City (2)Ipswich TownHull City

Number of titles overall

Clubs in bold are competing in the 2025–26 EFL Championship.

Rank Club Winners Winning seasons 1 Leicester City 8 1924–25, 1936–37, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1970–71, 1979–80, 2013–14, 2023–24 2 Manchester City 7 1898–99, 1902–03, 1909–10, 1927–28, 1946–47, 1965–66, 2001–023 Leeds United 5 1923–24, 1963–64, 1989–90, 2019–20, 2024–25 Norwich City 5 1971–72, 1985–86, 2003–04, 2018–19, 2020–21 Sheffield Wednesday 5 1899–1900, 1925–26, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59 Sunderland 5 1975–76, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2004–05, 2006–077-13 Birmingham City 4 1892–93, 1920–21, 1947–48, 1954–55 Burnley 4 1897–98, 1972–73, 2015–16, 2022–23 Derby County 4 1911–12, 1914–15, 1968–69, 1986–87 Liverpool 4 1893–94, 1895–96, 1904–05, 1961–62 Middlesbrough 4 1926–27, 1928–29, 1973–74, 1994–95 Newcastle United 4 1964–65, 1992–93, 2009–10, 2016–17 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 1931–32, 1976–77, 2008–09, 2017–18 14-20 Bolton Wanderers 3 1908–09, 1977–78, 1996–97 Fulham 3 1948–49, 2000–01, 2021–22 Ipswich Town 3 1960–61, 1967–68, 1991–92 Nottingham Forest 3 1906–07, 1921–22, 1997–98 Notts County 3 1896–97, 1913–14, 1922–23 Preston North End 3 1903–04, 1912–13, 1950–51 West Bromwich Albion 3 1901–02, 1910–11, 2007–08 21-31 Aston Villa 2 1937–38, 1959–60 Chelsea 2 1983–84, 1988–89 Coventry City 2 1966–67, 2025–26 Crystal Palace 2 1978–79, 1993–94 Grimsby Town 2 1900–01, 1933–34 Manchester United 2 1935–36, 1974–75 Queens Park Rangers 2 1982–83, 2010–11 Reading 2 2005–06, 2011–12 Stoke City 2 1932–33, 1962–63 Tottenham Hotspur 2 1919–20, 1949–50 West Ham United 2 1957–58, 1980–81 32-48 Bournemouth 1 2014–15 Blackburn Rovers 1 1938–39 Blackpool 1 1929–30 Bradford City 1 1907–08 Brentford 1 1934–35 Bristol City 1 1905–06 Bury 1 1894–95 Cardiff City 1 2012–13 Charlton Athletic 1 1999–2000 Everton 1 1930–31 Huddersfield Town 1 1969–70 Luton Town 1 1981–82 Millwall 1 1987–88 Oldham Athletic 1 1990–91 Oxford United 1 1984–85 Portsmouth 1 2002–03 Sheffield United 1 1952–53

References