The 2007–08 Football League Championship (known as the Coca-Cola Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the sixteenth season under its current league division format and its fourth with its current sponsorship. The leagues started in August 2007 and concluded in May 2008, with the promotion play-off finals.
The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The top divisions of these is the League Championship. The winner and the runner up of the League Championship will be automatically promoted to the Premiership and they will be joined by the winner of the League Championship play-off. The bottom three teams in the Championship will be relegated to the second division, League One.
West Bromwich Albion finished top of the league with 81 points, closely followed by Stoke City who had 79 points. Hull City were promoted through the play-offs. Colchester and Scunthorpe United were both relegated several weeks before the end of the season. However, in a very tight league, with a gap of only 29 points between top and 22nd place, the final team to be relegated, Leicester City, went down on the final day while six other teams were within three points of them, despite the fact that only Crystal Palace had conceded less goals.
Changes from last season
From Championship Promoted to Premier League Derby County Birmingham City Sunderland
Relegated to League One Leeds United Luton Town Southend United
To Championship Relegated from Premier League Charlton Athletic Sheffield United Watford
Promoted from League One Blackpool Bristol City Scunthorpe United
Teams
Stadiums and locations TeamStadiumCapacityBarnsleyOakwell23,009BlackpoolBloomfield Road9,788Bristol CityAshton Gate21,497BurnleyTurf Moor22,546Cardiff CityNinian Park22,008Charlton AthleticThe Valley27,111Colchester UnitedLayer Road6,320Coventry CityRicoh Arena32,609Crystal PalaceSelhurst Park26,309Hull CityKC Stadium25,586Ipswich TownPortman Road30,311Leicester CityWalkers Stadium32,261Norwich CityCarrow Road26,034Plymouth ArgyleHome Park19,500Preston North EndDeepdale24,500Queens Park RangersLoftus Road19,128Scunthorpe UnitedGlanford Park9,088Sheffield UnitedBramall Lane32,609Sheffield WednesdayHillsborough39,814SouthamptonSt Mary's Stadium32,689Stoke CityBrittania Stadium27,500WatfordVicarage Road19,920West Bromwich AlbionThe Hawthorns26,688Wolverhampton WanderersMolineux28,525
Personnel and sponsoring TeamManagerKit makerSponsorBarnsley Simon DaveySurridgeWake Smith SolicitorsBlackpool Simon GraysonCarlottiFloors 2 GoBristol City Gary JohnsonPumaBristol Trade CentreBurnley Owen CoyleErreàHolland's PiesCardiff City Dave JonesJomaCommunications DirectCharlton Athletic Alan PardewJomaLlaneraColchester United Geraint WilliamsDiadoraHaart Estate Agents (H)/Smart Energy (A)Coventry City Chris ColemanPumaCassidy GroupCrystal Palace Neil WarnockErreàGAC LogisticsHull City Phil BrownUmbroKaroo (H)/Kingston Communications (A)Ipswich Town Jim MagiltonMitre (H)/Punch (A & T)E.ONLeicester City Ian HollowayJakoTopps TilesNorwich City Glenn RoederXaraFlybePlymouth Argyle Paul SturrockPumaGinstersPreston North End Alan IrvineDiadoraEnterprise plcQueens Park Rangers Luigi De CanioLe Coq SportifCargiantScunthorpe United Nigel AdkinsCarlottiRainham SteelSheffield United Kevin BlackwellLe Coq SportifCapital OneSheffield Wednesday Brian LawsLottoPlusNetSouthampton Nigel PearsonSaintsFlybeStoke City Tony PulisLe Coq SportifBritannia Building SocietyWatford Aidy BoothroydDiadoraBekoWest Bromwich Albion Tony MowbrayUmbroT-MobileWolverhampton Wanderers Mick McCarthyLe Coq SportifChaucer Consulting
League table
Play-offs The Football League Championship Playoffs took place at the end of May 2008. They involved the teams that finished third to sixth in the table. Hull (3rd) and Bristol City (4th) qualified from their semi-finals against Watford (6th) and Crystal Palace (5th) respectively over two legs. Hull City won the final with a single Dean Windass goal to win promotion to the Premier League.
Results
Top scorers PosPlayerTeamGoals1 Sylvan Ebanks-BlakePlymouth ArgyleWolverhampton Wanderers232 James BeattieSheffield United22 Kevin PhillipsWest Bromwich Albion224 Stern JohnSouthampton195 Kevin LisbieColchester United176 Clinton MorrisonCrystal Palace167 Fraizer CampbellHull City15 Ricardo FullerStoke City159 Liam LawrenceStoke City14
Team of the Year
Pos.PlayerClub GK Wayne Hennessey Wolverhampton Wanderers DF Bradley Orr Bristol City DF Danny Shittu Watford DF Paul Robinson West Bromwich Albion DF Ryan Shawcross Stoke City MF Brian Howard Barnsley MF Marvin Elliott Bristol City MF Liam Lawrence Stoke City MF Jonathan Greening West Bromwich Albion ST Ricardo Fuller Stoke City ST Kevin Phillips West Bromwich Albion
Stadiums
Team Stadium Capacity Sheffield Wednesday Hillsborough Stadium 39,814 Southampton St Mary's Stadium 32,689 Coventry City Ricoh Arena 32,609 Sheffield United Bramall Lane 32,609 Leicester City Walkers Stadium 32,500 Ipswich Town Portman Road 30,311 Wolverhampton Wanderers Molineux Stadium 28,525 Stoke City Britannia Stadium 28,383 West Brom The Hawthorns 28,003 Charlton Athletic The Valley 27,111 Crystal Palace Selhurst Park 26,309 Norwich City Carrow Road 26,034 Hull City KC Stadium 25,404 Preston North End Deepdale 24,500 Barnsley Oakwell 23,009 Burnley Turf Moor 22,546 Cardiff City Ninian Park 22,008 Bristol City Ashton Gate 21,497 Watford Vicarage Road 19,920 Plymouth Argyle Home Park 19,500 Queens Park Rangers Loftus Road 19,128 Blackpool Bloomfield Road 9,788 Scunthorpe United Glanford Park 9,183 Colchester United Layer Road 6,320
Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table Sheffield United Neil Warnock Resigned 16 May 2007 Bryan Robson 16 May 2007 Pre-season Crystal Palace Peter Taylor Sacked 8 October 2007 Neil Warnock 11 October 2007 19th Leicester City Martin Allen Mutual consent 29 August 2007 Gary Megson 13 September 2007 9th Queens Park Rangers John Gregory Sacked 1 October 2007 Luigi De Canio 29 October 2007 24th Norwich City Peter Grant Mutual consent 8 October 2007 Glenn Roeder 30 October 2007 22nd Leicester City Gary Megson Signed by Bolton Wanderers 24 October 2007 Ian Holloway 22 November 2007 19th Burnley Steve Cotterill Mutual consent 8 November 2007 Owen Coyle 22 November 2007 15th Preston North End Paul Simpson Sacked 13 November 2007 Alan Irvine 20 November 2007 21st Plymouth Argyle Ian Holloway Signed by Leicester City 21 November 2007 Paul Sturrock 27 November 2007 7th Coventry City Iain Dowie Sacked 11 February 2008 Chris Coleman 19 February 2008 19th Sheffield United Bryan Robson Mutual consent 14 February 2008 Kevin Blackwell 14 February 2008 16th Queens Park Rangers Luigi De Canio Mutual consent 8 May 2008 Iain Dowie 14 May 2008 14th
Attendances Source:
No. Club Average Change Highest Lowest 1 Sheffield United 25,631 -16.0% 31,760 23,161 2 Norwich City 24,527 -0.1% 25,497 23,176 3 Leicester City 23,509 1.3% 31,892 19,264 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 23,499 12.1% 27,883 20,763 5 Charlton Athletic 23,159 -11.6% 26,337 20,737 6 West Bromwich Albion 22,311 9.0% 27,493 18,310 7 Ipswich Town 21,935 -2.3% 29,656 17,938 8 Sheffield Wednesday 21,418 -9.4% 36,208 17,211 9 Southampton 21,254 -9.8% 31,957 17,741 10 Coventry City 19,123 -6.0% 27,992 14,036 11 Hull City 18,025 -3.9% 24,350 14,822 12 Watford 16,876 -10.0% 18,698 15,021 13 Stoke City 16,823 6.8% 26,609 11,147 14 Bristol City 16,276 27.0% 19,332 12,474 15 Crystal Palace 16,031 -8.6% 23,950 13,048 16 Queens Park Rangers 13,959 7.9% 18,309 10,514 17 Cardiff City 13,939 -8.4% 18,840 11,006 18 Plymouth Argyle 13,000 -0.1% 17,511 10,451 19 Preston North End 12,647 -12.4% 17,807 10,279 20 Burnley 12,365 3.4% 16,843 9,779 21 Barnsley 11,425 -10.3% 18,257 8,531 22 Blackpool 8,861 28.9% 9,640 7,214 23 Scunthorpe United 6,434 13.5% 8,801 4,407 24 Colchester United 5,509 0.8% 6,300 4,450
References