The 2016–17 EFL Championship (referred to as the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the first season of the EFL Championship under its current name, and the twenty-fifth season under its current league structure. Newcastle United were crowned the champions and were promoted to Premier League after just one season in the Championship. Brighton & Hove Albion, alongside Huddersfield Town, both achieved Premier League promotions, via the second automatic promotion place and play-off route respectively, Brighton and Huddersfield Town's first ever since the Premier League formed in 1992. The latter became the first club to gain promotion from the Championship with a negative goal difference.
The season started on 5 August 2016 with the final round of regular league fixtures played on 7 May 2017. The fixtures were announced on 22 June 2016.
Teams
A total of 24 teams contested the league, including 18 sides from the 2015–16 season, three relegated from the 2015–16 Premier League and three promoted from the 2015–16 Football League One. The 2016–17 season was the first in which former European Cup winners Aston Villa played football outside of the top flight since the beginning of the Premier League era in 1992.
Team changes
To Championship Promoted from League One Wigan Athletic Burton Albion Barnsley Relegated from Premier League Newcastle United Norwich City Aston Villa
From Championship Relegated to League One Charlton Athletic Milton Keynes Dons Bolton Wanderers Promoted to Premier League Burnley Middlesbrough Hull City
Stadiums and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Aston Villa Birmingham Villa Park 42,790 Barnsley Barnsley Oakwell 23,009 Birmingham City Birmingham St Andrew's 30,020 Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Ewood Park 31,370 Brentford London (Brentford) Griffin Park 12,760 Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton and Hove AMEX Stadium 30,280 Bristol City Bristol Ashton Gate 27,000 Burton Albion Burton upon Trent Pirelli Stadium 6,912(2,034 seated) Cardiff City Cardiff Cardiff City Stadium 33,300 Derby County Derby Pride Park Stadium 33,600 Fulham London (Fulham) Craven Cottage 25,680 Huddersfield Town Huddersfield John Smith's Stadium 24,500 Ipswich Town Ipswich Portman Road 30,300 Leeds United Leeds Elland Road 37,900 Newcastle United Newcastle St James' Park 52,354 Norwich City Norwich Carrow Road 27,220 Nottingham Forest Nottingham City Ground 30,576 Preston North End Preston Deepdale 23,408 Queens Park Rangers London (Shepherd's Bush) Loftus Road 18,360 Reading Reading Madejski Stadium 24,200 Rotherham United Rotherham New York Stadium 12,021 Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Hillsborough 39,812 Wigan Athletic Wigan DW Stadium 25,023 Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Molineux 31,700
Personnel and sponsoring Team Manager1 Captain Kit manufacturer Sponsor Aston Villa James Chester Barnsley Marc Roberts Puma C.K. Beckett Birmingham City Harry Redknapp Michael Morrison Adidas 888sport Blackburn Rovers Jason Lowe Umbro Dafabet Brentford Adidas 888sport Brighton & Hove Albion Bruno Nike American Express Bristol City Bailey Wright Bristol Sport Lancer Scott Burton Albion John Mousinho TAG Tempobet Cardiff City Sean Morrison Adidas Visit Malaysia Derby County Richard Keogh Umbro JUST EAT Fulham Scott Parker Adidas Visit Florida Huddersfield Town Mark Hudson Puma PURE Legal (home), RadianB (away), Cavonia (third) Ipswich Town Luke Chambers Adidas Marcus Evans Leeds United Liam Bridcutt Kappa 32red Newcastle United Jamaal Lascelles Puma Wonga Norwich City Russell Martin Erreà Aviva Nottingham Forest Chris Cohen Adidas 888sport Preston North End Tom Clarke Nike 888sport Queens Park Rangers Nedum Onuoha Dryworld Smarkets Reading Paul McShane Puma Carabao Rotherham United Lee Frecklington Puma Hodge Clemco (home), APOGEE (away/third) Sheffield Wednesday Glenn Loovens Sondico Chansiri Wigan Athletic Stephen Warnock Kappa Intersport Wolverhampton Wanderers Paul Lambert Danny Batth Puma The Money Shop
1 According to current revision of List of current Premier League and English Football League managers.
League table
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentBlackburn Rovers Mutual consent 28 April 2016 Pre-season 2 June 2016Cardiff City Promoted to head of football 8 May 2016 18 May 2016Nottingham Forest Mutual consent 12 May 2016 27 June 2016Rotherham United End of contract 18 May 2016 1 June 2016Reading Sacked 27 May 2016 13 June 2016Derby County End of caretaker spell 27 May 2016 27 May 2016Leeds United Sacked 31 May 2016 2 June 2016Aston Villa End of caretaker spell 2 June 2016 2 June 2016Wolverhampton Wanderers Kenny JackettSacked 29 July 2016 30 July 2016Aston Villa 3 October 2016 19th 12 October 2016Cardiff City 4 October 2016 23rd 5 October 2016Derby County Mutual consent 8 October 2016 20th 12 October 2016Rotherham United Sacked 19 October 2016 24th Kenny Jackett 21 October 2016Wolverhampton Wanderers 25 October 2016 18th Paul Lambert 5 November 2016Wigan Athletic 25 October 2016 23rd Warren Joyce 2 November 2016Queens Park Rangers 5 November 2016 17th 11 November 2016 Rotherham United Resigned 16 November 2016 24th 5 April 2017Birmingham City Sacked 14 December 2016 7th 14 December 2016Nottingham Forest 14 January 201720th 14 March 2017Blackburn Rovers 21 February 201723rd 22 February 2017 Norwich City 10 March 20178th Daniel Farke 25 May 2017 Derby County 12 March 201710th 14 March 2017 Wigan Athletic Warren Joyce13 March 201723rd 31 May 2017 Birmingham City Resigned 17 April 2017 20th Harry Redknapp 18 April 2017
Play-offs
The four teams that finished from third to sixth played off, with the winning team, Huddersfield Town, gaining the final promotion spot to the Premier League.
In the play-off semi-finals the third-placed team played the sixth-placed team and the fourth-placed team played the fifth-placed team. The team that finished in the higher league position played away in the first leg and played at home in the second leg. If the aggregate score was level after both legs, then extra time was played. If the scores were still level, a penalty shoot-out decided the winner. The away goals rule does not apply in the playoffs.
The winners from the two semi-finals played at Wembley Stadium in the play-off final. The game is known as the richest game in football as the winning club is guaranteed significantly increased television rights payments estimated to be in the order of £170M.
Results
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Chris WoodLeeds United272 Glenn MurrayBrighton & Hove Albion23 Tammy AbrahamBristol City Dwight GayleNewcastle United5 Jonathan KodjiaAston Villa196 Yann KermorgantReading187 Cameron JeromeNorwich City168 Anthony KnockaertBrighton & Hove Albion15 Lasse VibeBrentford Scott HoganBrentford/Aston Villa
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ipswich Town Barnsley 4–2 6 August 2016 Brentford Preston North End 5–0 17 September 2016 Newcastle United Norwich City 4–3 28 September 2016 Brighton & Hove Albion Norwich City 5–0 29 October 2016 Nottingham Forest Barnsley 5–2 25 November 2016 Newcastle United Birmingham City 4–0 10 December 2016 Norwich City Derby County 3–0 2 January 2017 Brentford Rotherham United 4–2 25 February 2017 Derby County Fulham 4–2 4 April 2017 Wigan Athletic Barnsley 3–2 13 April 2017
Monthly awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthReferenceManagerClubPlayerClubAugust David WagnerHuddersfield Town Conor HourihaneBarnsleySeptember Alex NeilNorwich City Scott HoganBrentfordOctober Rafael BenítezNewcastle United Sone AlukoFulhamNovember Steve McClarenDerby County Henri LansburyNottingham ForestDecember Chris HughtonBrighton & Hove Albion Sam WinnallBarnsleyJanuary Jaap StamReading Chris WoodLeeds UnitedFebruary David WagnerHuddersfield Town Aiden McGeadyPreston North EndMarch Paul LambertWolverhampton Wanderers Tom BarkhuizenPreston North EndApril Carlos CarvalhalSheffield Wednesday Yann KermorgantReading
Attendances TeamStadiumCapacityAverageMinimumMaximumPercentage FullAston VillaVilla Park42,78831,90126,43541,33775%BarnsleyOakwell23,00913,84311,61318,59760%Birmingham CitySt Andrew's30,00918,13715,21229,65660%Blackburn RoversEwood Park31,36711,8539,97618,52438%BrentfordGriffin Park12,76310,2889,03512,05281%Brighton & Hove AlbionFalmer Stadium30,75027,61924,16630,23090%Bristol CityAshton Gate 27,00018,95316,44422,51270%Burton AlbionPirelli Stadium6,9125,0783,7256,74673%Cardiff CityCardiff City Stadium33,28016,33513,89422,77649%Derby CountyPride Park Stadium33,59729,10426,30132,61687%FulhamCraven Cottage25,70018,66513,73524,30073%Huddersfield TownJohn Smith's Stadium25,55420,34318,33323,21383%Ipswich TownPortman Road30,31116,55514,71923,35055%Leeds UnitedElland Road40,20426,77919,00936,00267%Newcastle UnitedSt James' Park52,38951,11147,90752,23198%Norwich CityCarrow Road27,24426,27225,27527,10796%Nottingham ForestCity Ground30,57619,20715,77023,01263%Preston North EndDeepdale24,40812,8889,21621,25555%Queens Park RangersLoftus Road18,36014,42611,63517,40479%ReadingMadejski Stadium24,20017,28012,65523,12171%Rotherham UnitedNew York Stadium12,0219,7868,34811,65381%Sheffield WednesdayHillsborough39,81426,58024,15130,54967%Wigan AthleticDW Stadium25,13811,54010,07115,11746%WolvesMolineux30,85221,94417,15627,54171% Source: Soccerway
Notes
References