Energy firm Npower struck up a £21,000,000 deal to sponsor the Football League over the next three seasons, starting with the 2010/11 campaign and ending a six year association with soft drinks manufacturer Coca-Cola.
The 2009/10 Coca-Cola Championship season was a power struggle for those aiming to win promotion; though Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion both seemed to make light work of their efforts after gaining promotion at the first attempt following their demise from the Premier League 12 months previous.
Even the four teams which contested the play-offs knew that there ‘best efforts’ would be required in order to join them; Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City whom both had spent money in pre-season fell long behind the automatic positions whilst Leicester City and Blackpool made up the four aiming for the top.
At the bottom of the table, Peterborough United finished rock bottom after a very disappointing season, whilst Plymouth Argyle who didn’t look all that appetising also saw the trap door firmly shut on them after a few years of making a last ditch escape on the final days of the season.
Crystal Palace’s administration fears added extra tension on the last day, a ten point deduction meant that they had to go to Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium and claim just one point or better.
In the end the two clubs drew 2-2 with the Owls firmly relegated to League One!
Next seasons Championship will also be made up of Burnley, Hull City and Portsmouth who were relegated from the FA Premier League whilst Norwich City all were successful in their bid to gain promotion from League One.
|
League Table
|
Pld
|
|
Home
|
|
Away
|
|
Overall
|
|
Pts
|
EP
|
| |
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
|
| |
|
1
|
[P] Newcastle United
|
46
|
|
18
|
5
|
0
|
56
|
13
|
|
12
|
7
|
4
|
34
|
22
|
|
30
|
12
|
4
|
90
|
35
|
|
102
|
+55
|
|
2
|
[P] West Bromwich Albion
|
46
|
|
16
|
3
|
4
|
48
|
21
|
|
10
|
10
|
3
|
41
|
27
|
|
26
|
13
|
7
|
89
|
48
|
|
91
|
+41
|
| |
|
3
|
Nottingham Forest
|
46
|
|
18
|
2
|
3
|
45
|
13
|
|
4
|
11
|
8
|
20
|
27
|
|
22
|
13
|
11
|
65
|
40
|
|
79
|
+25
|
|
4
|
Cardiff City
|
46
|
|
12
|
6
|
5
|
37
|
20
|
|
10
|
4
|
9
|
36
|
34
|
|
22
|
10
|
14
|
73
|
54
|
|
76
|
+19
|
|
5
|
Leicester City
|
46
|
|
13
|
6
|
4
|
40
|
18
|
|
8
|
7
|
8
|
21
|
27
|
|
21
|
13
|
12
|
61
|
45
|
|
76
|
+16
|
|
6
|
Blackpool
|
46
|
|
13
|
6
|
4
|
46
|
22
|
|
6
|
7
|
10
|
28
|
36
|
|
19
|
13
|
14
|
74
|
58
|
|
70
|
+16
|
| |
|
7
|
Swansea City
|
46
|
|
10
|
10
|
3
|
21
|
12
|
|
7
|
8
|
8
|
19
|
25
|
|
17
|
18
|
11
|
40
|
37
|
|
69
|
+3
|
|
8
|
Sheffield United
|
46
|
|
12
|
8
|
3
|
37
|
20
|
|
5
|
6
|
12
|
25
|
35
|
|
17
|
14
|
15
|
62
|
55
|
|
65
|
+7
|
|
9
|
Reading
|
46
|
|
10
|
7
|
6
|
39
|
22
|
|
7
|
5
|
11
|
29
|
41
|
|
17
|
12
|
17
|
68
|
63
|
|
63
|
+5
|
|
10
|
Bristol City
|
46
|
|
10
|
10
|
3
|
38
|
34
|
|
5
|
8
|
10
|
18
|
31
|
|
15
|
18
|
13
|
56
|
65
|
|
63
|
-9
|
|
11
|
Middlesbrough
|
46
|
|
9
|
8
|
6
|
25
|
21
|
|
7
|
6
|
10
|
33
|
29
|
|
16
|
14
|
16
|
58
|
50
|
|
62
|
+8
|
|
12
|
Doncaster Rovers
|
46
|
|
9
|
7
|
7
|
32
|
29
|
|
6
|
8
|
9
|
27
|
29
|
|
15
|
15
|
16
|
59
|
58
|
|
60
|
+1
|
|
13
|
Queens Park Rangers
|
46
|
|
8
|
9
|
6
|
36
|
28
|
|
6
|
6
|
11
|
22
|
37
|
|
14
|
15
|
17
|
58
|
65
|
|
57
|
-7
|
|
14
|
Derby County
|
46
|
|
12
|
3
|
8
|
37
|
32
|
|
3
|
8
|
12
|
16
|
31
|
|
15
|
11
|
20
|
53
|
63
|
|
56
|
-10
|
|
15
|
Ipswich Town
|
46
|
|
8
|
11
|
4
|
24
|
23
|
|
4
|
9
|
10
|
26
|
38
|
|
12
|
20
|
14
|
50
|
61
|
|
56
|
-11
|
|
16
|
Watford
|
46
|
|
10
|
6
|
7
|
36
|
26
|
|
4
|
6
|
13
|
25
|
42
|
|
14
|
12
|
20
|
61
|
68
|
|
54
|
-7
|
|
17
|
Preston North End
|
46
|
|
9
|
10
|
4
|
35
|
26
|
|
4
|
5
|
14
|
23
|
47
|
|
13
|
15
|
18
|
58
|
73
|
|
54
|
-15
|
|
18
|
Barnsley
|
46
|
|
8
|
7
|
8
|
25
|
29
|
|
6
|
5
|
12
|
28
|
40
|
|
14
|
12
|
20
|
53
|
69
|
|
54
|
-16
|
|
19
|
Coventry City
|
46
|
|
8
|
9
|
6
|
27
|
29
|
|
5
|
6
|
12
|
20
|
35
|
|
13
|
15
|
18
|
47
|
64
|
|
54
|
-17
|
|
20
|
Scunthorpe United
|
46
|
|
10
|
7
|
6
|
40
|
32
|
|
4
|
3
|
16
|
22
|
52
|
|
14
|
10
|
22
|
62
|
84
|
|
52
|
-22
|
|
21
|
Crystal Palace (-10)
|
46
|
|
8
|
5
|
10
|
24
|
27
|
|
6
|
12
|
5
|
26
|
26
|
|
14
|
17
|
15
|
50
|
53
|
|
49
|
-3
|
| |
|
22
|
[R] Sheffield Wednesday
|
46
|
|
8
|
6
|
9
|
30
|
31
|
|
3
|
8
|
12
|
19
|
38
|
|
11
|
14
|
21
|
49
|
69
|
|
47
|
-20
|
|
23
|
[R] Plymouth Argyle
|
46
|
|
5
|
6
|
12
|
20
|
30
|
|
6
|
2
|
15
|
23
|
38
|
|
11
|
8
|
27
|
43
|
68
|
|
41
|
-25
|
|
24
|
[R] Peterborough United
|
46
|
|
6
|
5
|
12
|
32
|
37
|
|
2
|
5
|
16
|
14
|
43
|
|
8
|
10
|
28
|
46
|
80
|
|
34
|
-34
|
| 
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