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Is this the most Championship-esque Championship ever?

Barring Peterborough & Millwall who are punching above their weight at this level, and Leeds who really are a Premiership team - the make up of the league this season is *the* definition of the Championship. I'd replace Leeds with Norwich or Reading, Wigan can go straight down to Division 4 which is where they really belong. Coventry & Sheff Utd can replace Peterborough & Millwall & there we are - everybody is happy.
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    The Championship does have a strange way of holding onto teams for a very, very long time.

    However, you missed out the fact that Blackburn and Bolton are in this league for the first time in about ten years.
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    cafctom said:


    However, you missed out the fact that Blackburn and Bolton are in this league for the first time in about ten years.

    And although Blackburn are a nothing side with a nothing support, they are one of 5 teams to have ever won the Premiership
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    Oakster said:

    Barring Peterborough & Millwall who are punching above their weight at this level, and Leeds who really are a Premiership team - the make up of the league this season is *the* definition of the Championship. I'd replace Leeds with Norwich or Reading, Wigan can go straight down to Division 4 which is where they really belong. Coventry & Sheff Utd can replace Peterborough & Millwall & there we are - everybody is happy.

    That would be spot on IMO. Perhaps Wednesday in the prem instead of West Brom?

    I looked at the League One table the other year, thank god we're not there any more, must be the worst in years.
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    edited December 2012
    Blackburn to me are the very epitome of a Division 2/Championship team - small support base, many years at this level & none of the "glamour" of a Premiership team. Bolton are the same....

    it's a good point though as really QPR, Reading, Swansea, Norwich, Wigan & Stoke wouldn't be out of place historically at this level...Middlesborough are more of a top than a second tier team....
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    Oakster said:

    it's a good point though as really QPR, Reading, Swansea, Norwich, Wigan & Stoke wouldn't be out of place historically at this level...Middlesborough are more of a top than a second tier team....

    We've spent more seasons in the top flight than QPR, Reading, Swansea, Norwich & Wigan. So if they are 2nd tier then we should be knocking on the premiership's door!

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    I think it should go historically, and by the size of the club IE fanbase. I'd say we fall into the top 8 cat of the Championship.
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    I think it should go historically, and by the size of the club IE fanbase. I'd say we fall into the top 8 cat of the Championship.

    I make you right, I dont think anyone outside of this club would see us as a natural Premier League team - but then I view Wigan as L1/L2 at best & they have been punching well above their weight for years so it doesnt really matter - my point was really just how tough the Championship is this season - must be the toughest in many, many years, with no minnows like Stockport/Bury/Doncaster/Crewe/Wallsall/Tranmere/Gillingham making up the numbers....

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    Going along with your argument i'd have , Reading, Norwich, QPR, Fulham and maybe Soton in the Championship....Millwall and P'boro in League 1. Leeds, Derby, Wolves, Nottingham Forest and possibly Leicester in the Prem and have Coventry and Sheff Utd and maybe PNE up from League 1......that would give you the most 'Championesque' Championship. Glad football isn't that predictable though and if it was we wouldn't have the pleasure of a trip down to the toolbox once in a while.
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    Good post. Excellent league the championship.
    Just a shame most of the teams in it don't want to be.
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    and although they have fallen on very hard times, Luton Town & arguably Oxford United would not be out of place as Championship level teams...certainly would draw bigger crowds than Millwall.

    Portsmouth are at this level as well...we'd need to get rid of Huddersfield, Hull & Bristol City :)
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    The champ is a great division .. the heaven of the Prem above .. the hell of Div 1 below .. it should be renamed as 'The Tightrope Division'
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    The champ is a great division .. the heaven of the Prem above .. the hell of Div 1 below .. it should be renamed as 'The Tightrope Division'

    Yep I really love the championship. If you compare how desperate I was for us to get out of League 1 I'm nowhere near that now.
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    The original point is correct, there are very few minnows or fallen giants in the Championship this season.

    Pompey are the team we've played most of all. From memory, we've also played Middlesbrough a lot, and Sunderland as well? All club who've historically been at a similar level to us.

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    The original point is correct, there are very few minnows or fallen giants in the Championship this season.

    Pompey are the team we've played most of all. From memory, we've also played Middlesbrough a lot, and Sunderland as well? All club who've historically been at a similar level to us.

    Seem to remember seeing a league table of teams we have played the most, and you are right Pompey were top and Boro 2nd (this was a few years back so might not be the case now) would be interesting to see an updated table.
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    QPR should hold their own in the top tier from their financial backing.

    Feel sorry for Wigan in sense as they will never be accepted as a big club even from their recent achievements. Its like they are just treading water, waiting for them to fall, then as soon as they are out the premier league, they are finished.

    Overall whatever league you are in you are there because you deserve to be there.

    If it's just a competition about a clubs fanbase, stadium size, history and financial predicament then it would all be a bit boring.

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    mind you I am seeing it as a 40 something, if you were born in the 90s you'd be alien to the concept of Luton or Oxford or Millwall as top flight teams...
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    I actually prefer this division than the prem. at least we can be competitive at this level. Unless some arab throws zillions at us (which I would hate), the prem is just a matter of clinging on for dear life.................
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    I actually prefer this division than the prem. at least we can be competitive at this level. Unless some arab throws zillions at us (which I would hate), the prem is just a matter of clinging on for dear life.................

    Agree.
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    Only 4 of the 24 teams haven't been in the Premier League before.
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    As a fan that can only get up for a few games a season I love the fact that there are so many big clubs in the championship. Last few years having the opportunity to get to the likes of Yeovil or Exeter hardly filled me full of excitement although always thoroughly enjoyed my day out. Likewise as mentioned on here I really would not want the heart ripped out of the club with some Billionaire throwing money at the club attracting football mercenaries who really would not give a crap about the club, the history or the fans ....... So I'm more than happy to be a competitive club in this league .... For now :-)
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    Ross said:

    Only 4 of the 24 teams haven't been in the Premier League before.

    I think it's 6 teams:
    Peterborough
    Millwall
    Huddersfield
    Cardiff
    Brighton
    Bristol City

    Great quiz question though.
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    Oakster said:

    mind you I am seeing it as a 40 something, if you were born in the 90s you'd be alien to the concept of Luton or Oxford or Millwall as top flight teams...

    This.

    I hated football until I went to the Valley for the first time in the 98/99 season. To me, the teams who were in the Premiership then, are the big teams; and the teams who were in Division 1 the following year are the typical Championship teams.
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    The original point is correct, there are very few minnows or fallen giants in the Championship this season.

    Pompey are the team we've played most of all. From memory, we've also played Middlesbrough a lot, and Sunderland as well? All club who've historically been at a similar level to us.

    Seem to remember seeing a league table of teams we have played the most, and you are right Pompey were top and Boro 2nd (this was a few years back so might not be the case now) would be interesting to see an updated table.
    It's in the Club Handbook! Looking it up...as of the start of the season, we've played
    Pompey 96 times
    Boro 86
    Huddersfield 76
    Bolton, Derby, Sunderland 74
    Norwich 72 etc

    By contrast, we've only played West Ham 32 times, as we have tended to alternate our top flight spells.
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    The original point is correct, there are very few minnows or fallen giants in the Championship this season.

    Pompey are the team we've played most of all. From memory, we've also played Middlesbrough a lot, and Sunderland as well? All club who've historically been at a similar level to us.

    Seem to remember seeing a league table of teams we have played the most, and you are right Pompey were top and Boro 2nd (this was a few years back so might not be the case now) would be interesting to see an updated table.
    It's in the Club Handbook! Looking it up...as of the start of the season, we've played
    Pompey 96 times
    Boro 86
    Huddersfield 76
    Bolton, Derby, Sunderland 74
    Norwich 72 etc

    By contrast, we've only played West Ham 32 times, as we have tended to alternate our top flight spells.
    Interesting that....and Millwall (guess at around 50) and Palace (40ish).
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    The original point is correct, there are very few minnows or fallen giants in the Championship this season.

    Pompey are the team we've played most of all. From memory, we've also played Middlesbrough a lot, and Sunderland as well? All club who've historically been at a similar level to us.

    Seem to remember seeing a league table of teams we have played the most, and you are right Pompey were top and Boro 2nd (this was a few years back so might not be the case now) would be interesting to see an updated table.
    It's in the Club Handbook! Looking it up...as of the start of the season, we've played
    Pompey 96 times
    Boro 86
    Huddersfield 76
    Bolton, Derby, Sunderland 74
    Norwich 72 etc

    By contrast, we've only played West Ham 32 times, as we have tended to alternate our top flight spells.
    Interesting that....and Millwall (guess at around 50) and Palace (40ish).
    Millwall 64, Palace 54
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    Webby said:

    As a fan that can only get up for a few games a season I love the fact that there are so many big clubs in the championship. Last few years having the opportunity to get to the likes of Yeovil or Exeter hardly filled me full of excitement although always thoroughly enjoyed my day out. Likewise as mentioned on here I really would not want the heart ripped out of the club with some Billionaire throwing money at the club attracting football mercenaries who really would not give a crap about the club, the history or the fans ....... So I'm more than happy to be a competitive club in this league .... For now :-)

    It would be interesting to ask whether Reading fans are enjoying this season...
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    Webby said:

    As a fan that can only get up for a few games a season I love the fact that there are so many big clubs in the championship. Last few years having the opportunity to get to the likes of Yeovil or Exeter hardly filled me full of excitement although always thoroughly enjoyed my day out. Likewise as mentioned on here I really would not want the heart ripped out of the club with some Billionaire throwing money at the club attracting football mercenaries who really would not give a crap about the club, the history or the fans ....... So I'm more than happy to be a competitive club in this league .... For now :-)

    It would be interesting to ask whether Reading fans are enjoying this season...
    It depends what their expectations are, doesn't it? If went up without a new mega-bucks backer then my philosopy as a fan would be to just enjoy it with no expectations apart from having a right good go at it.

    Look at Reading's investment compared to others, they have done well just to get there.
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    I can understand the attitude of loving the Championship but really can't understand people who would prefer us in this division then the Premier, as a fan surely you want to see your team have success and play at the highest level possible, we support the club the same if we were still struggling with no money down in the lower league's as we were prior to Chrissy or if we ever get a mega rich owner which give's us a chance to have a good go in the Premier.

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    Oakster said:

    Blackburn to me are the very epitome of a Division 2/Championship team - small support base, many years at this level & none of the "glamour" of a Premiership team. Bolton are the same....

    it's a good point though as really QPR, Reading, Swansea, Norwich, Wigan & Stoke wouldn't be out of place historically at this level...Middlesborough are more of a top than a second tier team....


    couldn't agree more............think you could swop QPR, Reading, Norwich & Stoke from the Premiership with Leeds, M'boro, Forest and either Leicester or Bolton...........Blackburn are a 2nd tier team all day long and I think we could lose P'boro, Blackpool & Hull, for Portsmouth, Sheff U & Coventry.

    job done.

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    I agree.
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