The 2009–10 Football League Championship (known as the Coca-Cola Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth season of the league under its current title and eighteenth season under its current league division format. It started on 7 August 2009.
Changes from previous season
Team changes
From Championship
Promoted to Premier League
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Birmingham City
Burnley
Relegated to League One
Norwich City
Southampton
Charlton Athletic
To Championship
Relegated from Premier League
Newcastle United
Middlesbrough
West Bromwich Albion
Promoted from League One
Leicester City
Peterborough United
Scunthorpe United
Rule changes
On field rule changes
'Home Grown Players' rule which aims to encourage the development of young footballers at League clubs. The new rule will require clubs to name at least four players in their matchday squad that have been registered domestically, for a minimum of three seasons, prior to their 21st birthday For the first time clubs will also have the opportunity to name seven substitutes (previously five), three of which may enter the field of play (no change)
Note: "Amendments to the laws of the game 2009–2010" also applied
Off field rule changes
Financial regulations relating to tax payments. From now on, any club that falls behind with its employee related payments to HMRC will be subject to a transfer embargo until such time as the debt is cleared
Team overview
Stadia and locations
1 Ground contains some terracing
Personnel and sponsoring
Managerial changes
League table
A total of 24 teams contested the division, including 18 sides remaining in the division from last season, three relegated from the Premier League, and three promoted from League One.
Play-offs
First leg
Second leg
Blackpool win 6–4 on aggregate
Cardiff City 3–3 Leicester City on aggregate. Cardiff City win 4–3 on penalties
Final
Blackpool are promoted to the Premier League
Results
Fixtures for the 2009–10 season were announced by The Football League on 17 June 2009.
Top goalscorers and assists
Season statistics
Scoring
First goal of the season: Miles Addison for Derby County against Peterborough United, 4:00 minutes (8 August 2009) Fastest goal in a match: 23 seconds Billy Clarke for Blackpool against Preston North End (30 November 2009) Daryl Murphy for Ipswich Town against Middlesbrough (6 February 2010) Goal scored at the latest point in a match: 90+6:12 – Pablo Couñago for Ipswich Town against Coventry City (16 January 2010) First own goal of the season: Kaspars Gorkšs (Queens Park Rangers) for Plymouth Argyle, 90+2:26 minutes (15 August 2009) First penalty kick of the season: Paul Hartley (scored) for Bristol City against Preston North End, 48:35 (8 August 2009) Widest winning margin: 6 Bristol City 0–6 Cardiff City (26 January 2010) Reading 6–0 Peterborough United (17 April 2010) Most goals in one half: 6 Newcastle United 6–1 Barnsley (5 March 2010) Bristol City 2–5 Doncaster Rovers (5 March 2010) Most goals in one half by a single team: 5 Newcastle United 6–1 Barnsley (5 March 2010) Most goals scored by losing team: 3 Sheffield United 3–4 Cardiff City (24 October 2009) Sheffield United 4–3 Plymouth Argyle (27 February 2010) Bristol City 5–3 Barnsley (23 March 2010) Doncaster Rovers 4–3 Scunthorpe United (24 April 2010) Nottingham Forest 3–4 Blackpool (11 May 2010) Most goals scored by one player in a match: 4 Michael Chopra (Cardiff City vs. Derby County) – 36, 57, 62, 75 minutes (29 September 2009)