| Season | 2012–13 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Cardiff City 1st Championship title 1st2nd tier title |
| Promoted | Cardiff City Hull City Crystal Palace |
| Relegated | Peterborough United Wolverhampton Wanderers Bristol City |
| Matches | 552 |
| Goals | 1,494 (2.71 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Glenn Murray ~ 30 goals |
| Biggest home win | Blackpool 6–0Ipswich Town Leicester City 6–0Ipswich Town |
| Biggest away win | Barnsley 0–6Charlton Athletic |
| Highest scoring | (9 goals) Charlton Athletic 5–4Cardiff City Peterborough United 5–4Bolton Wanderers |
| Longest winning run | 6 games Nottingham Forest |
| Longest unbeaten run | 14 games Crystal Palace |
| Longest winless run | 12 games Huddersfield Town Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Longest losing run | 7 games Bristol City Peterborough United Sheffield Wednesday |
| Highest attendance | 33,010[1] Derby County vNottingham Forest |
| Lowest attendance | 5,435[1] Peterborough United vBristol City |
| Average attendance | 17,331[1] |
2013–14 → | |
The2012–13 Football League Championship (known as thenpower Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the ninth season of the league under its current title and twentieth season under its current league division format. The season began on 17 August 2012 with promotion candidatesCardiff City hosting newly promotedHuddersfield Town atCardiff City Stadium and finished on 27 May 2013 with theplay-off final.
Of the 24 teams which participate, eighteen of these remain following the2011–12 Football League Championship. They were joined byCharlton Athletic,Sheffield Wednesday andHuddersfield Town from2011–12 Football League One, andBlackburn Rovers,Bolton Wanderers andWolverhampton Wanderers from the2011–12 Premier League. The final place was decided on 26 May 2012, asHuddersfield Town defeatedSheffield United 8–7 on penalties, in the2012 Football League One play-off final.
Cardiff City won the league in their first season since a controversial rebrand; they achieved promotion to the top flight for the first time since 1960 and became the second Welsh club to play in the Premier League. The second automatic promotion spot was won byHull City with a 2–2 draw against Cardiff on the final day after a dramatic finale to the season.Watford, just two points behind, had to settle for a place in the playoffs, joiningBrighton & Hove Albion,Crystal Palace, andLeicester City, who secured their place with a last-minute goal over rivalsNottingham Forest. In the playoffs, Watford defeated Leicester City 3–2, Crystal Palace defeated Brighton 2–0, and in the final Watford was upset by Crystal Palace to gain the promotion.Bristol City,Wolverhampton Wanderers, andPeterborough United were relegated. Peterborough gained 54 points, the highest ever for a relegated team in Championship history. Wolves' relegation was the first time a team had been relegated from the top tier to the third tier in consecutive seasons sinceSwindon Townin 1994and 1995. They also became the first team to achieve this feat twice.
To Championship[edit]Promoted fromLeague One Relegated fromPremier League | From Championship[edit]Promoted toPremier League Relegated toLeague One
|
On 25 April 2012, it was announced that financial fair play rules would be introduced for teams within The Championship.[2] This means that clubs have agreed to new rules on sustainable financing which includes:
Also the 2011–12 season saw Football League clubs vote for five substitutes instead of seven. However, on 1 June 2012, Football League clubs re-voted with the outcome of seven substitutes instead of five, ahead of the 2012–13 Football League season.[3]
A total of 24 teams contest the division: 18 sides remaining in the division from last season, three relegated from thePremier League, and three promoted from theLeague One.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff City(C, P) | 46 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 72 | 45 | +27 | 87 | Promotion to thePremier League |
| 2 | Hull City(P) | 46 | 24 | 7 | 15 | 61 | 52 | +9 | 79 | |
| 3 | Watford | 46 | 23 | 8 | 15 | 85 | 58 | +27 | 77 | Qualification forChampionship play-offs |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 69 | 43 | +26 | 75 | |
| 5 | Crystal Palace(O, P) | 46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 73 | 62 | +11 | 72 | |
| 6 | Leicester City | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 71 | 48 | +23 | 68 | |
| 7 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 69 | 61 | +8 | 68 | |
| 8 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 63 | 59 | +4 | 67 | |
| 9 | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 65 | 59 | +6 | 65 | |
| 10 | Derby County | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 65 | 62 | +3 | 61 | |
| 11 | Burnley | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 62 | 60 | +2 | 61 | |
| 12 | Birmingham City | 46 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 63 | 69 | −6 | 61 | |
| 13 | Leeds United | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 57 | 66 | −9 | 61 | |
| 14 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 60 | |
| 15 | Blackpool | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 62 | 63 | −1 | 59 | |
| 16 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 61 | 70 | −9 | 59 | |
| 17 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 55 | 62 | −7 | 58 | |
| 18 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 58 | |
| 19 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 53 | 73 | −20 | 58 | |
| 20 | Millwall | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 56 | |
| 21 | Barnsley | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 56 | 70 | −14 | 55 | |
| 22 | Peterborough United(R) | 46 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 66 | 75 | −9 | 54 | Relegation toFootball League One |
| 23 | Wolverhampton Wanderers(R) | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 55 | 69 | −14 | 51 | |
| 24 | Bristol City(R) | 46 | 11 | 8 | 27 | 59 | 84 | −25 | 41 |
| Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||
| 3 | Watford | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
| 6 | Leicester City | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Watford | 0 | |||||||||
| 5 | Crystal Palace(a.e.t.) | 1 | |||||||||
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| Home \ Away | BAR | BIR | BLB | BLP | BOL | B&HA | BRI | BUR | CAR | CHA | CRY | DER | HUD | HUL | IPS | LEE | LEI | MID | MIL | NOT | PET | SHW | WAT | WOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
| Birmingham City | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 2–3 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | |
| Blackpool | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | |
| Bolton Wanderers | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 5–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 6–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | |
| Bristol City | 5–3 | 0–1 | 3–5 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–4 | |
| Burnley | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 5–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | |
| Cardiff City | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | |
| Charlton Athletic | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 5–4 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | |
| Crystal Palace | 0–0 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 4–3 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 3–1 | |
| Derby County | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 0–0 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | |
| Hull City | 1–0 | 5–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | |
| Ipswich Town | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | |
| Leeds United | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–6 | 1–0 | |
| Leicester City | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 6–1 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | |
| Middlesbrough | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | |
| Millwall | 1–2 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–5 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 6–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 3–1 | |
| Peterborough United | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 5–4 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 0–2 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 0–0 | |
| Watford | 4–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 0–0 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 |
Top scorers[edit]
| Assists[edit]
|
| Rank | Player | Club | Scored (Miss) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glenn Murray | Crystal Palace | 8 (3) |
| 2 | Jordan Rhodes | Blackburn Rovers1 | 6 |
| 3 | Luciano Becchio | Leeds United | 5 |
| Grant McCann | Peterborough United | ||
| 5 | Marlon King | Birmingham City | 4 |
| Sam Baldock | Bristol City | ||
| Keith Andrews | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| Jamie Ward | Derby County | ||
| Peter Whittingham | Cardiff City | ||
| Charlie Austin | Burnley | ||
| David López | Brighton |
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Whittingham | Cardiff City | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–1[48] | 2 September 2012 |
| Charlie Austin(#1) | Burnley | Peterborough United | 5–2[49] | 15 September 2012 |
| Craig Davies4 | Barnsley | Birmingham City | 0–5[50] | 22 September 2012 |
| Glenn Murray(#1) | Crystal Palace | Cardiff City | 3–2[51] | 22 September 2012 |
| David Nugent | Leicester City | Hull City | 3–1[52] | 23 September 2012 |
| Emile Sinclair | Peterborough | Hull City | 1–3[53] | 29 September 2012 |
| Charlie Austin(#2) | Burnley | Sheffield Wednesday | 3–3[54] | 2 October 2012 |
| Marlon King | Birmingham City | Millwall | 3–3[55] | 23 October 2012 |
| Glenn Murray(#2) | Crystal Palace | Ipswich Town | 5–0[56] | 6 November 2012 |
| Jordan Rhodes | Blackburn Rovers | Peterborough United | 1–4[57] | 17 November 2012 |
| Chris Wood | Leicester City | Bristol City | 0–4[58] | 12 January 2013 |
| Radosław Majewski | Nottingham Forest | Huddersfield Town | 6–1[59] | 19 February 2013 |
| Dwight Gayle | Peterborough | Blackburn Rovers | 2–3[60] | 2 March 2013 |
| Leonardo Ulloa | Brighton | Huddersfield Town | 4–1[61] | 2 March 2013 |
| Kevin Phillips | Crystal Palace | Hull City | 4–2[62] | 5 March 2013 |
| James Vaughan | Huddersfield Town | Bristol City | 1–3[63] | 27 April 2013 |
| Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | Reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Player | Club | ||
| August | Ian Holloway | Blackpool | Tom Ince | Blackpool | [68][69] |
| September | Dougie Freedman | Crystal Palace | Glenn Murray | Crystal Palace | [70][71] |
| October | Tony Mowbray | Middlesbrough | Charlie Austin | Burnley | [72][73] |
| November | Kenny Jackett | Millwall | Sone Aluko | Hull City | [74][75] |
| December | Steve Bruce | Hull City | Dwight Gayle | Peterborough United | [76][77] |
| January | Nigel Pearson | Leicester City | Matěj Vydra | Watford | [78][79] |
| February | Gianfranco Zola | Watford | Fraizer Campbell | Cardiff City | [80][81] |
| March | Billy Davies | Nottingham Forest | George Boyd | Hull City | |
| April | Dougie Freedman | Bolton Wanderers | James Vaughan | Huddersfield Town | |
The final day of the season fell on 4 May 2013. Watford and Hull City were both fighting for 2nd place and automatic promotion to the2013–14 Premier League.[82] Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest were all fighting for 5th and 6th place, and for a play-off spot. However, on the final day, it was mathematically possible for any 2 of 7 teams to get relegated alongside already relegated Bristol City. These teams were Wolverhampton Wanderers, Peterborough United, Huddersfield Town, Blackburn Rovers, Millwall, Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday.
Late drama occupied all three battles, with the headlines inevitably going to Hull, who won promotion to thePremier League[83] after a 2–2 draw with newly crowned champions Cardiff City and Watford being beaten 2–1 by Leeds United. Hull were 2–1 up and in the 91st minute when they were awarded a penalty which could have sealed their 2nd place spot. Hull missed their penalty and in the 93rd minute, Cardiff were awarded a penalty, which was converted byNicky Maynard, bringing the score to 2–2. After a serious injury delayed the match, the Watford game was fifteen minutes behind the other games, so with the score at 1–1, Watford knew that a win would secure their promotion to the Premier League. In the 89th minute Leeds scored to make it 2–1. The scores stayed that way and promotion for Hull was assured.
In the play-off battle between Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Bolton, there was a late goal for Leicester (vs Nottingham Forest) that secured a 3–2 victory, meaning that the 2–2 draw between Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool left them in 6th place. As the other results turned out, Crystal Palace would have remained in 5th place with a loss, but also scored late on to beat Peterborough 3–2. This left Bolton in 7th place, missing out on play-offs via goal difference.[84]
The relegation battle ended in disappointment for Wolves and Peterborough. The late goal for Crystal Palace against Peterborough meant that a 1–1 draw was enough for Blackburn, a 2–0 win for Sheffield Wednesday over Middlesbrough was enough to secure their safety, a 1–0 defeat for Millwall against Derby County was enough for them and a 2–2 draw between Huddersfield and Barnsley was enough for both teams. Wolves lost 2–0 to Brighton, having started the day in the most difficult situation of the threatened teams.[85]