| Season | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Reading 1st Championship title 1st2nd tier title |
| Promoted | Reading Sheffield United Watford |
| Relegated | Crewe Alexandra Millwall Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Matches | 557 |
| Goals | 1,341 (2.41 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Marlon King(Watford), 21[1] |
2006–07 → | |
The2005–06Football League Championship (known as theCoca-Cola Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the second season of the league under its current title and fourteenth season under its current league division format.
Reading dominated the Championship, setting a new league record of 33 league games unbeaten between the opening day defeat byPlymouth Argyle and the loss atLuton Town in February; these were the only league defeats the team would suffer that season. On 25 March 2006 they clinched promotion to the top flight for the first time in their 135-year history thanks to a 1–1 draw away toLeicester City.[2]Coppell's team secured the league title in the following week, with a 5–0 drubbing ofDerby County, and they would go on to set a new English league record for the number of points won in a season, with 106.[3]
Promoted toPremier League
Relegated toLeague One
Promoted fromLeague One
Relegated fromPremier League
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading(C, P) | 46 | 31 | 13 | 2 | 99 | 32 | +67 | 106 | Promotion to theFA Premier League |
| 2 | Sheffield United(P) | 46 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 76 | 46 | +30 | 90 | |
| 3 | Watford(O, P) | 46 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 77 | 53 | +24 | 81 | Qualification forChampionship play-offs |
| 4 | Preston North End | 46 | 20 | 20 | 6 | 59 | 30 | +29 | 80 | |
| 5 | Leeds United | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 57 | 38 | +19 | 78 | |
| 6 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 75 | |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 16 | 19 | 11 | 50 | 42 | +8 | 67 | |
| 8 | Coventry City | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 62 | 65 | −3 | 63 | |
| 9 | Norwich City | 46 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 56 | 65 | −9 | 62 | |
| 10 | Luton Town | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 66 | 67 | −1 | 61 | |
| 11 | Cardiff City | 46 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 58 | 59 | −1 | 60 | |
| 12 | Southampton | 46 | 13 | 19 | 14 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 58 | |
| 13 | Stoke City | 46 | 17 | 7 | 22 | 54 | 63 | −9 | 58 | |
| 14 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 39 | 46 | −7 | 56 | |
| 15 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 53 | 66 | −13 | 56 | |
| 16 | Leicester City | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 51 | 59 | −8 | 54 | |
| 17 | Burnley | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 46 | 54 | −8 | 54 | |
| 18 | Hull City | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 49 | 55 | −6 | 52 | |
| 19 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 39 | 52 | −13 | 52 | |
| 20 | Derby County | 46 | 10 | 20 | 16 | 53 | 67 | −14 | 50 | |
| 21 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 50 | 65 | −15 | 50 | |
| 22 | Crewe Alexandra(R) | 46 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 57 | 86 | −29 | 42 | Relegation toFootball League One |
| 23 | Millwall(R) | 46 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 35 | 62 | −27 | 40 | |
| 24 | Brighton & Hove Albion(R) | 46 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 71 | −32 | 38 |
| Leeds United | 1–1 | Preston North End |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis | Statistics | Nugent |
| Crystal Palace | 0–3 | Watford |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | King Young Spring |
| Preston North End | 0–2 | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | Hulse Richardson Crainey Cresswell |
| Home \ Away | BHA | BUR | CAR | COV | CRE | CRY | DER | HUL | IPS | LEE | LEI | LUT | MIL | NWC | PLY | PNE | QPR | REA | SHE | SHW | SOU | STK | WAT | WOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–1 | 1–1 | |
| Burnley | 1–0 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 0–1 | |
| Cardiff City | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 6–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–5 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | |
| Coventry City | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 6–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | |
| Crewe Alexandra | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 3–4 | 3–4 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–4 | |
| Crystal Palace | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | |
| Derby County | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | |
| Hull City | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | |
| Ipswich Town | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 1–1 | |
| Leeds United | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | |
| Leicester City | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | |
| Luton Town | 3–0 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 | |
| Millwall | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | |
| Norwich City | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–2 | |
| Plymouth Argyle | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | |
| Preston North End | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | |
| Reading | 5–1 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | |
| Sheffield United | 3–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 1–0 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | |
| Southampton | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–4 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | |
| Stoke City | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 | |
| Watford | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 |
Source:[4]
| No. | Club | Average | Change | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwich City | 24,952 | 2.5% | 27,470 | 23,838 |
| 2 | Sheffield Wednesday | 24,853 | 7.6% | 33,439 | 20,244 |
| 3 | Ipswich Town | 24,253 | -5.5% | 29,184 | 22,551 |
| 4 | Derby County | 24,166 | -4.2% | 30,391 | 21,434 |
| 5 | Sheffield United | 23,650 | 20.7% | 30,558 | 17,739 |
| 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 23,624 | -11.3% | 27,980 | 21,683 |
| 7 | Southampton | 23,614 | -22.9% | 30,173 | 19,086 |
| 8 | Leeds United | 22,355 | -23.5% | 27,843 | 18,353 |
| 9 | Leicester City | 22,234 | -7.9% | 25,578 | 18,856 |
| 10 | Coventry City | 21,302 | 32.7% | 26,851 | 16,156 |
| 11 | Reading | 20,207 | 17.7% | 23,845 | 14,027 |
| 12 | Hull City | 19,841 | 10.1% | 23,486 | 17,698 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 19,457 | -19.3% | 23,843 | 17,291 |
| 14 | Watford | 15,450 | 8.1% | 19,842 | 11,722 |
| 15 | Preston North End | 14,619 | 5.3% | 19,350 | 12,453 |
| 16 | Stoke City | 14,432 | -12.3% | 20,408 | 10,121 |
| 17 | Plymouth Argyle | 13,776 | -16.1% | 17,726 | 10,460 |
| 18 | Queens Park Rangers | 13,441 | -16.3% | 16,152 | 10,901 |
| 19 | Burnley | 12,462 | -1.4% | 17,912 | 10,431 |
| 20 | Cardiff City | 11,720 | -9.7% | 16,403 | 8,724 |
| 21 | Millwall | 9,529 | -18.2% | 13,209 | 7,108 |
| 22 | Luton Town | 9,139 | 15.1% | 10,248 | 7,474 |
| 23 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 6,802 | 5.8% | 7,999 | 5,859 |
| 24 | Crewe Alexandra | 6,732 | -9.1% | 8,942 | 5,686 |