The English Championship has long been considered the most competitive league in the world. On any given day, any team can beat another, and those fighting for relegation have been known to often upset promotion contenders. This year, however, it seems the gap between those at the top and those at the bottom has never been greater.
At the top of the division is Leicester City. The Foxes have amassed a whopping 78 points from just 33 matches and are nine points clear of second place. In fact, the top three is made up of the three teams that were relegated from the Premier League last season, and they all seem determined to immediately return in a big way. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the table, Rotherham United are propping up everyone else. The Millers operate on a shoestring budget compared to the rest of the division and have only managed three wins all year.
Rotherham currently have 19 points and relegation is now all but confirmed. In fact, betting houses in the UK offer offers like SkyBet free betsincluding sign-up promotions for new users, have priced the South Yorkshire club at 33/1 to one to remain in the division, an eye-watering price considering there is still a third of the season left.
So, with Leicester City on the brink of the title, let’s take a look at the five teams that have won the division more than anyone else in history.
city of leicester
The current league leaders are already the ones that have won the division the most times, with seven wins throughout their history. If Leicester win the division this season, they will be the absolute leaders with eight crowns to their name. And his rise to prominence has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Their most recent triumph came in 2014, when 16 goals from Jamie Vardy took them to the title, their second promotion in three seasons. Leicester finished with a mighty 102 points, nine ahead of second-placed Burnley and 17 points ahead of third-placed Derby County. Incredibly, two years later, they shocked the football world by winning the Premier League despite being 5000/1 outsiders and strong relegation contenders.
In 2021, Leicester won the FA Cup for the first time in history, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League the following year. They were surprisingly relegated from the top flight last season but look dead on an immediate return.
city of manchester
Before Manchester City were the powerhouse we know today, they constantly oscillated between England’s two top divisions. Their Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008 catapulted them to one of the planet’s superpowers, leading them to seven Premier League titles and the elusive UEFA Champions League last season. But before that, they were a regular in the EFL.
City have also won the division seven times, tied with Leicester. However, we can’t imagine them moving back up the division considering the formidable team they are today. Their most recent EFL triumph came in 2002, when the lethal strike force of Shaun Goater, Darren Huckerby and Paulo Wanchope combined to score 71 goals between them. This propelled the Blues to first place in the division. City finished on 99 points, ten ahead of second-placed West Bromwich Albion and with Black Country rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers three points further back.
norwich city
With five impressive EFL Championship wins to their name, Norwich City have become one of the second division’s protagonists in recent years. They have won the title three times in the last 20 years, more than any other club. Championship icon Huckerby was the main man again in 2004, just as he was for the Citizens two years earlier, scoring 14 goals to help his team win the title. In 2011, Norwich achieved consecutive promotions, jumping from League One to the Premier League in just two years, but that year they finished as runners-up rather than winners.
Norwich, however, won the title in 2019 and again in 2021, although they suffered immediate relegation on both occasions. This year they are in seventh place and their goal will be to secure a place in the playoffs.
