2007–08 Football League Championship
# 2007–08 Football League Championship

The 2007–08 Football League Championship (known as the Coca-Cola Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the sixteenth season under its current league division format and its fourth with its current sponsorship. The leagues started in August 2007 and concluded in May 2008, with the promotion play-off finals.

The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The top divisions of these is the League Championship. The winner and the runner up of the League Championship will be automatically promoted to the Premiership and they will be joined by the winner of the League Championship play-off. The bottom three teams in the Championship will be relegated to the second division, League One.

West Bromwich Albion finished top of the league with 81 points, closely followed by Stoke City who had 79 points. Hull City were promoted through the play-offs. Colchester and Scunthorpe United were both relegated several weeks before the end of the season. However, in a very tight league, with a gap of only 29 points between top and 22nd place, the final team to be relegated, Leicester City, went down on the final day while six other teams were within three points of them, despite the fact that only Crystal Palace had conceded less goals.

## Changes from last season

### From Championship

Promoted to Premier League

* Derby County
* Birmingham City
* Sunderland

Relegated to League One

* Leeds United
* Luton Town
* Southend United

### To Championship

Relegated from Premier League

* Charlton Athletic
* Sheffield United
* Watford

Promoted from League One

* Blackpool
* Bristol City
* Scunthorpe United

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | West Bromwich Albion (C, P) | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 88 | 55 | +33 | 81 | Promotion to the Premier League |
| 2 | Stoke City (P) | 46 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 69 | 55 | +14 | 79 | Promotion to the Premier League |
| 3 | Hull City (O, P) | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 65 | 47 | +18 | 75 | Qualification for Championship play-offs |
| 4 | Bristol City | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 54 | 53 | +1 | 74 | Qualification for Championship play-offs |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 58 | 42 | +16 | 71 | Qualification for Championship play-offs |
| 6 | Watford | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 62 | 56 | +6 | 70 | Qualification for Championship play-offs |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 53 | 48 | +5 | 70 | |
| 8 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 65 | 56 | +9 | 69 | |
| 9 | Sheffield United | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 56 | 51 | +5 | 66 | |
| 10 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 64 | |
| 11 | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 63 | 58 | +5 | 64 | |
| 12 | Cardiff City | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 59 | 55 | +4 | 64 | |
| 13 | Burnley | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 60 | 67 | −7 | 62 | |
| 14 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 60 | 66 | −6 | 58 | |
| 15 | Preston North End | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 50 | 56 | −6 | 56 | |
| 16 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 54 | 55 | −1 | 55 | |
| 17 | Norwich City | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 49 | 59 | −10 | 55 | |
| 18 | Barnsley | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 52 | 65 | −13 | 55 | |
| 19 | Blackpool | 46 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 59 | 64 | −5 | 54 | |
| 20 | Southampton | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 56 | 72 | −16 | 54 | |
| 21 | Coventry City | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 52 | 64 | −12 | 53 | |
| 22 | Leicester City (R) | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 42 | 45 | −3 | 52 | Relegation to Football League One |
| 23 | Scunthorpe United (R) | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 46 | 69 | −23 | 46 | Relegation to Football League One |
| 24 | Colchester United (R) | 46 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 62 | 86 | −24 | 38 | Relegation to Football League One |

## Play-offs

The Football League Championship Playoffs took place at the end of May 2008. They involved the teams that finished third to sixth in the table. Hull (3rd) and Bristol City (4th) qualified from their semi-finals against Watford (6th) and Crystal Palace (5th) respectively over two legs. Hull City won the final with a single Dean Windass goal to win promotion to the Premier League.

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | Hull City | 2 | 4 | 6 | | | |
| 6 | Watford | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | |
| 6 | Watford | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Hull City | 1 |
| | | | | | 4 | Bristol City | 0 |
| 4 | Bristol City | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | Bristol City | 0 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |

## Results

| Home \ Away | BAR | BLP | BRI | BUR | CAR | CHA | COL | COV | CRY | HUL | IPS | LEI | NWC | PLY | PNE | QPR | SCU | SHU | SHW | SOU | STK | WAT | WBA | WOL |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Barnsley | | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Blackpool | 1–1 | | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 5–3 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 |
| Bristol City | 3–2 | 1–0 | | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| Burnley | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | | 3–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 |
| Cardiff City | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | | 0–2 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–3 |
| Charlton Athletic | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–0 | | 1–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 |
| Colchester United | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | | 1–5 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 0–1 |
| Coventry City | 4–0 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 1–1 |
| Crystal Palace | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Hull City | 3–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 |
| Ipswich Town | 0–0 | 2–1 | 6–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
| Leicester City | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | | 4–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 |
| Norwich City | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 |
| Preston North End | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 |
| Scunthorpe United | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 0–2 |
| Sheffield United | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | | 5–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 |
| Southampton | 2–3 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–4 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | | 3–2 | 0–3 | 3–2 | 0–0 |
| Stoke City | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 |
| Watford | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–4 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 0–0 | | 0–3 | 3–0 |
| West Brom | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | | 0–0 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 1–2 | 0–1 | |

## Top scorers

| Pos | Player | Team | Goals |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Sylvan Ebanks-Blake | Plymouth Argyle Wolverhampton Wanderers | 23 |
| 2 | James Beattie | Sheffield United | 22 |
| 2 | Kevin Phillips | West Bromwich Albion | 22 |
| 4 | Stern John | Southampton | 19 |
| 5 | Kevin Lisbie | Colchester United | 17 |
| 6 | Clinton Morrison | Crystal Palace | 16 |
| 7 | Fraizer Campbell | Hull City | 15 |
| 7 | Ricardo Fuller | Stoke City | 15 |
| 9 | Liam Lawrence | Stoke City | 14 |

## Team of the Year

| Pos. | Player | Club |
| - | - | - |
| GK | Wayne Hennessey | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| DF | Bradley Orr | Bristol City |
| DF | Danny Shittu | Watford |
| DF | Paul Robinson | West Bromwich Albion |
| DF | Ryan Shawcross | Stoke City |
| MF | Brian Howard | Barnsley |
| MF | Marvin Elliott | Bristol City |
| MF | Liam Lawrence | Stoke City |
| MF | Jonathan Greening | West Bromwich Albion |
| ST | Ricardo Fuller | Stoke City |
| ST | Kevin Phillips | West Bromwich Albion |

## Stadia

| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
| - | - | - |
| Sheffield Wednesday | Hillsborough Stadium | 39,814 |
| Southampton | St Mary's Stadium | 32,689 |
| Coventry City | Ricoh Arena | 32,609 |
| Sheffield United | Bramall Lane | 32,609 |
| Leicester City | Walkers Stadium | 32,500 |
| Ipswich Town | Portman Road | 30,311 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | Molineux Stadium | 28,525 |
| Stoke City | Britannia Stadium | 28,383 |
| West Brom | The Hawthorns | 28,003 |
| Charlton Athletic | The Valley | 27,111 |
| Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park | 26,309 |
| Norwich City | Carrow Road | 26,034 |
| Hull City | KC Stadium | 25,404 |
| Preston North End | Deepdale | 24,500 |
| Barnsley | Oakwell | 23,009 |
| Burnley | Turf Moor | 22,546 |
| Cardiff City | Ninian Park | 22,008 |
| Bristol City | Ashton Gate | 21,497 |
| Watford | Vicarage Road | 19,920 |
| Plymouth Argyle | Home Park | 19,500 |
| Queens Park Rangers | Loftus Road | 19,128 |
| Blackpool | Bloomfield Road | 9,788 |
| Scunthorpe United | Glanford Park | 9,183 |
| Colchester United | Layer Road | 6,320 |

## Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sheffield United | Neil Warnock | Resigned | 16 May 2007 | Bryan Robson | 16 May 2007 | Pre-season |
| Crystal Palace | Peter Taylor | Sacked | 8 October 2007 | Neil Warnock | 11 October 2007 | 19th |
| Leicester City | Martin Allen | Mutual consent | 29 August 2007 | Gary Megson | 13 September 2007 | 9th |
| Queens Park Rangers | John Gregory | Sacked | 1 October 2007 | Luigi De Canio | 29 October 2007 | 24th |
| Norwich City | Peter Grant | Mutual consent | 8 October 2007 | Glenn Roeder | 30 October 2007 | 22nd |
| Leicester City | Gary Megson | Signed by Bolton Wanderers | 24 October 2007 | Ian Holloway | 22 November 2007 | 19th |
| Burnley | Steve Cotterill | Mutual consent | 8 November 2007 | Owen Coyle | 22 November 2007 | 15th |
| Preston North End | Paul Simpson | Sacked | 13 November 2007 | Alan Irvine | 20 November 2007 | 21st |
| Plymouth Argyle | Ian Holloway | Signed by Leicester City | 21 November 2007 | Paul Sturrock | 27 November 2007 | 7th |
| Coventry City | Iain Dowie | Sacked | 11 February 2008 | Chris Coleman | 19 February 2008 | 19th |
| Sheffield United | Bryan Robson | Mutual consent | 14 February 2008 | Kevin Blackwell | 14 February 2008 | 16th |
| Queens Park Rangers | Luigi De Canio | Mutual consent | 8 May 2008 | Iain Dowie | 14 May 2008 | 14th |
