The 2009âÂÂ10 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
Relegated to League One
To Championship
Relegated from Premier League
Promoted from League One
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 2009âÂÂ2010" 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
<sup>1</sup> 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. <onlyinclude></onlyinclude>
Play-offs
First leg
Second leg
Blackpool win 6âÂÂ4 on aggregate
Cardiff City 3âÂÂ3 Leicester City on aggregate. Cardiff City win 4âÂÂ3 on penalties
Final
Blackpool are promoted to the Premier League
Results
Fixtures for the 2009âÂÂ10 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 (<small>8 August 2009</small>)
- Fastest goal in a match: 23 seconds
- Billy Clarke for Blackpool against Preston North End (<small>30 November 2009</small>)
- Daryl Murphy for Ipswich Town against Middlesbrough (<small>6 February 2010</small>)
- Goal scored at the latest point in a match: 90+6:12 â Pablo Couñago for Ipswich Town against Coventry City (<small>16 January 2010</small>)
- First own goal of the season: Kaspars GorkÃ
¡s (Queens Park Rangers) for Plymouth Argyle, 90+2:26 minutes (<small>15 August 2009</small>)
- First penalty kick of the season: Paul Hartley (scored) for Bristol City against Preston North End, 48:35 (<small>8 August 2009</small>)
- Widest winning margin: 6
- Bristol City 0âÂÂ6 Cardiff City (<small>26 January 2010</small>)
- Reading 6âÂÂ0 Peterborough United (<small>17 April 2010</small>)
- Most goals in one half: 6
- Newcastle United 6âÂÂ1 Barnsley (<small>5 March 2010</small>)
- Bristol City 2âÂÂ5 Doncaster Rovers (<small>5 March 2010</small>)
- Most goals in one half by a single team: 5
- Newcastle United 6âÂÂ1 Barnsley (<small>5 March 2010</small>)
- Most goals scored by losing team: 3
- Sheffield United 3âÂÂ4 Cardiff City (<small>24 October 2009</small>)
- Sheffield United 4âÂÂ3 Plymouth Argyle (<small>27 February 2010</small>)
- Bristol City 5âÂÂ3 Barnsley (<small>23 March 2010</small>)
- Doncaster Rovers 4âÂÂ3 Scunthorpe United (<small>24 April 2010</small>)
- Nottingham Forest 3âÂÂ4 Blackpool (<small>11 May 2010</small>)
- Most goals scored by one player in a match: 4
- Michael Chopra (Cardiff City vs. Derby County) â 36, 57, 62, 75 minutes (<small>29 September 2009</small>)
Discipline
- First yellow card of the season: Rhys Williams for Middlesbrough against Sheffield United, 49:15 minutes (<small>7 August 2009</small>)
- First red card of the season: Luke Chambers for Nottingham Forest against Reading, 87:41 minutes (<small>8 August 2009</small>)
- Card given at latest point in a game: Wes Morgan (yellow) at 90+7:07 minutes for Nottingham Forest against Bristol City (<small>3 April 2010</small>)
- Most yellow cards in a single match: 9
- Bristol City 2âÂÂ3 Sheffield United â 4 for Bristol City (Lee Johnson, Louis Carey, Jamie McAllister and Ivan Sproule) and 5 for Sheffield United (Jamie Ward, Kyle Walker, Darius Henderson, Jordan Stewart and Stephen Quinn) (<small>28 November 2009</small>)
- Cardiff City 2âÂÂ3 Leicester City â 3 for Cardiff City (Paul Quinn, Mark Hudson, Stephen McPhail) and 6 for Leicester City (Alex Bruce, Nolberto Solano, Andy King, Lloyd Dyer, Richie Wellens, Steve Howard) (<small>11 May 2010</small>)
- Quickest card given at the start of the match: 26 Seconds â Nicky Maynard for Bristol City against Nottingham Forest (<small>7 November 2009</small>)
- Quickest card given after coming on: 1:07 minutes â Alassane N'Diaye for Crystal Palace against Blackpool (<small>20 March 2010</small>)
- Most fouls: Jay Bothroyd 103 fouls
- Total number of yellow cards: 1636
- Total number of red cards: 86
Monthly awards
Team of the Year