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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Niall McVeigh

Drama, twists and unbearable tension: the Championship is in a league of its own

Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney
Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney gets his celebration on. Photograph: Paul Thompson/ProSports/Shutterstock

MEANWHILE IN THE SECOND TIER …

Very few football fanbases have experienced a more dramatic decade than supporters of Coventry City. Nine years ago, the club slipped into League Two in front of four-digit crowds at the cavernous Ricoh Arena. They managed to rebound under Mark Robins, despite constant uncertainty under owners Sisu, and a spell in exile at Birmingham City’s ground for their Championship return in 2020. Three years later, a playoff final between two comeback clubs went the way of Luton, on penalties. And last season, the chief suit, Doug King, decided to replace Robins with Frank Lampard, an unpopular decision justified by a push for promotion that ended in an unlucky playoff semi-final defeat to Sunderland.

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