EFL Championship tickets and match breaks

The EFL Championship is the second tier of English football — and for many visitors the more interesting one. Full grounds, old clubs, and tickets you can actually get.

Unlike most second divisions in Europe, the Championship consists almost entirely of clubs that have played in the top flight. It is not a league of newcomers but a league of returners, and that is where its ferocity comes from.

Who is in the Championship in 2026/27

This season brings a line-up that has not been seen for years. West Ham United were relegated after fourteen seasons in the Premier League and are in the second tier for the first time since 2011/12. They are joined by Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley, Southampton, Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City, Stoke City, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Bristol City, Cardiff City, Swansea City, Preston North End, Portsmouth, Charlton Athletic and Lincoln City, among others.

And Wrexham are in the division — the Welsh club whose climb through the lower leagues under owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney was followed worldwide. They play at the Racecourse Ground, one of the oldest international football grounds anywhere.

Greater London alone offers four destinations that combine easily into one city weekend: Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Watford and now West Ham.

What makes the Championship worth the trip

It is a marathon: 24 clubs, 46 matchdays, plus the play-offs for anyone who misses automatic promotion. The calendar is denser than in most European leagues — English clubs play through Christmas and New Year, often with two home games within a few days. For a visitor that is an opportunity: pick the right weekend and you can see two matches in three days.

The play-off final at Wembley

The champions and runners-up go up automatically. The third promotion place is decided by the play-offs: third plays sixth and fourth plays fifth over two legs, and the winners meet in the final at Wembley.

Because of the broadcasting money that follows promotion, that single match is widely described as the most valuable game in world football. The pictures match: 80,000 people for a second-division fixture. West Ham United were the first club to win the format in 2005; Nottingham Forest returned to the top flight through it in 2022 after 23 years away.

Derbies you will not have heard of

The Championship holds historic derbies that often beat the big Premier League fixtures for atmosphere. When the Welsh clubs Swansea City and Cardiff City meet, the whole of south Wales notices. Further north the West Lancashire derby between Preston North End and Blackpool carries the same charge, and in Sheffield, United face Wednesday. This season adds the London meeting of West Ham and Millwall, among the fiercest in the country.

Who goes down?

Despite 24 clubs, only three are relegated to League One — which is why the fight at the bottom regularly runs to the final day.

Tickets and travel

We arrange tickets for Championship home games, on their own or with a hotel. Grounds in this division are smaller than in the Premier League while local demand is high, so early planning pays off more here than almost anywhere.

A combination that works well: a Premier League game on the Saturday and a Championship match on the Sunday or under floodlights midweek. Tell us your dates and the clubs you are interested in, and we will check fixtures, tickets and hotels and come back with a specific proposal.