The Football League Championship, also referred to as The Championship, is second only to the Premier League in the English football league system.

Before the 2004-05 season, the Football League Championship was known as the Football League First Division. Among non-top-flight football divisions, the Championship has established itself among the wealthiest in the world and the 6th richest in Europe.

The Football League Championship (FLC) is in fact a new version of the old First Division that came into being after clubs from the old first division broke away in the 1992-93 season to form the premier league. As such, the winners of the FLC are awarded the same trophy as the old first division winners received.

Twenty-four teams compete in the league. The season runs from August to May, during which each team plays every other twice, home and away, for a total of 46 games per team. a win qualifies for three points, a draw for one and a loss for none. The hierarchy of teams on the points table is based in turn on points gained, goal difference and goals scored.

The top two teams, at the end of the season are promoted to the EPL, along with a third qualifier in the form of the winner of the Championship play-offs. The bottom three teams get relegated to Football League One.

The Championship play-offs are played in a knock-out format competition by teams finishing third to sixth on the points table, with the winner being promoted to the Premier League. The three teams qualifying for the Premier League are replaced in the next season by the bottom three teams of the Premier League in the current season. 리그앙중계 the relegated teams are replaced by the top two teams of the Football League One and the winner of the League One play-off final.

Swansea City, Norwich and Queens Park Rangers are the three Championship teams that have got promoted to the Premier League in the 2011-12 season. They have replaced Birmingham City, Blackpool and West Ham United who got relegated from the Premier League.

Despite its subservience to the EPL, there's no discounting the importance of the Championship to the future of English football, as a cradle of native talent. This is especially so, as the EPL is being dominated by players of foreign origin.

In this regard, the increasing popularity of the Championship, as evidenced by rising attendances, is heartening.