source: unsplash
The EFL Championship is notorious for being one of the hardest football leagues in the world. It’s a
gruelling, 46-game season filled with competitive teams of similar size and skill level, with a handful of
former Premier League clubs with parachute payments thrown in for good measure, of course.
However, every so often, there are teams that manage to buck the trend, teams that don’t know when they
are beaten and are prepared to upset the status quo of the English football pyramid. There’s one such
instance of this happening in 2023/24, with newly promoted Championship side, Ipswich Town, pushing the
likes of Leicester, Leeds and Southampton hard for automatic promotion.
In fact, the Tractor Boys, managed by Kieran McKenna, are as short as 2/3 for promotion with SkyBet. This
operator sponsors the league, so it has a strong handle on fair betting odds throughout the season. The
SkyBet free bets are also notoriously competitive, requiring minimal effort on behalf of new users to take
advantage of their promotions.
Ipswich will be looking to emulate the other dark horses who have emerged from the pits into the Premier League light, securing promotion via the top two places or the drama of the playoffs. Below, we look at four of the most impressive promotion feats from the second tier to the English Premier League.
Luton Town (2022-23)
Luton Town secured promotion to the English Premier League in 2022-23. The Hatters last plied their trade in the old First Division after winning the old Second Division in 1981-82. It has been a turbulent time for Luton in the last couple of decades, with financial irregularities leaving the club hamstrung as they plunged into the depths of non-league.
They won the Conference Premier in 2013-14 and in less than a decade managed to haul themselves into the promised land of the Premier League. Luton had a reputation for being one of the more unfancied teams at Championship level. Their cramped, tired Kenilworth Road stadium gave them the edge in home games, while their physical, imposing style of play also ruffled plenty of feathers.
Luton's playoff final win
over Coventry via a dramatic penalty shootout was rich reward for Rob Edwards’ men, who showed great consistency throughout the season, even against teams with Premier League parachute payments.
Southampton (2011-12)
source: piqsels
The 2011-12 Championship season saw Southampton return to the second tier after getting promoted from League One alongside both Brighton & Hove Albion and Peterborough in 2010-11. The Saints were managed by Nigel Adkins at the time, and the former Scunthorpe United boss helped to galvanise the club.
Southampton managed to maintain their momentum from the previous season and it took them a very long way. They racked up 26 wins and edged out third-placed West Ham to the second automatic promotion spot by two points. This was a notable achievement considering it was the second back-to-back promotion for a club in succession, following Norwich’s impressive feat in 2010-11.
Norwich City (2010-11)
Norwich stormed to the League One title in 2009-10, led by boss Paul Lambert. The Canaries lost 7-1 at home at the start of their League One campaign and opted to appoint Colchester boss Lambert to rejuvenate their fortunes. Lambert cultivated a team that was worth way more than the sum of its parts, reminiscent of Luton’s impressive success last year.
Bustling striker
Grant Holt was a talismanic figure for the Norfolk club. The former Nottingham Forest striker scored 21 league goals, finishing as joint-second top scorer with Reading’s Shane Long. Clever midfield additions, such as David Fox and Wes Hoolahan, also delivered creativity in abundance as Delia Smith’s side hit the big time just two years after hitting rock bottom. Lambert then left City for Aston Villa in 2012, after taking the club as far as he could.
Watford (2005-06)
Cash-strapped Watford reached the semi-finals of the League Cup in 2004-05, but their league form was well below pair, resulting in them firing boss Ray Lewington. His successor was a young coach named Aidy Boothroyd. His direct, aggressive style of play revolutionised the Hornets, helping the club to avoid the drop in 2004-05 and enter the 2005-06 season full of confidence.
Few would have predicted Watford to be in the promotion shake-up though. They finished third in 2005-06, missing out on automatic promotion by nine points. However, they comfortably brushed aside Crystal Palace over a two-legged playoff semi before defeating Leeds 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to secure their place in the Premier League.
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EFL Championship