2009–10 Football League Championship

From Championship

Promoted to Premier League

Relegated to League One

To Championship

Relegated from Premier League

Promoted from League One

On field rule changes

1. '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
2. 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 2009–2010" also applied

Off field rule changes

1. 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

Stadia and locations

¹ Ground contains some terracing

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.

Source: The Football League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
^* Crystal Palace were given a ten-point deduction for entering administration.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Second leg

Blackpool win 6–4 on aggregate

Cardiff City 3–3 Leicester City on aggregate. Cardiff City win 4–3 on penalties

Final

Blackpool are promoted to the Premier League

Results

Fixtures for the 2009–10 season were announced by The Football League on 17 June 2009.

Updated to games played on 2 May 2010.
Source: The Football League
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For coming matches, an a indicates there is an article about the match.

Scoring

Discipline

Controversy

During a game between Bristol City and Crystal Palace, Freddie Sears scored a goal that ricocheted off the stanchion and went back out, but the linesman didn't see the goal and so it was disallowed. Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock called for a replay. Following the game, the three officials were suspended until it could be solved.

The tie between Plymouth and Barnsley was abandoned after 58 minutes because of heavy rain affecting the pitch. Barnsley were winning 4–1 and manager Mark Robins argued that it was a "let off" for Plymouth and that the travelling Barnsley fans should be reimbursed. The postponed match took place on 30 March, where it ended in a 0–0 draw.

Crystal Palace administration

On 27 January 2010, the Football League had announced that Crystal Palace had been placed into administration and Sheffield firm P&A Partnership were appointed as administrators for the club. Palace were docked ten points and dropped from 9th to 21st. They managed to survive another season in the Championship, but only after drawing 2–2 with Sheffield Wednesday on the final day and confined Wednesday to League One football in 2010–11.