The final Championship table 2023/24 concluded with Leicester City as champions, finishing with 97 points after 46 matches. They were joined in automatic promotion by Ipswich Town, who secured second place with 96 points, while Southampton claimed the final Premier League spot via the play-offs. At the bottom of the table, Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town, and Rotherham United were relegated to League One. This season was noted for its exceptionally high quality at the top, with the three relegated Premier League sides—Leicester, Leeds, and Southampton—all competing for an immediate return, while Ipswich Town achieved a historic back-to-back promotion from League One.
In this comprehensive review, you will find the final standings, detailed club performance metrics, and a deep dive into the statistics that defined the 2023/24 English Football League Championship season. From the race for the Golden Boot won by Sammie Szmodics to the financial landscape of the league, this article serves as the ultimate authoritative resource on the campaign.
Final League Table Standings
The 2023/24 season saw a fierce battle for the top spots, with four teams breaking the 87-point barrier. Leicester City led the way for most of the campaign, ultimately securing the title on April 26, 2024.
Ipswich Town’s second-place finish was a standout achievement, as they became the first team since Southampton in 2012 to achieve consecutive promotions from the third tier to the Premier League. Leeds United and Southampton fought closely for the final automatic spot, eventually dropping into the play-offs where the Saints emerged victorious at Wembley.
| Rank | Club | Played | GD | Points | Status |
| 1 | Leicester City | 46 | +48 | 97 | Champions |
| 2 | Ipswich Town | 46 | +35 | 96 | Promoted |
| 3 | Leeds United | 46 | +38 | 90 | Play-offs |
| 4 | Southampton | 46 | +24 | 87 | Play-off Winner |
| 5 | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | +23 | 75 | Play-offs |
| 6 | Norwich City | 46 | +15 | 73 | Play-offs |
Leicester City: Championship Winners
Leicester City secured the title with a blend of tactical flexibility and squad depth under manager Enzo Maresca. The Foxes recorded 31 wins across the 46-game season, a testament to their dominance in the division.
Veteran striker Jamie Vardy led the club’s scoring charts with 18 goals, proving his enduring class at this level. The team’s defensive solidity was also key, conceding only 41 goals, the lowest in the entire Championship.
Ipswich Town: Back-to-Back Promotion
Ipswich Town defied expectations by finishing second in the Championship table 2023/24 after being promoted from League One just a year prior. Kieran McKenna’s side was the league’s highest-scoring team, netting 92 goals throughout the campaign.
The Tractor Boys relied on a collective effort rather than a single superstar, with Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin both reaching 13 goals. Their high-octane attacking style made them the most entertaining side in the division, frequently winning games in the final minutes.
The Promotion Play-off Race
The play-off battle was tightly contested, with West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City securing the final two spots. Leeds United entered the play-offs as favorites after finishing third with an impressive 90 points, a total that would usually secure automatic promotion.
In the semi-finals, Leeds United dismantled Norwich City 4-0 on aggregate, while Southampton overcame West Brom 3-1. The final at Wembley Stadium saw Adam Armstrong score the only goal as Southampton defeated Leeds 1-0 to return to the top flight.
Relegation to League One
The battle to avoid the drop remained alive until the final day for several clubs. Birmingham City were ultimately relegated despite a final-day victory over Norwich, ending their 13-year stay in the second tier with 50 points.
Huddersfield Town finished in 23rd place with 45 points, following a season of managerial instability. Rotherham United were the first team relegated, finishing bottom of the table with only 27 points and a goal difference of -52.
Top Goalscorers and Assists
The 2023/24 campaign featured some of the most prolific individual performances in recent Championship history. Sammie Szmodics of Blackburn Rovers won the Golden Boot, scoring 27 goals for a side that finished 19th.
In the creativity department, Ipswich Town’s Leif Davis set a new record for defenders, providing 18 assists from left-back. Adam Armstrong also enjoyed a stellar year, contributing 21 goals and 13 assists for Southampton.
Golden Boot Standings
- Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn): 27 Goals
- Adam Armstrong (Southampton): 21 Goals
- Morgan Whittaker (Plymouth): 19 Goals
- Crysencio Summerville (Leeds): 19 Goals
Strategic Managerial Changes
The season was marked by a high number of managerial departures as clubs chased the riches of the Premier League. Birmingham City notably replaced John Eustace with Wayne Rooney early in the season, a move that preceded a dramatic slide down the table.
In contrast, Sheffield Wednesday saw a remarkable resurgence under Danny Röhl. Taking over with the club rooted to the bottom of the table, Röhl guided the Owls to safety with a final-day win, finishing 20th in the standings.
Attendance and Fan Engagement
The Championship table 2023/24 wasn’t just competitive on the pitch; it was also a record-breaking year for attendances. Over 12.7 million fans attended matches across the season, with an average attendance of over 23,000 per game.
Sunderland’s Stadium of Light hosted the highest individual attendance of the season with 44,407 fans for their opening game. Leeds United and Leicester City also consistently filled their stadiums, maintaining atmospheres that rivaled many Premier League venues.
Financial Landscape of the League
Financially, the Championship remains one of the most challenging leagues in the world. Total revenue across all 24 clubs reached a record £958 million in the 2023/24 season, driven by the presence of large relegated clubs.
However, operating losses remain a concern, with the aggregate loss across the league standing at approximately £317 million. Clubs like Leeds, Leicester, and Southampton benefited from parachute payments, which totaled £230 million across the qualifying teams.
Practical Information for Fans
Attending Championship matches requires planning due to the high demand for tickets and the spread of clubs across England and Wales.
- Season Dates: The 2023/24 season ran from August 4, 2023, to May 4, 2024.
- Ticket Prices: Average adult tickets ranged from £25 to £45 depending on the category.
- Transport: Most stadiums are accessible via the UK’s National Rail network; major hubs like Leeds, Leicester, and Southampton have direct links from London.
- What to Expect: Championship games are known for high intensity and “anybody can beat anybody” unpredictability.
Final Championship Table 2023/24
In the 2023/24 EFL Championship season, each team played 46 matches, with the final table showing Leicester City in first place on 97 points, followed by Ipswich Town on 96, Leeds United on 90, and Southampton on 87. West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City occupied the play‑off‑qualification spots in fifth and sixth, completing the top‑six, while the bottom‑four teams—Rotherham United, Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City, and Plymouth Argyle—were all relegated to League One. These placings are the official “Championship table 2023/24” standings used by the EFL, BBC, sofaScore, and other major sports‑data platforms.
The table‑top‑quartet all scored heavily, with Leicester and Ipswich both hitting around 90 goals, Leeds and Southampton not far behind, and goal‑difference figures that underscore how attack‑oriented this season was compared with some of the tighter‑defensive‑style Championship years. In the middle section, Coventry City, Millwall, Hull City, Middlesbrough, and others hovered roughly between 65 and 75 points, creating a compact mid‑table group where a few points made the difference between potential‑play‑off‑tinkering and comfortable‑safety. The worst‑performing sides, meanwhile, often suffered from poor‑defence and low‑confidence‑runs, with conceded‑goal‑talleries significantly higher than the league‑average.
Promotion and Automatic Qualifiers
The two automatic‑promotion spots in the Championship table 2023/24 went to Leicester City and Ipswich Town, who finished 1st and 2nd respectively after a season‑long battle for the title. Leicester’s 31‑win‑4‑draw‑11‑loss record yielded 97 points, edging past Ipswich’s 28‑win‑12‑draw‑6‑loss haul on 96 points, which is one of the tightest title‑races in recent Championship‑history in terms of final‑point‑margin. Behind them, Leeds United and Southampton took the 3rd and 4th positions with 90 and 87 points, locking in the remaining top‑four spots that usually serve as a symbolic “elite‑group” within the second‑tier.
Leicester’s path back to the top‑flight was built on a strong‑home‑record, a powerful‑midfield‑engine, and a late‑season run of form that kept them just ahead of Ipswich in the closing weeks. Ipswich, meanwhile, relied on a compact‑squad, a consistent‑managerial‑vision, and a run of form‑that‑saw‑them‑win more than two‑thirds of their league‑matches, making their 2nd‑place finish feel like a club‑project‑culminating in promotion. Leeds and Southampton, though short of the crown, still boasted high‑points‑totals and strong‑goal‑difference‑numbers, confirming their status as Championship‑heavyweights that will likely be among the main‑Premier‑League‑relegation‑candidates whenever they return to the top‑tier.
Play‑off Places and Playoff Teams
In the Championship table 2023/24, the clubs ranked 3rd to 6th qualify for the end‑of‑season play‑offs, which are single‑knock‑out‑style semi‑finals and then a final at Wembley to decide the third and final promotion‑ticket to the Premier League. That meant Leeds United (3rd), Southampton (4th), West Bromwich Albion (5th), and Norwich City (6th) all entered the play‑off bracket, with the semi‑final pairs typically being 3rd vs 6th and 4th vs 5th in the first‑leg home‑and‑away‑rounds. West Brom finished on 75 points, Norwich on 73, which put them at the borderline of the top‑six and made each play‑off‑game‑high‑stakes, given how narrow the gap to the chasing‑pack was.
These four teams brought very different profiles to the play‑off mêlée: Leeds with a big‑club‑history and high‑budget‑squad, Southampton re‑establishing themselves after recent‑Premier‑League‑struggles, West Brom known for solid‑organization and experience, and Norwich with a net‑spend‑light but technically‑tidy‑style. The play‑off‑mini‑tournament turned the Championship table 2023/24 into a true‑winner‑takes‑all‑scenario for the third‑Premier‑League‑spot, with the final‑winner getting promoted while the losers remained in the Championship the following season. This structure makes the small‑point‑differences between 3rd–6th particularly meaningful, as shifting by a couple of places can change the entire‑play‑off‑opponent‑match‑up.
Play‑off Outcomes and Third Promotion
The Championship play‑offs 2023/24 saw one of the four semi‑finalists ultimately win the Wembley final and join Leicester and Ipswich in the 2024/25 Premier League, with the other three staying in the Championship. Historical‑patterns in the Championship often show that semi‑final winners do not always have the best‑regular‑season‑records, because knockout‑football is more volatile and prone to single‑match‑upsets, and the 2023/24 edition followed that trend. The final‑winner‑earned promotion on about 90–100 points, while the losing‑play‑off‑semi‑finalists and‑finalists had to rebuild for the next Championship campaign, needing to hold onto‑core‑players and potentially‑strengthen‑squad‑depth.
For fans asking “who did the Championship 2023/24 play‑offs involve?”, the answer is always the 3rd–6th‑placed teams in the official table: Leeds, Southampton, West Brom, and Norwich. That order also dictates the typical semi‑final pairings, which can favour higher‑ranked‑sides in terms of home‑advantage but does not guarantee them victory in the longer‑run‑goals or away‑goals rules that can apply in some Knockout‑environments. The winner‑from the play‑off‑final becomes the third‑club promoted from the Championship table 2023/24, completing the trio of teams that move up while the rest of the division shelves promotion‑hopes for the following year.
Mid‑Table Clubs and Safety
The section of the Championship table 2023/24 from roughly 7th to 20th is usually referred to as the “mid‑table” zone, where clubs confirm safety from relegation but fall short of the play‑off‑picture. In 2023/24, this block included sides such as Middlesbrough, Hull City, Coventry City, Millwall, Bristol City, Swansea, Watford, QPR, and others, many of whom finished with points tallies in the 60s and 70s and goal‑difference‑figures close to neutral or slightly positive. These teams typically avoided the kind of prolonged‑losing‑runs that drag clubs into the relegation‑battle, but they also lacked the consistency‑or‑finishing‑power to challenge the top‑six.
For fans and analysts, the mid‑table segment is important because it reflects clubs that may be in transition: some aiming to bridge the gap to the play‑off‑berth, others just happy to stay up after a season‑of‑rebuilding or managerial‑change. Squad‑rotation, transfer‑window‑activity, and youth‑involvement can all play a bigger role here than in the promotion‑race or relegation‑scrap, where every point‑is‑life‑and‑death. The 2023/24 edition of the Championship table especially highlighted how compact this mid‑tier was, with only a handful of points separating teams in the 7th–15th‑range, turning late‑season‑derbies and results‑between‑these‑clubs into mini‑leagues‑within‑the‑league.
Key Mid‑Table Performers
Several mid‑table sides in the Championship table 2023/24 stood out for their form‑runs or tactical‑improvement, even if they did not reach the top‑six. Middlesbrough and Coventry City, for example, often hovered near the upper‑end of the mid‑table, showing strong‑home‑form and a capacity to take points off‑even‑the‑top‑sides, which kept them in the 65–75‑point‑band. Clubs like Bristol City, Millwall, and Swansea also had periods of fine‑form, stringing together several wins in a row to temporarily‑climb‑towards‑the‑play‑off‑zone before dropping back due to‑inconsistency.
These clubs’ trajectories illustrate why the mid‑table section of the Championship table 2023/24 is not just a “filler” area: it tells the story of rising‑projects, newly‑appointed‑managers, and squads finding‑their‑feet‑after‑relegation‑or‑promotion‑trauma. For bettors, the mid‑section is often where form‑and‑head‑to‑head‑patterns matter most, since the gap in quality between teams is smaller than between the top‑six and the relegation‑zone. The 2023/24 season showed that even a few‑well‑timed‑victories could lift a team from the upper‑mid‑block to the very‑edge of the play‑off‑fight, though only a couple of clubs were able to sustain that over‑the full‑46‑games.
Relegation Zone and Bottom Four
In the Championship table 2023/24, the bottom four teams at the end of the season were automatically relegated to League One, which meant Rotherham United, Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City, and Plymouth Argyle all dropping down a division. These clubs finished with points‑totals well below the 50‑point‑mark, record‑numbers of goals‑conceded, and often‑long‑losing‑sequences in the final‑third of the campaign, which made their relegation almost‑inevitable in the closing weeks. The Championship’s 21st‑24th‑placement‑system ensures that four clubs drop instead of three, creating a wider‑relegation‑zone and adding extra‑pressure to teams in the 18th–21st‑positions for most of the term.
The 2023/24 relegation battle was especially dramatic because several clubs in the 21st–24th‑range swapped‑places repeatedly, with last‑minute‑results sometimes changing which team ended in 21st versus 24th. For example, teams that started the season‑with‑high‑expectations found themselves‑suddenly‑in the relegation‑zone after a few‑heavy‑defeats, while under‑dog‑sides occasionally‑used short‑win‑sequences to escape‑temporarily, only to slip back due to‑fixture‑congestion or injuries. The final‑table‑snapshot, therefore, masks a long‑season‑of‑shifting‑fortunes in the bottom‑four, with each club facing issues such as managerial‑sackings, key‑player‑injuries, and falling‑confidence‑that showed up clearly in the match‑results and goal‑statistics.
Relegation Survivors and Close Calls
Immediately above the relegated quartet, the teams finishing in 18th, 19th, and 20th places were considered “relegation survivors,” having stayed up by the narrowest possible margins. In the Championship table 2023/24, clubs such as Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield Wednesday, and QPR often haunted the lower‑mid‑table, sometimes‑slipping‑into the 21st‑run‑during‑mid‑season before pulling back out after a few crucial‑victories. These teams’ season‑reviews typically highlight how vital‑certain‑fixtures were: home‑games against fellow‑strugglers, mid‑week‑night‑matches, and late‑afternoon‑fixtures that could decide whether they edged‑clear‑or‑dipped‑back‑into‑danger.
For fans of clubs in the 18th–20th‑band, the Championship table 2023/24 is a reminder that staying‑up in this league can feel like a victory in itself, even if the club is nowhere‑near‑the‑play‑off‑picture. These teams often‑rely on a mix of gritty‑defensive‑play, set‑piece‑threats, and a small‑core‑of‑hard‑work‑and‑fighting‑spirit‑players who specialize in grinding‑out‑results. The 2023/24 season demonstrated that escaping‑the‑relegation‑zone by a handful‑of‑points can still be a satisfying‑outcome, especially when compared‑with‑the four‑teams that were left‑staring‑at a League‑One‑return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the surprise team of the 2023/24 Championship?
Ipswich Town was the undisputed surprise package, securing automatic promotion to the Premier League just one season after being promoted from League One. Their second-place finish with 96 points defied almost all pre-season betting odds.
What was the highest points total in the 2023/24 Championship?
Leicester City finished the season with the highest points total, earning 97 points from their 46 matches. This included 31 wins, 4 draws, and 11 losses.
Which Championship team scored the most goals in 2023/24?
Ipswich Town was the most prolific attacking side, scoring 92 goals during the regular season. They averaged exactly 2 goals per game, the highest in the division.
Who won the Championship Golden Glove for 2023/24?
Illan Meslier of Leeds United and Alex Palmer of West Bromwich Albion were among the top performers, with Palmer officially leading the league with 18 clean sheets.
How many points were needed for the Championship play-offs in 2023/24?
A total of 73 points was required to secure the final play-off spot, which was claimed by Norwich City. This was notably lower than the 87 points earned by 4th-placed Southampton.
Which manager won Championship Manager of the Season 2023/24? Kieran McKenna of Ipswich Town was named the Championship Manager of the Season for leading his side to a historic back-to-back promotion.
Who was the youngest player to feature in the 2023/24 Championship?
Several teenagers featured, but Chris Rigg of Sunderland was one of the youngest consistent performers, scoring his first professional goal at just 16 years old during the campaign.
What were the parachute payments for relegated teams in 2023/24?
The three clubs relegated from the Premier League—Leicester, Leeds, and Southampton—each received approximately £44 million to £48 million in first-year parachute payments to assist their promotion charge.
When did the 2023/24 Championship season start and end?
The regular season began on August 4, 2023, and concluded on May 4, 2024, followed by the play-off matches throughout the remainder of May.
Final Thoughts
The Championship table 2023/24 reflects one of the most statistically dominant and high-quality seasons in the history of the English second tier. With Leicester City amassing 97 points and Ipswich Town following closely with 96, the threshold for automatic promotion reached heights rarely seen in professional football. The season proved that the gap between the Premier League and the Championship is narrowing in terms of tactical sophistication, as evidenced by the immediate return of the “parachute payment” clubs and the record-breaking offensive output of the newly promoted Tractor Boys.
Ultimately, the 2023/24 campaign will be remembered for its relentless pace at the summit and the dramatic escapes at the bottom. As the league continues to grow in global viewership and financial valuation, the 2023/24 season stands as a benchmark for the level of consistency required to escape “the hardest league in the world.” Whether through the veteran leadership of Leicester or the underdog fairy tale of Ipswich, the final standings tell a story of a division that remains as unforgiving as it is enthralling.
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