The 2009–10 Football League Championship (known as the Coca-Cola Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth season of the league under its current title and eighteenth season under its current league division format. It started on 7 August 2009.[3]
Promoted to Premier League
Relegated to League One
Relegated from Premier League
Promoted from League One
Note: "Amendments to the laws of the game 2009–2010" also applied[5]
1 Ground contains some terracing
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.
Blackpool win 6–4 on aggregate
Cardiff City 3–3 Leicester City on aggregate. Cardiff City win 4–3 on penalties
Blackpool are promoted to the Premier League
Fixtures for the 2009–10 season were announced by The Football League on 17 June 2009.[3][7]
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.[41] Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock called for a replay.[42] Following the game, the three officials were suspended until it could be solved.[43]
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.[44] The postponed match took place on 30 March, where it ended in a 0–0 draw.[45]
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.[46] 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.[47]