2012–13 Football League Championship


The 2012–13 Football League Championship was the ninth season of the league under its current title and twentieth season under its current league division format. The season began on 17 August 2012 with promotion candidates Cardiff City hosting newly promoted Huddersfield Town at Cardiff City Stadium and finished on 27 May 2013 with the play-off final.
Of the 24 teams which participate, eighteen of these remain following the 2011–12 Football League Championship. They were joined by Charlton Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town from 2011–12 Football League One, and Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton Wanderers from the 2011–12 Premier League. The final place was decided on 26 May 2012, as Huddersfield Town defeated Sheffield United 8–7 on penalties, in the 2012 Football League One play-off Final.
Cardiff City won the league in their first season since a controversial rebrand; they achieved promotion to the top flight for the first time since 1960 and became the second Welsh club to play in the Premier League. The second automatic promotion spot was won by Hull City with a 2–2 draw against Cardiff on the final day after a dramatic finale to the season. Watford, just two points behind, had to settle for a place in the playoffs, joining Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, and Leicester City, who secured their place with a last-minute goal over rivals Nottingham Forest. In the playoffs, Watford defeated Leicester City 3–2, Crystal Palace defeated Brighton 2–0, and in the final Watford was upset by Crystal Palace to gain the promotion. Bristol City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Peterborough United were relegated. Peterborough gained 54 points, the highest ever for a relegated team in Championship history. Wolves' relegation was the first time a team had been relegated from the top tier to the third tier in consecutive seasons since Swindon Town in 1994 and 1995. They also became the first team to achieve this feat twice.

Changes from last season

Team changes

To Championship

Promoted from League One
Relegated from Premier League
Promoted to Premier League
Relegated to League One
On 25 April 2012, it was announced that financial fair play rules would be introduced for teams within The Championship. This means that clubs have agreed to new rules on sustainable financing which includes:
Also the 2011–12 season saw Football League clubs vote for five substitutes instead of seven. However, on 1 June 2012, Football League clubs re-voted with the outcome of seven substitutes instead of five, ahead of the 2012–13 Football League season.

Team overview

Stadia and locations

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
BarnsleyBarnsleyOakwell23,009
Birmingham CityBirminghamSt Andrew's Stadium30,079
Blackburn RoversBlackburnEwood Park31,154
BlackpoolBlackpoolBloomfield Road17,338
Bolton WanderersBoltonReebok Stadium28,100
Brighton & Hove AlbionBrightonFalmer Stadium30,750
Bristol CityBristolAshton Gate21,497
BurnleyBurnleyTurf Moor22,546
Cardiff CityCardiffCardiff City Stadium26,828
Charlton AthleticCharlton, LondonThe Valley27,111
Crystal PalaceSouth Norwood, LondonSelhurst Park26,309
Derby CountyDerbyPride Park Stadium33,597
Huddersfield TownHuddersfieldJohn Smith's Stadium24,500
Hull CityKingston upon HullKC Stadium25,586
Ipswich TownIpswichPortman Road30,311
Leeds UnitedLeedsElland Road39,460
Leicester CityLeicesterKing Power Stadium32,500
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughRiverside Stadium34,988
MillwallSouth Bermondsey, LondonThe Den20,146
Nottingham ForestNottinghamCity Ground30,576
Peterborough UnitedPeterboroughLondon Road Stadium15,460
Sheffield WednesdaySheffieldHillsborough39,812
WatfordWatfordVicarage Road17,477
Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhamptonMolineux31,700

Personnel and sponsoring

Managerial changes

A total of 24 teams contest the division: 18 sides remaining in the division from last season, three relegated from the Premier League, and three promoted from the League One.

Play-offs

Results

Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1Glenn MurrayCrystal Palace30
2Jordan RhodesBlackburn Rovers129
3Charlie AustinBurnley24
4Matěj VydraWatford322
4Chris WoodLeicester City222
6Troy DeeneyWatford420
7Tom InceBlackpool18
8David NugentLeicester City316
9Luciano BecchioLeeds United15
10Sylvan Ebanks-BlakeWolverhampton Wanderers14

  1. – includes two goals for Huddersfield Town
  2. – includes eleven goals for Millwall
  3. – includes two goals in the play-offs
  4. – includes one goal in the play-offs

    Assists

RankPlayerClubAssists
1Tom InceBlackpool14
2Robbie BradyHull City13
3Chris EaglesBolton Wanderers12
4Andy ReidNottingham Forest11
4Ross McCormackLeeds United11
4Bakary SakoWolverhampton Wanderers11
4Andrea OrlandiBrighton11
4Bradley PritchardCharlton Athletic11
4Kieran TrippierBurnley11
10Simon CoxNottingham Forest10
10Troy DeeneyWatford110

  1. – includes one assist in the play-offs

    Penalties

RankPlayerClubScored
1Glenn MurrayCrystal Palace8
2Jordan RhodesBlackburn Rovers16
3Luciano BecchioLeeds United5
3Grant McCannPeterborough United5
5Marlon KingBirmingham City4
5Sam BaldockBristol City4
5Keith AndrewsBolton Wanderers4
5Jamie WardDerby County4
5Peter WhittinghamCardiff City4
5Charlie AustinBurnley4
5David LópezBrighton4

  1. – includes one penalty for Huddersfield Town

    Hat-tricks

PlayerForAgainstResultDate
Cardiff CityWolverhampton Wanderers3–12 September 2012
BurnleyPeterborough United5–215 September 2012
4BarnsleyBirmingham City0–522 September 2012
Crystal PalaceCardiff City3–222 September 2012
Leicester CityHull City3–123 September 2012
PeterboroughHull City1–329 September 2012
BurnleySheffield Wednesday3–32 October 2012
Birmingham CityMillwall3–323 October 2012
Crystal PalaceIpswich Town5–06 November 2012
Blackburn RoversPeterborough United1–417 November 2012
Leicester CityBristol City0–412 January 2013
Nottingham ForestHuddersfield Town6–119 February 2013
PeterboroughBlackburn Rovers2–32 March 2013
BrightonHuddersfield Town4–12 March 2013
Crystal PalaceHull City4–25 March 2013
Huddersfield TownBristol City1–327 April 2013

Final day of the season

The final day of the season fell on 4 May 2013. Watford and Hull City were both fighting for 2nd place and automatic promotion to the 2013–14 Premier League. Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest were all fighting for 5th and 6th place, and for a play-off spot. However, on the final day, it was mathematically possible for any 2 of 7 teams to get relegated alongside already relegated Bristol City. These teams were Wolverhampton Wanderers, Peterborough United, Huddersfield Town, Blackburn Rovers, Millwall, Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday.
Late drama occupied all three battles, with the headlines inevitably going to Hull, who won promotion to the Premier League after a 2–2 draw with newly crowned champions Cardiff City and Watford being beaten 2–1 by Leeds United. Hull were 2–1 up and in the 91st minute when they were awarded a penalty which could have sealed their 2nd place spot. Hull missed their penalty and in the 93rd minute, Cardiff were awarded a penalty, which was converted by Nicky Maynard, bringing the score to 2–2. After a serious injury delayed the match, the Watford game was fifteen minutes behind the other games, so with the score at 1–1, Watford knew that a win would secure their promotion to the Premier League. In the 89th minute Leeds scored to make it 2–1. The scores stayed that way and promotion for Hull was assured.
In the play-off battle between Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Bolton, there was a late goal for Leicester that secured a 3–2 victory, meaning that the 2–2 draw between Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool left them in 6th place. As the other results turned out, Crystal Palace would have remained in 5th place with a loss, but also scored late on to beat Peterborough 3–2. This left Bolton in 7th place, missing out on play-offs via goal difference.
The relegation battle ended in disappointment for Wolves and Peterborough. The late goal for Crystal Palace against Peterborough meant that a 1–1 draw was enough for Blackburn, a 2–0 win for Sheffield Wednesday over Middlesbrough was enough to secure their safety, a 1–0 defeat for Millwall against Derby County was enough for them and a 2–2 draw between Huddersfield and Barnsley was enough for both teams. Wolves lost 2–0 to Brighton, having started the day in the most difficult situation of the threatened teams.