Exclusive: Don Goodman names the best 3 EFL Championship atmospheres he played in | OneFootball

The former striker has picked out his three favourite atmospheres

Sky Sports pundit and EFL expert, Don Goodman, has picked out the three best atmospheres from current Championship sides that he got to experience in his playing days.

The 59-year-old enjoyed a lengthy career which spanned nearly 20 years, with his name subsequently being associated with clubs such as Bradford City, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It has become a hot topic of discussion in modern football whether the atmospheres generated by home supporters, in particular, are as strong and vociferous as they once were, especially with a multitude of clubs leaving their traditional and spiritual homes to modern stadiums in order to grow their fanbases further and have the opportunity to increase revenue streams - which have become equally as important in the game's current climate.

In his current role as a pundit, Goodman gets to experience a plethora of mixed atmospheres within the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two, with certain stadiums likely to gain the edge over others in terms of preference due to the volume which can be fostered by all four quarters, including the cluster of visiting supporters.

Don Goodman names the top three EFL atmospheres which he played in

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Goodman was quick to clarify that his trio of answers to the question would exclude a trio of the aforementioned clubs from his playing days, with Wolves and Sunderland also out of the equation due to their current statuses in the Premier League.

"Obviously, I was blessed in playing for three massive clubs in West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Wolves," he said. "In the interests of being accused of any bias, I'll leave them out and I'll also narrow it down to current EFL teams.

"That, kind of, leaves me with Birmingham City," Goodman claimed. "I loved playing there. I love their anthem - Keep Right On. They create a brilliant atmosphere.

"Bramall Lane, Sheffield United," the pundit selected next. "Obviously, when times are better than they currently are, was another one with a brilliant atmosphere.

"Apologies Sheffield Wednesday fans. But, Sheffield Wednesday were mostly in the Premier League when I was playing, I didn't get to play league games against them.

"Portsmouth was always a good place to go," Goodman added. "Tight pitch, old, traditional stadium and a great atmosphere."

Goodman's selections of St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Bramall Lane and Fratton Park are likely to be up there if you asked the same question to many ex-professionals or current players, such is the noise that can be generated from those in the West Midlands, South Yorkshire and on the South Coast.

St. Andrew's has often been one of English football's most hostile venues, and that has continued into the current tenure of Knighthead Capital Management, with Birmingham fans selling out the stadium on almost every occasion in the past year or so following renovations and during a period of record-breaking success.

'Keep Right On' , which was adopted by the club in 1956, has often been debated as one of the best anthems in English football, and is particularly spine-tingling just before kick-off when the original, slowed down version is played on the PA system.

However, Goodman will have to enjoy it while it lasts, with the club set to move into a new 62,000-seater stadium in just a few years time.

Sheffield United supporters are also known for backing their team regardless of the circumstances, with Bramall Lane notoriously a hard place for any opposition side to claim a positive result. Blades fans will be hoping this plays out again as they look to rectify what has been an abysmal start to the campaign.

Meanwhile, whilst it has been slightly modernised into an all-seater stadium, Fratton Park is as traditional as you can currently find English stadiums.

Pompey supporters are known for being effectively on top of the pitch, and despite having a capacity of just 21,100, has drawn plenty of praise from the likes of José Mourinho and Ronaldinho, with the Brazilian star stating the stadium had "the best atmosphere in world football".