Exclusive: Don Goodman names the two happiest EFL Championship fanbases right now | OneFootball

Don Goodman has told FLW his two picks for the happiest fan bases in the Championship right now

Don Goodman has named Coventry City and Millwall for the two Championship clubs with the happiest supporter base right now.

The Sky Blues are currently running away at the top of the second division table, with Frank Lampard’s side 10 points clear of Middlesbrough in second and an extra two clear of the Lions in third.

Coventry finished fifth in the standings in the previous campaign, but missed out on promotion through the play-offs for the second time in three years after losing to Sunderland in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Alex Neil’s side finished eighth in the table in 2024/25, coming just two points behind sixth place Bristol City.

But the London outfit are now in a commanding position in the league, and look set to compete for a first top six finish at this level since 2002.

Don Goodman names two happiest Championship fan bases

Goodman believes that Coventry supporters have every reason to be happy given the impressive start they’ve made to this season, and the strong likelihood that the club will earn promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since 2001.

The Sky Sports pundit believes that the Sky Blues have played at an automatic promotion level ever since Lampard arrived at the club last year.

“So I think the obvious answer to which Championship clubs’ fan bases are the happiest, the obvious answer is Coventry, isn’t it?” Goodman exclusively told Football League World.

“And why wouldn’t you be? Been automatic promotion level since Frank Lampard took the helm just a year ago, and I, at this stage, don’t see anybody stopping Coventry and they could be back in the Premier League, or should be.”

Goodman has also picked Millwall fans as another group who should be quite pleased with how their team is doing, even suggesting their performances could even still improve under Alex Neil

“And the other one, little bit more difficult, but I think I’ll probably go with Millwall,” he added.

“I think that they’ve climbed their way up to third and I think they’ve got a manager that knows the league, that has been promoted from the Championship.

“I thought their recruitment from the summer was ambitious and things are looking up.

“And the other thing to throw in is, I actually think Millwall can play better than they have.

“So I think if I was a Millwall fan right now I'd be quite excited.”

Coventry are the Championship’s top scorers, as well as top points earners, having found the back of the net on 50 occasions from 18 fixtures.

The next best is Hull City, with the Tigers scoring only 30 times in comparison, giving Lampard’s side a clear edge on their rivals.

Meanwhile, Millwall sit inside the top six despite having a minus three goal difference, with Neil’s side three points clear of seventh place Ipswich Town.

Coventry and Millwall fans have every reason to be happy with their seasons

Coventry fans had to endure a long period of difficult times in the 2010s, so there will be a lot of appreciation for their strong start to this campaign.

The Sky Blues had two near-misses with promotion in the last three years, losing in the play-off final under Mark Robins and at the semi-final stages last summer under Lampard, so this 12-point gap to Millwall provides a strong safety net against the unpredictability of the play-offs for now.

Millwall themselves have also come quite close to the top six in recent years, but have just missed out on each occasion, finishing eighth or ninth in five of the last campaigns.

If the Lions can maintain this strong form, then they have every chance of finally making that last step of progress into the play-offs, which should delight supporters.