Exclusive: Lee Hendrie names the 3 EFL Championship stadiums with the best atmospheres right now | OneFootball

Plenty of clubs residing in the Championship are known for generating intimidating home atmospheres

Sky Sports pundit and EFL expert Lee Hendrie has revealed which three current Championship stadiums are able to generate the best atmospheres.

This season's second tier is wide-open as ever on the pitch, with there being a distinct lack of standout sides in the division when it comes to early points totals.

As such, that has only added to the drama and tension that always comes with the lengthy 46-game season and the post-season lottery of the play-offs.

Whilst supporters of each and every club in the EFL harbour hopes and dreams of returning, or being promoted to the Premier League for the first time ever, it has been argued by thousands that one element in which the Championship takes the crown for over the top flight is the hostility and passion that is initially shown on the terraces which can, on occasions, spill over into the performance of both the home and away sides across 90 minutes where taking three points is the obvious end goal.

There is a nice blend of stadia in the Championship this season when it comes to overall capacity and design, with Oxford United's Kassam Stadium - notorious for missing one stand behind the goal and providing a view of an adjacent retail complex and car park - the smallest with a capacity of exactly 12,500, whilst Sheffield Wednesday's historic Hillsborough, by far and away, the biggest, as it can hold up to 39,859 when at full capacity.

In some people's case, having the biggest stadium in the league doesn't automatically equate to having the best matchday atmosphere, with Hendrie's picks, which he revealed exclusively to Football League World, aligning with such viewpoints.

The 48-year-old has sampled a great variety of atmospheres in his playing career and current role as a regular fixture on our screens dissecting the action of many Championship, League One and League Two encounters on top of the occasional Premier League fixture.

Having played 307 times for boyhood club, Aston Villa, Hendrie will be well aware of what helps make an intimidating and passionate crowd tick, which includes fighting at the top end of any division.

The same cannot be said for his former loan side, Sheffield United, at present. However, the Sky pundit heaped praise on the Bramall Lane faithful, as well as staying 'loyal' to his native West Midlands whilst discussing the fanbases of Coventry City and Birmingham City.

"I think there's three clubs I'd probably pick out (in terms of atmosphere)," the former midfielder told FLW.

"This goes on obvious reasons, such as when teams are flying, to be quite honest. We know it can be quite sour when things aren't going great (at any club.)

"I'd have to say Sheffield United would be one of them," Hendrie claimed. "Bramall Lane can be a tough place, the atmosphere is very good and it's always been a big help for them.

"I also think Coventry," he added. "The atmosphere can be really good. It's always been good when I've covered matches there.

"And, I hate to say it, but I think Birmingham City can be a (good) atmosphere and a tough place to go for teams," Hendrie admitted. "That's why I'd go for those three clubs."

Lee Hendrie's top Championship atmosphere selections are hard to argue against right now

Despite the current contrast in fortunes endured by all three clubs, Hendrie's picks are far from debatable in fairness.

Coventry's start to the season has been the key factor for such positivity flowing around the CBS Arena, coupled with the initial momentum run the Sky Blues embarked on following Frank Lampard's appointment last November as the club look to return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.

Owner, Doug King, has also gone about making changes to the stadium after acquiring the land for nearly £40m on August 23rd, the same day Lampard's men put QPR to the sword 7-1.

St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park won't be Blues' home for much longer, with plans in place for the Second City side to move into a 62,000-seater stadium just up the road as part of the 'Sports Quarter' redevelopment spearheaded by Tom Wagner and Knighthead, whilst the ownership group have continued to plough plenty of cash into improving the infrastructure of the club's current ground.

Hendrie has sampled the hostilities in B9 in the most obvious way too, having gone behind enemy lines in several Second City derbies whilst representing Birmingham's cross-city rivals from over the Aston Expressway, although the two sides haven't met since March 2019.

Bramall Lane has also been a 'fortress' for Sheffield United in many of their recent Championship seasons, with the Steel City locals up there as one of the most passionate sets of supporters in the EFL.

Much like when Birmingham supporters belt out 'Keep Right On' pre-match, it is rather spine-tingling to hear the home sections of the S2 stadium sing 'Greasy Chip Butty' in unison, as well as when they face off against Sheffield Wednesday in a bitter cross-city feud of their own.