The 10 best owners in the EFL Championship in 2026 | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at the 10 best current owners of Championship clubs from 1st to 10th.

The EFL Championship campaign is entering its most exciting period as the race for promotion, the play-offs and relegation all begin to heat up.

At the top end of the table, Coventry City, Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town are just three of the sides pursuing a top two finish and automatic promotion to the Premier League. While at the bottom, Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers are all scrapping for survival.

Ownership problems have been prevalent for a number of those at the bottom of the Championship, with Sheffield Wednesday and the Foxes both suffering points deductions.

However, for every poor owner in the second tier, there are some excellent ones and Football League World has taken a look at the 10 best owners in the division and ranked them.

10 ? ? Bristol City - Steve Lansdown

Steve Lansdown's reputation at Bristol City has started to suffer recently, with the Robins' spending not matching that of their rivals. However, it cannot be denied just how good the Bristol-born billionaire has been for the Championship club.

The 73-year-old has owned the team since 2002, and they have spent the majority of that time in the Championship. Yet, it is perhaps time that they start making that push towards the Premier League and it is imperative that spending power is upped in the coming transfer windows.

Nonetheless, with Ashton Gate looking at its best, and Bristol City in a stable position on the pitch, there is no denying just how good of an owner Lansdown has been.

John Coates has been the outright owner of Stoke City since August 2024, and while his first season in that position did not go entirely to plan, an excellent summer has brought the Potters into contention in 2025/26.

The Coates family have been involved with the club for 40 years, and while success has been tough to come by recently, this has been a very positive year for those at the bet365 Stadium.

The days of silly spending and reckless football decisions look to have all but left the Staffordshire club and Stoke are on the up. He still has a lot to prove as owner, but the early signs are good, and John Coates is making a strong impact.

Millwall are enjoying their best Championship spell for a number of years, and this year, more than any, feels like the greatest opportunity that they have of reaching the play-offs and a potential shot at Premier League football.

James Berylson has been the man to oversee the Lions' progress since 2023, after he took over following his father, John's, death. The Berylson family have been in charge of the South London outfit since 2007 and sustained stability has been the key to success.

Millwall have upped their spending power recently, and with Alex Neil in the dugout, this is shaping up to be a very exciting season at The Den.

Michael Eisner is perhaps best known for his time as the chairman and CEO of Disney. However, since 2017, he has owned Portsmouth and taken them back to the Championship in the last couple of years after a significant period of time in League One.

The American has brought calm back to Fratton Park after an incredibly tough period in the early 2010s that saw Pompey threatened by liquidation. However, the future is a lot more positive on the south coast now, and the Hampshire outfit are pulling themselves towards safety in the Championship thanks to their owner's work.

Coventry City are another club that found themselves in financial ruin in the 2010s, and on two different occasions, they were forced to abandon the CBS Arena with Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium and Birmingham's St. Andrew's becoming temporary homes for this season's Premier League hopefuls.

Tough years in the EFL's lower divisions often left supporters clinging onto the memories of days gone by, but under Doug King, the Sky Blues are starting to return to former glories, and they are now fighting for promotion back to the top flight.

Stability has been the key under King, and his decision-making has been excellent, including the sacking of Mark Robins in place of Frank Lampard last season. Now, he has backed his man in both the summer and winter transfer windows and Coventry are on the up.

5 ? ? Ipswich Town - Gamechanger 20 Ltd

Gamechanger 20 Ltd purchased their stake in Ipswich Town in 2021, with Brett Johnson, Berke Bakay and Mark Detme coming together to help bring the club back to their glory days after a difficult few years that saw the Suffolk side in League One.

The appointment of Kieran McKenna proved vital, and back-to-back promotions in 2023 and 2024 saw the Tractor Boys return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002. They have spent significant funds on the team, and they have a great chance of promotion back to the top flight this season.

Musician Ed Sheeran, who is a boyhood supporter of Ipswich, also has a 1.4% stake in the club and has previously been the shirt sponsor.

4 ? ? Middlesbrough - Steve Gibson

Steve Gibson is somewhat of a legend at Middlesbrough, and since rescuing the club from liquidation in 1986 as part of a consortium, he has become one of the most diligent and hardworking footballing people in the entire Championship.

The 68-year-old has been the chairman of Boro since 1994, and oversaw the transition from Ayresome Park to the Riverside Stadium just a year later. Premier League football returned to Teesside as the club became somewhat of a regular in the top flight in the late 90s and into the 2000s.

While success has been less consistent in recent years, the club's League Cup victory in 2004 and UEFA Cup final outing in 2006 has earned him his stripes at Middlesbrough and supporters will forever be thankful for his work.

3 ? ? Derby County - David Clowes

Derby County were in a mess when David Clowes took over the club in the summer of 2022. Administration had ravaged the East Midlands outfit, and they were preparing for life in League One without a squad and hardly any time to build one.

Nearly four years later, the Rams are fighting for a play-off place in the Championship and major footballing decisions made by Clowes and his team have secured a bright future for those at Pride Park. With the likes of Patrick Agyemang, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and Sondre Langas in the ranks, there is plenty of profit to be made in the coming years from player sales.

When Tom Wagner first bought a stake in Birmingham City, questions were rightfully asked of the American as Blues sacked John Eustace and replaced him with Wayne Rooney - a decision that ultimately cost the club their Championship status in 2023/24.

However, a record-breaking League One campaign last time out saw the West Midlands outfit climb back into the second tier, and now they are eyeing up a play-off finish. The on-field product has improved greatly, and with plans to build a new 62,000-seated stadium in 2029, this is the start of a very exciting period in Birmingham's history. Now, all they need is to return to the Premier League.

Who else could take the top spot other than the club who are looking for their fourth successive promotion? Wrexham have taken the EFL by storm in the last few years, and while there were doubts about their credentials in the Championship this season, they are proving those doubters wrong.

They have been helped in no small part by their Hollywood owners, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. The North American duo have adapted quickly to the world of football, and have given the Red Dragons substantial funding to help take them from the National League to the second tier. Now, there is a possibility of promotion through the play-offs.