All 24 Championship clubs ranked by how stressful they are to support | OneFootball

We rank how stressful all 24 EFL Championship clubs are to support.

We've ranked all 24 EFL Championship clubs based on how stressful they are to support, considering factors such as stature, financial constraints, and expectations.

No matter who you support, there are always stressful times at the club. Whether it be the fear of missing out on promotion, imminent relegation, or ownership troubles, every football fan on earth has at least felt an inkling of stress about their respective club in their lifetime.

This is the beauty of the game though, as millions of supporters in England stick with their side through the bad and the good, enjoying the joy that the sport can bring, and sharing the mutual disappointment with other fans in difficult times.

The Championship is one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, serving as the bridge between League One and the Premier League, and certainly creating plenty of stress and drama for supporters.

With that in mind, Football League World decided to rank how stressful it is to support each Championship club, starting with the least stressful, and working our way down to the most.

24 ? ? Oxford United

The least stressful club to support in the Championship, in our opinion, is Oxford United, who are in their second season back in the second-tier, having won promotion via the play-offs in 2024.

The U's are one of the smaller sides in the division, and have limited expectations in comparison to some of their rivals, with survival being the main goal each season, as they look to cement themselves as a Championship mainstay.

Even if Oxford were to get relegated, you feel they'd easily have the squad and the funds to go straight back up, so the threat of relegation won't be the most worrying thing in the world for Yellows supporters.

23 ? ? Preston North End

Speaking of Championship mainstays, Preston North End have been in the second tier of English football since the 2015-16 season, making this campaign their eleventh-successive Championship season.

North End have been a mid-table side for the vast majority of the last ten years, and the threat of relegation back to League One has been scarce, with last season being an outlier having finished 20th place.

With no expectations of being a promotion contender, and no real threat of relegation over the last ten years, it's fair to say that Paul Heckingbottom's side aren't stressing their supporters out in comparison to their Championship rivals.

22 ? ? Charlton Athletic

Newly-promoted Charlton Athletic are loving life back in the Championship under Nathan Jones, having endured five consecutive seasons in League One prior to the Welshman's arrival.

The former Premier League side is somewhat of a sleeping giant, but as of right now, they will be delighted to be back in the second tier after many years stuck in League One.

Whilst rumours of Jones moving on and the dread of potential relegation back to the third tier will be slightly stressful, as it stands, there is no need to fret for the Addicks.

21 ? ? Swansea City

Swansea City may have had their potential new head coach poached by Middlesbrough in recent days, but their stable history in the Championship hasn't made for much difficulty for supporters.

Whilst they are a former Premier League outfit, expectations have somewhat dipped in recent years, and the Swans are another club that aren't often in the promotion hunt, but are never under any threat of relegation.

20 ? ? Portsmouth

It took Portsmouth a while to get going in the Championship last term, and that seems to be the case again this time around, as they languish towards the bottom of the table early doors.Pompey are somewhat comparable to Swansea, as they are a former Premier League side who don't really expect to be competing at the top just yet, but have a more real threat of relegation than the Welsh side.With them now sharing a division with bitter rivals Southampton, this adds some tension for supporters when derby day rolls around, but overall, things have been pretty stable for Portsmouth and their fans in recent years.

19 ? ? Derby County

Derby County enjoyed a strong first season back in the Championship, and are certainly building something exciting under John Eustace, who they prized away from Blackburn Rovers.

There's no real threat of relegation for the Rams, and all in all, the project being built at Pride Park is rather exciting. It's fair to say that being a Derby supporter today is much less stressful than it was a few years ago.

18 ? ? Stoke City

Stoke City were once a Premier League mainstay in the 2010s, but have been stuck in the Championship since their relegation from the top flight in 2018.

The Potters haven't been in a promotion fight or a relegation battle since their return to the second-tier, but now with Mark Robins at the helm, the former could finally be on the cards.

Expectations aren't huge, but to be in and around the promotion places after 15 games will have supporters feeling some pressure.

17 ? ? Bristol City

There's a running joke among Championship supporters that Bristol City finish mid-table every season, which was true up until last term, when the Robins finished fifth place, making it to the play-off semi-finals.

City are ambitious dark horses in the second tier, which has seen supporter expectations raised over the last year, but there likely wouldn't be an overwhelming sense of anger at a mid-table finish, as they are comfortable in the division.

West Brom supporters have gotten used to near misses in recent years, having flirted with the play-offs, but only having made the top six once in the last four seasons, which ultimately ended in disappointment.

The Baggies have a strong history in the top flight, but expectations of them being an automatic promotion contender are long gone, and supporters have begun to expect mid-table finishes from the Midlands club.

15 ? ? Coventry City

At the end of last season, Coventry City would've been much higher on this list. Two penalty shootout defeats at Wembley, the changing of management from Robins to Frank Lampard, and a last-minute elimination from the play-offs last season are just a few of the challenges Sky Blues fans have faced in recent years.

However, things are looking as rosy as ever for Coventry, as they sit top of the Championship, and look a good bet for automatic promotion this season. The only real cause of stress currently is the occasional links to Lampard, but that could soon change if they remain where they are.