Top 6 teams to record 100 points in the EFL Championship
Vincent Kompany not only helped Burnley earn promotion back among the big boys in the Premier League, but he also ensured that the Turf Moor-based outfit achieved the feat in some style as they became only the sixth club in the history of the EFL Championship to secure more than 100 points in a single campaign.
The Clarets defeated Cardiff City 3-0 in their final game of the season to breach the three-figure mark and etch their names in the history books. Kompany himself signed a contract extension with the club for five years, amid interest from clubs such as Tottenham and Chelsea.
The newly crowned Championship winners drew level with Fulham’s tally of 101 points in the second division. The Craven Cottage-based club had earned promotion to the Premier League in 2000-01 season under Jean Tigana’s tutelage and they did it in some style by scoring a century of points joining an elusive list of clubs.
After Burnley became the latest entrants into the 100 points club in the EFL Championship here is the full list of six teams who have managed to breach the three-figure mark in the second division of English football pyramid.
#6 Burnley, 2022-23 (101 points)
Burnley was relegated into the second tier on the final day of the Premier League season in 2022 and they found their way back among the big boys after just one season clinching promotion with seven games remaining after beating Middlesbrough 2–1.
At the heart of the Clarets’ swift return was former Manchester City star Kompany. His side lost just three games all season, the Belgian was crowned the Championship manager of the season after guiding his team to an incredible 29 wins from 46 games.
#5 Fulham, 2000-01 (101 points)
When Fulham returned back to the top flight in 2000-01, it was their first promotion back to the Premier League since the 1960s and they romped their way to the Championship title.
The Cottagers were owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed back then, and under Tigana’s management, they had booked their return into the first division by Easter with five games to spare. Al-Fayed opened his chequebooks and spent £35m in transfers, a massive sum back in the days, in his bid to keep the side afloat and his efforts actually paid dividends.
#4 Newcastle United, 2009-10 (102 points)
When Newcastle United was relegated in 2008-09 season, plenty had said that it was a squad too good to go down but when they came back to the Premier League just one year later few could have questioned Chris Hughton’s forces who lit up the Championship with some sublime displays.
The Magpies were unbeaten for the entire season at their fortress, St James’ Park, with Hughton becoming a master of rotation – the Englishman used as many as 33 players in the Championship fixtures alone. Players such as Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, and Shola Ameobi all played a key role in helping the Toons make a swift return back among the big boys.
#3 Leicester City, 2013-14 (102 points)
Much of Leicester City’s Premier League-winning team was already there when they won the Championship
The most recent outfit to breach the three-figure mark before Burnley, Leicester City could be headed back into the Championship next season but they may yet take inspiration from the 2013-14 season.
The Foxes hadn’t secured top-flight football in nearly a decade but they overcame plenty of odds to run riot in the second division. Nigel Pearson’s side smashed records aplenty as they romped their way to the Championship title in the second half of the season.
Riyad Mahrez joined the club in January and the Algerian played a key role as the Foxes won nine consecutive games in the second division and they’d go on to win the Premier League a few years down the line in one of the greatest underdog stories of all time.
#2 Sunderland, 1998-99 (105 points)
Sunderland was the first team in the history of the EFL Championship to score a century of points in the second division and to top it off, the Black Cats also marched into the semifinals of the League Cup in the magical 1998-99 season.
Just before the turn of the century, manager Peter Reid guided his side to an incredible tally of 105 points in 46 matches, and they’d only go on to leak 28 goals all season, losing just three games. It was Thomas Sorensen’s breakthrough season, he’d go on to cement his legacy as a club legend by going on to represent them in nearly 500 games.
It was a team brimming with attacking talent, Michael Bridges, Danny Dichio, and Niall Quinn but Kevin Phillips was their talismanic leader up front. He scored a goal nearly every game, Phillips carried his scintillating form into the Premier League as well, netting a further 30 goals in the top division thereby creating history to become the only English player to win the European golden boot.
#1 Reading, 2005-06 (106 points)
Reading still holds the record for securing the most number of points in the EFL Championship
Reading holds the record for the most points amassed by any Championship team in history as they shattered Sunderland’s record in some style. The 2005-06 season was a memorable one, although they lost on the opening day, Steve Coppell’s side lost just one more game the entire campaign, and they’d go on to score 99 goals all season.
Steve Sidwell and James Harper were at the heart of a water-tight defense with Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, Stephen Hunt and Leroy Lita making up one of the most fearsome attacking quartets the Championship has ever seen.
The following season in the Premier League saw Reading achieve their best-ever eighth-place finish in the history of the club but they were again relegated the following year after enduring a dismal 2007-08 season.