Lowest Championship Points in History
The Championship finds its place as one of the most celebrated and long-lasting leagues in English football. Formerly called the English Football League Championship, this competition has the best of the best of English football fight it out for ultimate victory.
With so much history, it’s only natural that we’ve seen an enormous range of impressive matches, events, and goals. On the other side of the spectrum are the teams with the worst seasons, who failed to perform and found a more ignoble place in the record.
Today we want to explore some of these teams, as we cover the seasons with the lowest points in Championship seasons since the format change in the 1990s. Don’t get us wrong, these might not be the worst Championship teams, but these showings are still unimpressive enough to go down in history.
And yes, Rotherham’s 2023/2024 performance did inspire this list.
Number Ten: Bolton Wanderers - 2018/19 (32 Points)
Likely looking to soon get knocked off this list in tenth place for the lowest points in Championship performance are the Bolton Wanderers with their 2018/2019 season. Regarded as a calamity for the club, this season was noted for protests, player strikes, and relegation.
The difficulties faced by the club during this time made their performance understandable, but that didn't lessen the heartache of the team and its supporters. The top four goal scorers this season managed a mere four goals each, though the team did manage to avoid being the bottom team of the season.
Instead, the Bolton Wanderers ended 23/24, narrowly beating the next entry on this list…
Number Nine: Ipswich Town - 2018/19 (31 Points)
As much difficulty as the Wanderers had, Ipswich Town managed to fall behind them with one fewer goal. In last place for the 2018/2019 season, this left Ipswich as another team relegated to EFL League One.
There’s a lot of debate over what caused everything to go wrong in this season, but with hindsight, the hasty sacking of new manager Paul Hurst might have been the nail in the coffin. Hurst showed potential, and the firing that was meant to get things back on track revealed he wasn’t the real weak link in the chain.
There is at least a happy ending for the team, as their 2023 performance has Ipswich reaching 31 points in 12 games instead of the 46 it took in 2018/2019. Ipswich were subsequently promoted to the Premier League
Number Eight (Tied): Bolton Wanderers - 2015/16 (30 Points)
Meandering to a second entry on this Championship lowest points record list for a tied 8th/7th place we again have the Bolton Wanderers. This marks another point of relegation, as the team finished bottom of the season with a mere five wins.
Blame for poor performance this season tends to be placed on a poor financial situation and managerial issues which prevented the funding needed to push the players to the standards required.
The lowest point of this season for the Trotters undoubtedly came in their setting of a new record. Not winning a single away victory in the entire league campaign makes this season an unforgettable one, and not in a way the fans or players want to think about.
Number Seven (Tied): Barnsley - 2021/22 (30 Points)
Tying the famous Trotter campaign was the more recent effort from Barnsley in the 2021/2022 season. This campaign had Barnsley face some management changes, as former head coach Valérien Ismaël left to be replaced with Markus Schopp, though we’re not sure that’s where any blame lies.
Rather than one major event, a general and consistently poor level of performance hampered Barnsley this season, with 73 conceded goals and 51 registered undoubtedly hurting team and team morale.
A rough season that made Barnsley a contender in this list for the EFL Championship least points record, but at least they only appeared once.
Number Six: Rotherham United - 2004/05 (29 Points)
Here we see the first unfortunate entry of Rotherham United onto our list, as what detractors will call one of the worst Championship teams in terms of unwanted records. Ending dead last in the season, 15 points behind the next-worst place, this was a year that the team struggled to get out of the shadow of for years to come.
Though Rotherham United did manage five consolation wins, their overall poor performance couldn’t prevent their relegation after three seasons in Division One. Historical debate still rages over the reason for this season’s performance, with the departure of manager Ronnie Moore and new club ownership probably not helping affairs.
Still, it could be worse than a tied 6th/5th place, and for Rotherham United, it is.
Number Five: Wimbledon - 2003/04 (29 Points)
Matching Rotherham United we have Wimbledon, a team that took their loss far harder than most. A well-respected team in the past, Wimbledon experienced a catastrophic loss in the 2003/2004 season that marked its last under its traditional name.
A move of the team from 46 miles away from their previous home ground to Milton Keynes was extremely unpopular with fans, as many decried what they saw as a betrayal. The resulting lack of support and logistical issues led to a crushing loss and a reformation of Wimbledon into the new Milton Keynes Dons.
Lost supporters even formed the new team AFC Wimbledon, which a majority of older fans now prefer.
Number Four: Rotherham United - 2023/24 (27 Points)
The inspiration for this list thanks to recent poor performance sees the return of Rotherham United. Earning the lowest points in Championship competition this year was seen as a result of a lack of stability marked by recent changes in management.
Supporters have noted that this might reflect the awkward position Rotherham United finds itself at the bottom of Championship performance but at the top of League One. The yoyoing effect isn’t really due to any terrible event, but rather an average of where they find themselves comparatively.
At least RU can still boast a cathartic 5-2 victory over Cardiff on the final day as some limited form of closure following a frustrating year.
Number Three: Blackpool - 2014/15 (26 Points)
Taking the podium in a tied 3rd/2nd place is Blackpool with their 2014/2015 season. Continuing the pattern of relegation and finding themselves targeted with an allegation of being among the worst championship teams, this marked an undoubtedly low point in the club's career.
With the sacking of José Riga and the replacement with Lee Clark, there were major issues on and off the pitch that contributed to Blackpool's darkest moment. With only seven registered players right before pre-season training, the odds started stacked against them.
The worst moment of the year came on the final day of the season when the game against Huddersfield Town had to be abandoned following a pitch invasion. We don't condone it, but can we really blame the fans?
Number Two: Stockport County - 2001/02 (26 Points)
The oldest point on the list and record keepers for 15 years, we also have Stockport County with a 26-point season. This also marks the record for the fastest-ever post-war relegation, the worst moment that still sticks in the heads of long-time Stockport County fans. More than 20 points from the next-worst-placed competitors of Barnsley, this was one of the lowest points in Championship matches that football fans thought they'd ever see.
There is at least one point of consolation, however, in their victory over the champion team Manchester City right after relegation. It might have been a horrible season, but this victory still stands as one of the most amazing if baffling points in football history.
Number One: Rotherham United - 2016/17 (23 Points)
The third entry and first place on this list belongs to, you guessed it, Rotherham United. A full three points behind the next number of lowest points in Championship seasons, this one is truly worthy of the history books.
Three changes in manager and 98 conceded goals brought this nightmare year into reality, in what is likely to be the EFL Championship least points records in decades to come. It might be easy to place the blame on the defenders for this one, but a lack of attacker effort to even the score also comes into play.
At this point, many players and fans are left asking if this might be the Championship lowest points record that never gets surpassed. While we’d hesitate to make such a claim, it will probably stand for some time, and we know football fans all pray their team won’t be the one to drop below this particular standard.
As for Rotherham United, the pressure is on to not repeat the yoyo effect. We’d hate to have to rewrite this list with RU taking up four spots, and we’re guessing the players share the same feeling.