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Articles by Ben Wignall
Dave Challinor's first week at Sheffield Wednesday has an unexpected EFL complication
Sheffield Wednesday's new era will properly kick into gear on Saturday afternoon, when Dave Challinor manages his first League One game for the club. Relatively new Owls owners Arise Capital Partners had their first big managerial decision to contend with, when they decided to relieve Henrik Pedersen of his managerial duties in late October following back-to-back defeats against Notts County and Doncaster Rovers.
Notts County confirm TV decision and it's sparked backlash
Notts County's League One struggles look to be over after their four matches in a row lost in September and October, with Martin Paterson finally finding the winning formula again. Paterson guided the Magpies back into League One earlier this year with a resounding League Two play-off final victory over Salford City, and he was backed by the Reedtz Brothers with some exciting cash signings and eye-catching loanees.
Don Goodman names the best 3 EFL Championship strikers right now
Most successful Championship teams who are gunning for promotion will need a prolific number nine to see them into the Premier League - and there's a few that are standing out ahead of the rest.
Why Gary Neville will have a keen eye on Sheffield Wednesday now
Sheffield Wednesday's newest era has already begun, with Dave Challinor appointed as Henrik Pedersen's successor as head coach at Hillsborough. Given the fact that ex-Stockport County chief Simon Wilson was appointed as Owls sporting director over the summer, many expected Challinor to follow him if things ended up getting tricky for Pedersen in League One - and that's exactly what has happened.
Max Lowe breaks silence as Sheffield Wednesday situation changes
Dave Challinor has taken over from Henrik Pedersen as the manager of Sheffield Wednesday, and he may find it a bigger challenge than he first thought. The Owls were defeated by Oldham Athletic of League Two in Round One of the FA Cup last weekend despite lining up with a strong team, before a more youthful side were hammered 4-0 by Accrington Stanley in the EFL Trophy.
Kevin Phillips names the 4 loudest EFL stadiums
One topic that is always going to be debated among EFL fans is atmospheres and noise - and which stadium produces the best of it. A strong atmosphere can be make or break for a team, especially on home soil, where they can somewhat intimidate the opposition and get the upper hand on the pitch. But which clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two can claim to produce the loudest noise? One player turned pundit has had his say...
New Southampton update can hand Millwall and Preston North End boost
Things were going so well for Southampton in the Championship - right up until last couple of games before the international break. The Saints had well and truly put their four-point deduction from before the season began right behind them and had climbed up the table under Tonda Eckert, but a draw at West Brom, then defeat at lowly Preston North End last week saw momentum slow right down prior to the two-week break.
Don Goodman names the 3 EFL Championship clubs he thinks will be promoted Original
The 2026-27 Championship season is 15 matches in, and there's been no runaway leader established at the top of the pack due to recent slip-ups. It looked as though there may be a couple of big divides at the top and bottom of the standings, and at the foot of the table, that is still true, with Preston North End, Derby County and Burnley still somewhat cut adrift.
Josh Windass return to Sheffield Wednesday prediction made - he's a 'funny customer' Original
Sheffield Wednesday's financial crisis last summer under previous disgraced owner Dejphon Chansiri cost them a number of first-team players - namely Josh Windass. The Owls had to cash in on some players on the cheap to help pay player wages, with the likes of Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba moving on for a fraction of their actual valuations, and their situation also allowed players to terminate their contracts if their wages went unpaid for multiple months.
Top 10 best EFL League One stadiums for atmosphere so far this season
Stadium atmospheres are a contentious subject at times - everyone has their own opinion about who has the noisiest fans. But the more success a club has, the likely their stadium is going to be louder by giving their side the backing they need to take home three points on a weekly basis. And in terms of the current League One season, which grounds have been the noisiest? FLW takes a look...
11 most valuable EFL Championship players and how much they earn
In recent years, the Championship has become a league that plays host to some incredibly valuable players, which now eclipse some of the top leagues across Europe. Parachute payments and the money that comes from television rights means that top second tier clubs can keep most of their best players, and they can spend millions bolstering their squads each summer - figures are being spent that wouldn't have been dreamed of 20 years ago.
Spurs have one Preston North End transfer clause that already looks doomed
Preston North End's 12-season stay in the Championship is in serious jeopardy based on their early season form. The Lilywhites were long-term stayers in the second tier the last time they were here, keeping themselves in from 2000 until 2011 with some near promotion misses along the way, before dropping into League One.
Norwich City receive major new 2027 boost that Philippe Clement will love
After a torrid start to the 2026-27 Championship season, Norwich City may very well have turned a corner. Many expected the Canaries to have a wave of momentum heading into the current campaign, after they narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season - but it hasn't worked out that way at all.
Southampton & Middlesbrough land double promotion boost heading into 2027
When you take out pre-season points deductions, the two best teams in the 2026-27 Championship so far in terms of points won have not been any of the three relegated teams from the Premier League - it has been Middlesbrough and Southampton. With both West Ham and Wolves having mixed starts to life back in the second tier and Burnley really struggling, it's left space for some of last year's more progressive sides to keep their momentum going.
EFL club consider building new 15,000-seater stadium on old Airport site
Cambridge United have played their football at the Abbey Stadium since the venue opened in 1932 - but could they be making their move away to pastures new in the near future? The U's were founded 20 years before the opening of the stadium they currently play at, with a number of pitches around the city used before the building of what is now a 7,937-capacity home. Cambridge will soon celebrate 100 years in the Abbey Stadium in five-and-a-half years time - but will they still be there in 2032?
Top 7 EFL Championship players you'd trust with a last-minute free-kick (Ranked)
There will be moments in the 2026-27 EFL Championship season where teams will need a hero in the dying minutes of matches - especially from free-kicks. We've seen it countless times over the years - most famously in 2001 when David Beckham's strike against Greece sent England to the 2002 FIFA World Cup - where a free-kick is given close to the opposition box, but there's only a select few players who have the ability and confidence to strike gold.
Matt Hamshaw drops claim on Sheffield Wednesday's atmosphere at Hillsborough
Sheffield Wednesday's relatively new ownership made their first major decision after nearly six months in charge by sacking Henrik Pedersen as manager last weekend. After two defeats on the spin to Notts County and Doncaster Rovers, Pedersen's time as Owls boss came to an end, winning just five of their first 11 league matches of the season, when the expectation was surely to have had a stronger start.
Fresh Sheffield Wednesday manager update emerges as 'overseas' bosses eyed
Sheffield Wednesday went into the 2026-27 season with Henrik Pedersen still their head coach, but two-and-a-half months later, the axe fell on his time at Hillsborough. The Dane took over last season from Danny Rohl in difficult circumstances, with the Owls eventually going into administration under Dejphon Chansiri's ownership, with that and other factors leading to multiple points deductions in the Championship.
Ranking the top 8 most reliable EFL Championship goalkeepers right now
Every successful EFL Championship team needs a strong foundation to be successful - and that starts right at the back with the goalkeeper. A shaky stopper can lead to more goals conceded than expected, and it can breed a lack of confidence in the defence that is in-front of them. But who are the eight most reliable goalkeepers right now in the entire division in 2026-27? FLW takes a look...
Kevin Phillips names the 3 best EFL Championship goalkeepers right now
Championship forwards may get all the headlines for their goalscoring exploits, but at the other end of the pitch, a good goalkeeper can be a real match-winner when it's all said and done. Points can be picked up by one big save, but not every Championship goalie is performing at the level that they're perhaps capable of in the 2026-27 season so far.
Barnsley confirm Sheffield Wednesday decision - there’s been huge backlash
It's fair to say that Barnsley are really suffering in League One right now - they're a far cry away from their Championship play-off days five years ago in 2021. The return of Daniel Stendel as manager following Conor Hourihane's surprise resignation late last season could've given the Tykes a bit of a boost going into 2026-27, as well as keeping star winger Reyes Cleary at the club, but if anything, the club are going backwards.
Top 9 most depressing EFL clubs to support named and ranked
All fans of EFL clubs are hoping for promotion joy come the end of the season, but for supporters of some teams, they have been waiting an awful long time. And on the contrary, other outfits have struggled massively in recent years, in what must make certain fanbases utterly miserable over what they are seeing on the pitch. But which NINE current EFL clubs are the most depressing to support at this moment in time? FLW takes a look...
Wolves demanding a 'higher fee' as talks begin for player's Molineux exit
Wolves dropping from the Premier League to the Championship earlier this year came on the back of some sub-standard recruitment last season - with a few of those players now not around in the second tier. Jhon Arias lasted just a few months in the Midlands, whilst moves for full-backs Jackson Tchatchoua and David Moller Wolfe haven't exactly worked out at Molineux so far. One of the club's late summer arrivals of 2025 was also a bit of bust - and he brought more baggage than he was worth.
West Ham transfer truth revealed - at least 3 Hammers players set for exits
West Ham United look set to trim their squad further in the upcoming January transfer window, with at least three players heading towards a departure. The Hammers have been inconsistent at best in recent weeks, with wins over Lincoln City and Swansea cancelled out by dropping points against Millwall and QPR, as well as losing to Southampton last time out.
Derby County fans handed warning ahead of Sheffield United
Derby County make the relatively short trip north on Saturday to take on Sheffield United - but could it be John Eustace’s last as their manager? The Rams have been in rotten Championship form, winning just one of their 11 league matches so far, but there’s been a cruel injury list that has really ravaged the playing squad at Pride Park.
‘Absolute joke’ - New statement released after Huddersfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday incident
It's been nearly two weeks since Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday clashed in a Yorkshire derby, but the fallout is still rumbling on. It looked as though the Terriers were set for a comfortable success at the Accu Stadium, with goals from Joe Taylor and Derensili Sanches Fernandes in the second half putting Martin Drury's side two ahead.
Footage of Middlesbrough players dancing sparks online reaction
Middlesbrough have reacted to their Championship play-off final defeat well in the early stages of the 2026-27 season, as they look like they'll be challenging for automatic promotion to the Premier League based on current form.
Sam Allardyce reveals the 'wrong decision' he made when managing West Brom
West Brom have been a Championship club since 2021 - gone are the days when the Baggies would yo-yo between the top flight and the second tier. And their last stay in the Premier League was a brief one, with Slaven Bilic taking them up to the promised land once more, only to lose his job after 13 matches of the 2020-21 campaign, winning just one of those matches.
Joe Gelhardt makes new Birmingham City claim after snubbing transfer from Leeds United
After 11 games of the Championship season, it's safe to say that the summer recruitment of Birmingham City, on top of what they already had from last season, is having the desired effect. Given the outlay that had been spent on the Blues squad, a 10th-placed finish in 2025-26 in their first season back in the second tier was seen as quite underwhelming, especially as Wrexham had overtaken them despite finishing a spot behind them in League One the previous year.
Kevin Phillips names four EFL Championship clubs that have surprised him this season
The 2026-27 Championship season has almost passed the 25 per cent completion mark, and the league table is giving a clear indication as to who is flying and who is struggling. The standings also perhaps don't look as many would've expected at this early stage either, with some teams that did well in 2025-26 slumping, and others who have underachieved recently finally pushing on.
Ex-Sheffield United & Birmingham City man sacked from new job after just 19 days
Sheffield United will be hoping for a repeat of their 2018-19 promotion-winning season by the time May 2027 comes around, and they have the same manager in charge eight years later to try and get the job done. The Blades have been inconsistent with their early season results, but they've picked up 15 points from their opening 11 matches, and it's put them in the top half of the table, despite the unrest off the pitch in recent months in regards to the ownership situation at Bramall Lane.
Charlie Austin names the one QPR player who is 'pivotal' to Julien Stephan
Queens Park Rangers will be aiming to make it into the extended Championship play-offs for the 2026-27 season, with the end of season lottery expanding to six places rather than the usual four. The west London outfit finished 15th in 2025-26, which was Julien Stéphan's first year in charge of the club, and it was a fourth season in a row where they had ended up in the bottom half of English football's second tier.
Amadou Mbengue breaks QPR silence after devastating update
Queens Park Rangers haven't had the best of luck with injuries in the last year, and they've suffered yet another blow at the worst possible time. It seemed as though Julien Stéphan was getting to grips with things at Loftus Road after a somewhat underwhelming 15th-placed finish in his debut season at the west London outfit, with the 4-1 drubbing of Derby County pushing them up to fifth in the Championship standings.
Top 9 youngest EFL Championship managers right now
Throughout the EFL, gone are the days where most clubs turn to the tried and tested managers over the years for vacancies - there's a new wave of younger coaches coming through with every passing year. Whether they are assistant coaches at clubs higher up the pyramid or whether they come from further down and make the step up, the average age of managers seems to be getting younger year on year in all three divisions.
West Brom star forced to apologise as hilarious training footage emerges
It is fair to say that spirits are very high at West Brom in the early stages of the 2026-27 Championship season under James Morrison's management. Not every ex-player that takes on a managerial role at their former clubs is a success, but it can help to galvanise a fanbase, which is what happened towards the end of 2025-26 when Eric Ramsay was axed after a disastrous short tenure at The Hawthorns.
Michael Owen makes Tom Cleverley, Plymouth Argyle claim
Most League One clubs have played nine matches so far, but Plymouth Argyle used the international break to steal a march over their rivals - and they climbed to the top of the standings as a result. The Pilgrims played through the break whilst others had to have matches postponed due to call-ups, and despite a surprise defeat to Burton Albion, they got back to winning ways away at Leyton Orient, before a last-minute winner at home to AFC Wimbledon last weekend when all teams were back in action.
The final top 8 in the EFL Championship predicted by AI
The 2026-27 Championship is only 10 games old for most teams, but is the table already taking shape ahead of the end of the campaign next May? The current Championship standings perhaps do not look like what many would've predicted before a ball was kicked, with clubs like Burnley, Derby County and Norwich City struggling at the wrong end of the division.
Portsmouth's worst nightmare has come true ahead of bitter Southampton clash
The first South Coast derby of the 2026-27 Championship season comes this weekend, with Southampton hosting their bitter rivals Portsmouth at St Mary's Stadium. Last season was the first time in 14 seasons that the two clubs met in a league match, and despite the Saints having the much more expensively-assembled squad, they were unable to get the better of Pompey in either clash.
What Tonda Eckert said on the phone to Kim Hellberg as Spygate saga ends
Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg has finally drawn a line under his feud with Southampton and their head coach Tonda Eckert, after the book was finally closed on the Spygate saga that ran for five months. The Saints were dramatically thrown out of the Championship play-offs by the EFL after an independent commission found that they'd spied on not only Boro, but Ipswich Town and Oxford United earlier on in the 2025-26 season, and that they'd all been authorised by Eckert.
Sheffield Wednesday band told to leave Hillsborough ASAP - "They're an embarrassment"
Sheffield Wednesday are planning to make their stay in League One a brief one if they can help it, and backed by the new ownership of David Storch over the summer, Dave Challinor has the tools to return to the Championship at the first time of asking. The Owls are always backed by a vociferous fanbase, which has returned in its droves following Storch's takeover via his Arise Capital Partners consortium, and many are excited about most things that are going on in S6.
'I'm hearing' - Journalist drops fresh Southampton, Tonda Eckert Spygate verdict update
Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert is yet to realise his punishment for his actions in the Spygate scandal that rocked English football earlier in 2026, but a new update on the situation looks to be a positive one for his future.
QPR star Ronnie Edwards fires clear warning to West Ham
The international break has given Championship clubs the opportunity to refresh and get players back fit ahead of the next stint of matches, and there's an absolute belter to restart the action on Friday night when West Ham welcome QPR to the London Stadium. After a slow start to the 2026-27 season following their relegation from the Premier League, the Hammers have found their goalscoring boots, and they were on a four-match league winning streak until their 2-2 draw with bitter rivals Millwall.
Birmingham City backed to beat Coventry & Wrexham to in-form striker who may cost £5m+
The mid-season transfer window is still just under three months away, but in-form players across the globe are already starting to be tracked by other clubs ahead of the start of 2027. There's no time like the present to be eyeing up fresh faces for the second half of the campaign, and with some countries starting their seasons in the Spring rather than Summer, there's a bigger sample size to look at for some stars of leagues in the likes of the USA, Sweden and Norway.
8 greatest EFL Championship midfielders since the 2004 rebrand (Ranked)
The 2026-27 Championship season is the 23rd of its kind, with the rebranding from the First Division to what it's now known as coming in from 2004. But who have been the BEST midfielders since the beginning of that rebrand - players who have dictated play from the middle of the park and have dazzled their club's fans and neutrals alike? FLW takes a look at their top EIGHT over the last 22 years...
Sheffield Wednesday icon Fernando Forestieri seals shock transfer to English club
Fernando Forestieri is arguably one of Sheffield Wednesday's best players of the 2010's, but some six years after his Hillsborough exit, he has returned to English football - with a surprise club. The Italian playmaker, who appeared six times for the Azzurri at senior level, was signed by the Owls in a £3 million deal from Watford in 2015, and he went on to be spectacular and controversial in equal measures.
Middlesbrough make Hayden Hackney announcement
Middlesbrough have been without Hayden Hackney for three months now since his big-money move to Everton - but Boro fans won't have to wait long to get a glimpse of the midfield maestro again. Failure to win promotion to the Premier League last season - despite being given a second chance in the Championship play-offs due to Southampton's Spygate fate being sealed - was expected to be the final straw when it came to the Teessiders' chances of keeping Hackney at the Riverside Stadium.
All 24 EFL League One club's best striker ranked from worst to best
As the new 2026/27 League One campaign begins to take shape following the summer months, clubs throughout the division will be assessing the firepower at their disposal and assessing whether it's enough to help achieve their aims or simply keep heads above the water until the January transfer window rolls around.
West Ham tipped to appoint 47-y/o ex-Premier League star as future Nuno successor
Despite speculation over whether he was going to be replaced ahead of the 2026-27 season, Nuno Espirito Santo kept his job as West Ham head coach, and has been tasked with leading the east London outfit back to the Premier League.
Birmingham City search for Craig Gardner replacement takes intriguing twist
Birmingham City's hunt for a new director of football to take Craig Gardner's place has been prolonged, but a new potential snag has emerged when trying to hire their top candidate. Blues have not always had the role in place like many big European clubs do above the head coach, but in 2021, the aforementioned Gardner was appointed as technical director of the club, after playing 125 times for them across his on-field career.
Top 8 loudest EFL stadiums with a capacity below 15,000 (Ranked)
EFL stadiums come in all different shapes and sizes, and there's differing noise levels that come with that. For every massive venue like West Ham's London Stadium, which can sometimes be noisy but also can be quiet due to the spread out nature of the fanbase, there's more smaller, compact arenas like Accrington Stanley's Wham Stadium, which can have good noise on a going day. But of the stadiums within the EFL that have a capacity of less than 15,000, which ones produce the most atmosphere?
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