The 2006–07 Football League was the 108th season of the English Football League, the second–through fourth tiers of English football. The competition comprised three divisions—The Championship, League One, and League Two—featuring a total of 72 clubs. The season began in August 2006 and concluded with the play‑off finals in May 2007.
Sponsorship
For the 2006–07 season the league was sponsored by The Coca‑Cola Company and was officially titled the “Coca‑Cola Football League”.
Structure and Competition Format
| Division | Number of Teams | Promotion Places | Relegation Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 24 | Top 2 automatically; 3rd‑6th enter play‑offs for a third promotion spot | Bottom 3 relegated to League One |
| League One | 24 | Top 2 automatically; 3rd‑6th enter play‑offs for a third promotion spot | Bottom 4 relegated to League Two |
| League Two | 24 | Top 3 automatically; 4th‑7th enter play‑offs for a fourth promotion spot | Bottom 2 relegated to the National League (Conference) |
Each team played every other team in its division twice (home and away) for a total of 46 league matches per club. Points were awarded using the standard three‑for‑a‑win, one‑for‑a‑draw system. Goal difference served as the primary tiebreaker.
Championship
- Champions: Sunderland
- Runners‑up: Derby County (promoted automatically)
- Play‑off winners: West Bromwich Albion (defeated Bristol City 1–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium)
Sunderland secured the title with 88 points, finishing five points ahead of Derby County. West Bromwich Albion, after finishing 6th in the league, earned promotion via the play‑offs.
League One
- Champions: Scunthorpe United
- Runners‑up: Bristol City (promoted automatically)
- Play‑off winners: Blackpool (defeated Yeovil Town 2–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium)
Scunthorpe United accumulated 86 points, while Bristol City finished with 85 points. Blackpool’s promotion was secured through the play‑off route.
League Two
- Champions: Walsall
- Runners‑up: Hartlepool United
- Third place: Swindon Town (all three promoted automatically)
- Play‑off winners: Bristol Rovers (defeated Shrewsbury Town 3–1 in the final at Wembley Stadium)
Walsall topped the division with 81 points. The play‑off final produced Bristol Rovers’ ascent to League One.
Relegations
- Championship: Bradford City, Brentford, and Crewe Alexandra were relegated to League One.
- League One: Rotherham United, Brentford (relegated from Championship the previous season), and Lincoln City were relegated to League Two.
- League Two: Torquay United and Cambridge United were relegated to the Conference National (now the National League).
Top Goal Scorers
- Championship: Kevin Phillips (Sunderland) – 22 goals
- League One: Andy Whing (Bristol City) – 20 goals (joint‑top)
- League Two: Tom Pope (Northampton Town) – 24 goals
Notable Events
- The season marked the final use of the old Wembley Stadium for a Football League play‑off final; the new Wembley opened later in 2007.
- Sunderland’s promotion ended a two‑year stint in the second tier after being relegated from the Premier League in 2005‑06.
- West Bromwich Albion’s play‑off victory secured their return to the Premier League after a 30‑year absence.
The 2006–07 Football League season concluded with the usual cycle of promotion and relegation, reshaping the composition of the three divisions for the 2007–08 campaign.
