The Championship may only be the second division in English football, but it is arguably one of the most entertaining leagues in European football.
From Leeds United to Sunderland, to Sheffield Wednesday – it is comprised of plenty of massive clubs that are steeped in plenty of history.
But the question remains, what are the 10 biggest Championship football grounds?
10 biggest Championship football grounds
10. Bet365 Stadium
- Team: Stoke City
- Capacity: 30,089
- Opened: 1997
Previously named the Britannia Stadium, the ground has been the home of cult heroes Stoke City since it opened in 1997. The site rose to fame during the club's Premier League years, during which the Potters became renowned for their physicality and were admired by many.
A record attendance of 30,022 was achieved at the ground in 2018 during a Premier League clash with Everton. The Bet365 Stadium, built to replace the former Victoria Ground, cost the club over £14 million.
Aside from football, the ground has also been used as a venue for local fireworks displays and music concerts by artists such as Bon Jovi, and it has even been used by England youth teams on several occasions.
9. Ewood Park
- Team: Blackburn Rovers
- Capacity: 31,367
- Opened: 1882
Ewood Park has been the home of Lancashire outfit Blackburn Rovers since 1890. In fact, it is believed that the club first played at the site as early as 1881, although it was known as Ewood Bridge at that point and hosted a wide array of sporting events.
Its record attendance was set during an FA Cup sixth-round tie against Bolton Wanderers, with the match watched by over 60,000 fans. The ground was renovated as recently as 1995 when the modernisation of three of its sections was completed.
Primarily the home of Blackburn, Ewood Park has also hosted a handful of international matches, as well as six FA Cup semi-finals over the years.
8. Coventry Building Society Arena
- Team: Coventry City
- Capacity: 32,609
- Opened: 2005
Continuing the theme of modern stadiums on this list, construction of the Coventry Building Society Arena was completed in 2005 and is the current home of Coventry City. However, the club have had a turbulent relationship with the site since its initial opening.
In 2013, the club were forced to play their home matches elsewhere due to an ongoing rent dispute, returning to the ground in 2014. But, after Rugby Union side Wasps purchased the arena, Coventry were again required to leave the site for another two seasons. Eventually, the issue was settled and the Sky Blues have called the CSB Arena home again since 2021.
The CSB Arena was incredibly modern when it was built, and this is highlighted by the fact that it was the first cashless stadium in the whole of the United Kingdom.
7. Bramall Lane
- Team: Sheffield United
- Capacity: 32,702
- Opened: 1855
Bramall Lane has played an integral role in English football since it was opened in 1855 and is one of the oldest grounds in the world. It has been at the core of the club ever since and has provided the Blades with a platform from which they have been able to reach the heights of the Premier League on multiple occasions.
Originally used as a cricket venue, the first football match hosted on the ground didn't take place until 1862 – a contest involving Sheffield FC and Hallam FC in a fixture widely regarded as football's first-ever local derby. Unfortunately, the game didn't quite meet expectations and ended in a goalless draw.
Bramall Lane was used regularly by the England national team in the past, particularly before Wembley opened in 1923. However, it still remains relevant in international football today and recently hosted four matches at the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.
6. Cardiff City Stadium
- Team: Cardiff City
- Capacity: 33,280
- Opened: 2009
The first and only ground to be located in Wales rather than England on this list, the Cardiff City Stadium is also the newest, opening in 2009 after construction initially began in 2007.
Despite being opened just 15 years ago, the ground has already been renovated, an event which took place in 2014 and saw the Ninian Stand developed and allowed the club to expand its capacity to its current 33,280.
As well as being the home of Cardiff City Football Club, the site was also the home stadium of the Cardiff Blues, a rugby team, until 2012. It has also been the national stadium of Wales since 2009 and has hosted a wide array of international matches as a result.
5. Pride Park
- Team: Derby County
- Capacity: 33,597
- Opened: 1997
Pride Park is a relatively new stadium, having opened in 1997. It has been the home of Derby County for just over 30 years.
The ground may have one of the most interesting official opening stories in the entire country, given that Pride Park was actually first opened by the Queen – in front of a crowd of approximately 30,000 fans on 18 July 1997.
It wasn't until 4 August of that year that the Rams would host their first match at the stadium, welcoming Italian outfit Sampdoria to the venue, a game which left a bitter-sweet taste in the mouths of fans as the club slipped to a 1-0 defeat.
Having been built in an era controlled and regulated by various health and safety rules, Pride Park's record attendance is perhaps underwhelming compared to other clubs. It was set in 2000 when a crowd of 33,378 watched on as the Rams took on Liverpool in the Premier League.
4. Riverside Stadium
- Team: Middlesborough
- Capacity: 33,746
- Opened: 1995
A throwback to a more traditional stadium style, Riverside Stadium opened in 1995 and has been the home of Middlesborough Football Club ever since. As with many of the grounds on this list, it was built in response to the Taylor Report, which required all stadiums to be all-seated facilities and replaced the previous Ayresome Park in the process.
Its record attendance was set less than 10 years after its opening, when, in 2003, the England national team welcomed Slovakia to the ground in front of 35,000 spectators.
Riverside hosted several international fixtures during this time and has also been the venue for multiple rugby matches and music concerts. Already the fourth biggest stadium in the Championship, there are reportedly provisional plans in place to expand the current capacity if and when the club feel it is necessary.
3. Elland Road
- Team: Leeds United
- Capacity: 37,890
- Opened: 1897
Arguably the home of the biggest club on this list, Leeds United's Elland Road sees us take a substantial jump in terms of capacity within the ground. Its ability to hold over 37,000 spectators means it is the third-largest stadium in the Championship.
Despite its obvious status within English football, Elland Road started its life as primarily a home ground for Rugby League side Holbeck. In fact, Leeds United did not use it until over twenty years after its opening in 1919.
However, as mentioned, the ground is now steeped in historical importance within football, having hosted multiple FA Cup semi-finals and also a handful of fixtures as a venue at the 1996 European Championships.
Its record attendance is by far and away the highest on the list so far, with over 57,000 fans flocking to Elland Road in 1967 to watch Leeds United take on Sunderland in the FA Cup.
With Leeds currently looking well-placed for a potential promotion this season, we may just see Elland Road back in the Premier League for the 2024/25 campaign.
2. Hillsborough
- Team: Sheffield Wednesday
- Capacity: 39,859
- Opened: 1899
It is impossible to talk about Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium without touching on the Hillsborough disaster of 1989. On this day, a combination of poor organisation, sub-par health and safety regulations as well as gross misconduct resulted in a catastrophic incident which saw 97 Liverpool fans tragically lose their lives.
Hillsborough's reputation has been tarnished ever since; however, the ground has also done plenty of good within the sport. It was used as a venue at both the 1966 World Cup, made even more special by England‘s eventual triumph in the competition, and also for the 1996 European Championships.
Its record attendance obliterates that of the aforementioned Elland Road, with a figure of over 72,000 being achieved during an FA Cup clash with Manchester City in 1932. Hillsborough also reportedly holds the record for the highest attendance at a third-tier football match in England, when a crowd of over 49,000 were in attendance as Wednesday thrashed their bitter rivals, Sheffield United, 4-0 in 1976.
1. Stadium of Light
- Team: Sunderland
- Capacity: 48,707
- Opened: 1997
And the biggest Championship ground is the Stadium of Light, home of Sunderland. With a capacity of over 49,000 spectators, the site dwarfs the stadiums of even some of the biggest Premier League clubs—Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, for example, only has a capacity of 40,341.
A notorious ground within English football, the Stadium of Light has hosted three matches for the national team, as well as several England youth team fixtures. But, perhaps its biggest claim to fame is of course hosting many a Tyne-Wear derby over the years – one of the most fierce rivalries in the country.
The ground's current record attendance for football is 48,353, set during a match against Liverpool in 2002. However, reports suggest that the Stadium of Light's design allows for further expansion up to a potential 66,000, so that figure could one day increase even further.
Biggest stadium ever in the Championship
Cover your eyes Sunderland fans – you aren't going to like this. The biggest stadium to have been used by a side competing in the Championship is… St James' Park, the home of Newcastle United since 1892.
Although the Magpies are currently hailed as one of the best teams in the Premier League, that hasn't always been the case and at various points, Newcastle have played their football in the second tier of English football.
With a capacity of 52,405, it is the largest stadium in the country, marginally beating out the second-placed Stadium of Light by around 3,000.