SOCCER
English Championship crests 2018-19
August 3, 2018 - May 5, 2019 - English Football League Championship season, officially known as the Sky Bet Championship.
Derby County, play-off contenders last season, kick off the season away to Reading on Friday, while former Premier League rivals Stoke City, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion begin their campaigns against Leeds United, Sheffield United and Bolton Wanderers respectively. Elsewhere, Blackburn Rovers, Rotherham United and Wigan Athletic all return to the second tier of English football after just one season in the league below.
The top two teams at the end of the season in May will gain automatic promotion to the Premier League, while teams from third to sixth play-off for one final berth.