The Championship has several drawcards for businessmen throughout the world trying to earn money in football, the most important of which is promotion to the Premier League.
This has resulted in individuals in the boardroom at second-tier clubs making numerous headlines over the years for the ways in which they have ran a club, whether successfully or nearly bankrupt.
The Championship is in an unusual position, with an extension of the play-offs offering two more clubs an opportunity at earning hundreds of millions of pounds through promotion to the so-called ‘richest game in football’, indicating that ambition has not been lacking this season.
However, certain owners have received a lot of criticism for their behaviour, so Football League World has ranked all 24 owners from worst to best.
24Watford – Gino Pozzo
Gino Pozzo, Watford’s owner since July 2012, will kick things off.
The Hornets have, of course, had numerous Premier League campaigns and reached an FA Cup final since then, but the Italian’s trigger-happy mentality when it comes to hiring and firing managers continues to perplex fans and the wider footballing world.
Alessio Dionisi took over as Hertfordshire’s 24th head coach in June, but the team appears to be slipping further behind.
23Blackburn Rovers – The Venky’s
The Venkys bought Blackburn Rovers for £23 million in November 2010, but the former Premier League champions are a long way from reaching those heights again right now.
The Indian poultry corporation, headed by the Rao family, is thought to be one of the wealthiest ownership groups in the division, although they have yet to see a return on their investment due to a lack of resources available to several managers since their relegation to the Championship in 2012.
Between 2023 and 2026, the business was also embroiled in a legal conflict with the Indian Ministry of Finance.
22Preston North End – The Hemmings family
Following Trevor Hemmings’ death five years ago, the Hemmings family continues to control Preston North End, but it is unclear how long they will do so.
The Lilywhites are said to be in talks about a takeover right now, while on the pitch, Graham Alexander will be aiming to change the tide.
21Sheffield United – 1919 Partners
Sheffield United’s owners, Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, bought the club from United World for £100 million in December 2024, but fans are now demanding answers about what is going on in the Bramall Lane boardroom.
There has been much discussion about a potential 12-point reduction for the Blades when the original firm was wound up, with 1919 Partners now serving as the principal holding company, while Prince Abdullah claims he is still owed £35 million.
Along with the boardroom debacles, American investors failed to please fans by firing Chris Wilder in June 2025 and then returning to the 59-year-old after Ruben Selles’ unsuccessful tenure.
20Burnley – ALK Capital
Alan Pace has owned Burnley through ALK Capital since December 2020, but it’s safe to say the American isn’t popular at Turf Moor right now for a variety of reasons.
The Clarets have lost their previously established Premier League status since then, with fans enraged by a lack of investment, particularly following promotions from the Championship in 2023 and 2025.
Pace also sparked uproar when he contrasted the reaction he received from Espanyol supporters to that of Burnley fans after completing his ownership of the La Liga club in October 2025.
19Cardiff City – Vincent Tan
Vincent Tan’s tenure as Cardiff City chairman has been fraught with controversy, with the team having played in the Premier League, Championship, and League One over the past 16 years.
The most visible of these was the club’s controversial colour and badge change in 2012, which lasted until January 2015, and the Malaysian has recently turned down offers for the club, including one from Cardiff native Gareth Bale.
18West Ham United – Daniel Kretinsky
Although West Ham United is yet to acknowledge this, it has been generally believed that Daniel Kretinsky has agreed to become the Irons’ majority stakeholder within the huge ownership structure at the London Stadium.
This would reduce the stake owned by controversial former co-owner David Sullivan, who recently left, while the Czech billionaire has stated his plans to improve several elements of the club, including the matchday experience in E20.
17Wolves – Fosun International
Next up is Wolves’ ownership group, Fosun International, who paid £45 million for the club in 2016, and saw their investment pay off with promotion to the Premier League, two seventh-place finishes, and a deep UEFA Europa League run.
However, in recent years, the tide has undoubtedly turned at Molineux, with a slew of big-name players being sold for hefty prices and failing to be effectively replaced in the eyes of fans.
Nathan Shi has also faced criticism from locals since taking over as chairman following Jeff Shi’s retirement last year.
16Charlton Athletic – Global Football Partners
Charlton Athletic has faced lots of ownership upheaval, but it thought that such accomplishments would come to a stop following Global Football Partners’ takeover in 2023.
However, it remains to be seen what the Addicks’ long-term orientation will be, as the US investment firm plans to sell the South London club in August 2026.
Oakwell Sports Advisory has been charged with looking for fresh investment, and they feel Charlton is “the last remaining football club upside opportunity in London”.
15Queens Park Rangers – Ruben Gnanalingam
Ruben Gnanalingam, a Malaysian investor, presently owns a controlling share in Queens Park Rangers worth slightly under 60% at Loftus Road.
However, like Charlton, the West London club has been looking for new funding for just over three years, but it has failed to arrive.
However, Julien Stephan has been backed by the present consortium since his appointment as head coach in 2025, ten years after Rangers last competed in the Premier League.
14Lincoln City – Ron Fowler
Ron Fowler was confirmed as Lincoln City’s new chairman in February 2026, having been linked with the Imps since April 2024 through a minority investment.
Since then, the club has returned to the Championship for the first time since 1961, and the ProAmpac Stadium is currently undergoing extensive renovations as part of the club’s long-term vision.
Unsurprisingly, Lincoln broke their transfer record under Fowler’s leadership with the late-season signing of Mikkel Ladefoged.
13Norwich City – Mark Attanasio
Mark Attanasio, an American investor, acquired majority control of Norwich City in 2024 after getting connected with the club two years prior, and the Canaries have had mixed results since then.
However, the current owner has fully backed Philippe Clement in the Belgian’s first two transfer windows at Carrow Road, and despite a slew of injury difficulties, Attanasio may be forced to make yet another big decision in the future if City’s uneven start to the season worsens.
12West Bromwich Albion – Shilen Patel
Shilen Patel was viewed as a rescuer by West Bromwich Albion fans after his £60 million takeover in February 2024, but things haven’t been easy since then.
Baggies fans have praised the chairman’s candour, but Patel has undoubtedly borne the brunt of Guochuan Lai’s turbulent spell on the board of The Hawthorns, which included having to repay high-profile loans.
Albion received a contentious two-point deduction in April 2026 for violating the EFL’s PSR regulations, but supporters clearly directed their rage at the governing body rather than Patel.
11Bristol City – Steve Lansdown
There are questions about Steve Lansdown’s long-term future as Bristol City owner, but it is fair to say the club has been in good hands since he became chairman in 2002.
Ashton Gate has been transformed into a generally cutting-edge arena over the last decade, but on the pitch, supporters have occasionally grown irritated with the lifelong Robins fan’s desire to back managers in the transfer market.
City reached the Championship play-offs two seasons ago and will be hoping for more of the same following an exciting spending spree under Michael Skubala, albeit there are rumours of a George Daskalakis takeover.
10Southampton – Dragan Solak
Dragan Solak bought Southampton for £100 million in January 2022, and the club’s fortunes have been severely mixed since then, with two promotions and relegations between the Premier League and Championship.
However, the Serbian has not been reluctant to invest in the playing team over that time period, but a number of transfer deals and managerial appointments have failed for various reasons.
However, Saints fans will be impressed by Solak’s support for Tonda Eckert in the aftermath of Spygate, which could prove to be a masterstroke in both the short and long term.
9Swansea City – Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen
In May 2023, Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen took over as controlling owners of Swansea City, which many fans applauded after Jason Levein and Steve Kaplan’s tenure on the board had come to an end.
American investors have made recent decisions in South Wales, including bringing in Snoop Dogg and Luka Modrić as minority investors and employing Vitor Matos, which may result in a successful season.
The Portuguese was heavily backed this summer and has signed numerous flair players who could add significant resale value to the club in the years ahead.
8Stoke City – John Coates
John Coates’ family has invested millions of pounds in Stoke City since the 1980s, with the Bet365 CEO becoming the sole owner in 2024 due to a structural change in the company.
Since their relegation from the Premier League eight years ago, the Potters have made significant investments in many transfer markets, but they have yet to finish in the top half of the Championship.
As a result, Coates will be hoping that his choice to keep Mark Robins in the dugout pays off after a promising start to the season in which even more money was spent.
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