Championship — the week in brief
Krystian Bielik has been suspended for two matches and fined £10,000 by the Football Association after an incident during Cardiff City’s Championship fixture at Portsmouth on 5 September. The midfielder was charged with misconduct last month over an altercation with a young Portsmouth supporter at Fratton Park. An independent Regulatory Commission imposed the sanction following a hearing.
Ashley Phillips is on international duty with England Under-21s. The Middlesbrough defender had a growth spurt at around 13, when his balance and mobility were affected and coaches at Blackburn used the nickname Bambi on Ice. He has since developed into a centre-half comfortable carrying the ball out of defence.
Romain Saiss featured for Wolves at Middlesbrough in March 2018, a match the visitors won after being reduced to nine men. Helder Costa and Ivan Cavaleiro scored first-half goals, Ruben Neves was sent off after 56 minutes and Matt Doherty followed on 71. Wolves had not won at Middlesbrough in 26 visits dating back to 1951.
Graham Alexander has been appointed Preston North End manager. Former players at Fleetwood Town and elsewhere have recounted his conduct during their time under him, including flowers sent to the home of Conor McLaughlin after the birth of his first child. McLaughlin credited Alexander with helping him reach 43 caps for Northern Ireland.
Norwich City appointed Dr Paul Ford MBE as performance director on 2 April this year, after a season disrupted by injuries. Dr Ford spent more than 15 years with the British Olympic Association, leading Team GB performance strategy and serving as Chef de Mission for several teams. Head coach Philippe Clement now receives objective data to inform selection.
John Francis scored the goal that ended Burnley’s spell in the bottom tier of English football. The Clarets, twice champions of England, had sunk to the fourth division in the 1980s and almost dropped out of the Football League altogether in 1987. A 2-1 victory over Orient at Turf Moor on the final day rescued the club.
Around the Championship
- Birmingham — Chris Davies prepared his Birmingham squad for Saturday’s derby at West Brom, with the international break giving Albion time to regroup after their Black Country defeat.
- Blackburn — Dapo Afolayan’s two months at Blackburn Rovers under Tony Mowbray brought a Championship Player of the Month nomination for September after his January arrival.
- Bolton — Steven Schumacher’s Stoke spell ended in September 2024 with the club 13th in the Championship, and he now manages Bolton Wanderers.
- Bristol City — Brian De Keersmaecker and Rio Cardines are available for Bristol City’s Saturday lunchtime trip to Charlton Athletic, with Luke McNally, Noah Eile and Lorent Tolaj also assessed.
- Burnley — Burnley sit bottom of the Championship after failing to win any of their first eight games, with Glen Little flagging the position.
- Cardiff — Jay Bothroyd put forward former Cardiff City team-mate Stephen McPhail for a senior football role at the club amid calls to strengthen the board-level operation.
- Charlton — Charlton Athletic’s Under-21s lost 4-1 at Bristol City, where Elijah Adebayo made his first start since signing and played 66 minutes.
- Derby — Derby County returned to Moor Farm after a three-week international break that gave John Eustace time on the training ground with the summer signings.
- Lincoln — Joe Morrell’s three-year Portsmouth career ended in summer 2024 when a serious knee injury arrived as his contract expired following promotion.
- Middlesbrough — Kim Hellberg put Middlesbrough’s fringe players through a fortnight of work before the Riverside meeting with Wolves, their first game in three weeks.
- Millwall — Alex Neil assessed Millwall’s squad ahead of the trip to Preston North End, with several key players in contention to return from injury.
- Norwich — Norwich City travelled to Swansea City after a slower-than-expected start to the campaign and an extended international break on the training ground.
- Portsmouth — Portsmouth’s search for a head of performance continued, with Rich Hughes overseeing the process and interviews yet to begin.
- Preston — Graham Alexander took charge of Preston North End against Millwall at Deepdale after his appointment as first-team manager the previous week.
- QPR — QPR faced West Ham in a London derby at the London Stadium, with Julien Stephan’s side seeking a result against the Championship heavyweights.
- Sheffield Utd — Sheffield United remained in constant contact with players and agents over extending key contracts at Bramall Lane, with the club’s financial position shaping the talks.
- Southampton — Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert received a six-week suspended ban and a £28,000 fine for authorising three spying missions on opponents last season.
- Stoke City — Mark Robins missed out on the manager of the month award to West Ham’s boss, extending Stoke City’s wait for the honour beyond 18-and-a-half years.
- Swansea — Swansea City sat top of the Championship during the international break, which ended for their Welsh contingent with a Nations League defeat to Denmark.
- West Brom — West Brom hosted Birmingham on Saturday after the international break gave Albion three weeks to work following their Black Country derby defeat.
- West Ham — West Ham women lost 3-0 at home to Chelsea on Sunday, setting up with a back three against the unbeaten visitors.
- Wolves — Wolves resumed their Championship campaign under Cesar Peixoto after an impressive start before the international break, with a trip to Middlesbrough’s Riverside.
No local coverage was filed this week for Watford.
We do not yet track a local outlet for Wrexham, so they are absent from this round-up — a gap in our sourcing, not in their coverage.
Championship Table
Championship digest, 02 October 2026 – 09 October 2026. Compiled from 32 articles across 6 publishers. Leads selected by cross-publisher corroboration. About our editorial process.
