The Latest Championship News, Views and general gossip.
- Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:30:00 +0000: Southampton manager Tonda Eckert hit with three FA charges after Spygate scandal - EFL Championship News, Features, Opinion - talkSPORT
Tonda Eckert has been charged with three breaches of the FA’s rules relating to spying on opponents.
The Southampton manager’s alleged breaches relate to matches against Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough last season.
Eckert has been charged with three breaches of spying rules by the FA Getty Saints were disqualified from the Championship play-offs in May after their spying offences came to light.
An analyst intern was caught filming a Boro training session ahead of their first leg meeting at the Riverside Stadium.
The two further spying incidents later came to light, with the club also deducted four points for the coming season.
Eckert has been given seven days to respond to the FA charges.
However, talkSPORT understands he is unlikely to contest them.
Southampton statement
Responding to the charges in a statement, Southampton said: “Southampton Football Club and First Team Head Coach Tonda Eckert acknowledge today’s charges from The FA relating to a breach of Rule E3.1.
“Tonda and the club will continue to cooperate fully and openly with the FA.
“Our focus remains on preparations for the 2026/27 Championship season.
“The club remains fully supportive of Tonda and his staff as we work towards our ambition of returning to the Premier League.
“We are unable to comment further while the process remains ongoing, but we will provide an update to supporters as soon as we are in a position to do so.”
Eckert has been given seven days to respond to the charges but is not expected to contest them Getty Saints begin the new Championship season away to Watford on Sunday, August 16.
Eckert’s future
Eckert’s future had appeared to be in doubt following the Spygate scandal, with his side blocked from appearing in the play-off final.
Having beaten Boro 2-1 on aggregate, their opponents were reinstated before losing to Hull City at Wembley Stadium.
However, Southampton owner Dragan Solak later backed Eckert to continue in the role.
The 33-year-old has been in permanent charge since December following a five-match caretaker spell at St. Mary’s.
His current deal is due to run until the end of the 2026/27 season.
Southampton were disqualified from the play-offs and handed a points deduction for spying on their opponents Getty Since being named as permanent manager, Eckert has won 21 of 35 matches in all competitions and suffered just five defeats.
As well as finishing fourth in the Championship last season, Saints also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
- Sat, 18 Jul 2026 14:30:42 +0000: Millwall have two stars sent off in pre-season win in Spain as match descends into chaos - EFL Championship News, Features, Opinion - talkSPORT
Millwall’s 2-1 pre-season win over Eldense on Friday ended on a sour note as three red cards were dished out.
Strikes from summer signings Tairyk Arconte and Mark Sykes saw the Lions take a two-goal lead, before the Spanish side bagged a late consolation.
Neil oversaw a return to winning ways in pre-season on Friday Getty However, the game was marred by ill-discipline as the referee sent three players off.
Goalscorer Arconte was shown his marching orders shortly after the restart for dissent.
Casper De Norre was then dismissed just six minutes after his second-half introduction.
Eldense proceeded to batter the Millwall goal, as they struck the crossbar twice in the final knockings.
Lukas Jensen made a fine stop to deny an Eldense chance, while Ryan Leonard cleared an effort off the line.
The hosts struck a late consolation and received a red card for their troubles in the final act of the pre-season clash.
‘The referee lost control’
Despite ending the game with nine men, Millwall boss Alex Neil, who has been tipped to take over as Scotland boss, was full of praise for his players.
“I thought we were excellent first half, we moved the ball really well, scored two really good goals. It was nice to see Arconte getting on the scoresheet,” Neil said after the one-goal win.
“The first-half performance was excellent, the goals were thoroughly deserved. Sykesy as well pops up with a goal so it’s nice for the to new lads to get on the scoresheet.
Neil criticised the referee during their pre-season win over Eldense. Getty “There were a lot of good performances, right across the first half we were the better side.
“We moved the ball really well, which I was really pleased with. I didn’t think we did that as well in the last game, so that was a big improvement.”
Neil then took aim at the referee, adding: “The referee just lost control of the game. Never in my coaching life have I seen two players getting sent off for very, very little.
“It’s not even a tackle – I don’t think there was a bad tackle in the game.
“So for him to send the lads off was a strange one. What would normally happen in that instance is he would tell me you need to take the player off and then we take him off and replace him with someone else.
“Because tonight Jack Howland couldn’t get any game-time because I was only allowed to put ten players on [as substitutes] in the second half.”
Neil continued: “To be with nine men for 30 minutes and concede one goal, which I thought was a bit unfortunate, I was really pleased.
“We had Camiel Neghli playing left-back, we had Raf [Lamptey] playing right-back, we had Lenny [Ryan Leonard] playing centre-back, for them to come through it was remarkable, really.”
Millwall are next in action next week when they face Gillingham as they step up their pre-season preparations.
The south London side will hope to go one better in the coming campaign having made it as far as the Championship play-off semi-finals before falling to eventual winners Hull City.
Millwall get their 2026/27 season underway with a trip to Bristol City next month.
- Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:13:18 +0000: Championship club finally agree deal to buy £27m stadium after playing in it for two decades - EFL Championship News, Features, Opinion - talkSPORT
Swansea City have agreed to buy the Swansea.com Stadium from the local council, 21 years after they moved into the ground.
The Swans first played at the 21,088-capacity venue, formerly known as the Liberty Stadium, in 2005.
Swansea are set to have ownership of their stadium Getty Swansea Council built the stadium for a reported £27million and have owned it since then.
However, ownership is now set to be transferred to the Championship club, who have had operational control for eight years.
According to council leader Rob Stewart via the BBC, the stadium sale price will exceed a ‘fair open-market value’.
It is also said that Swansea believe their acquisition will allow them to generate more income and draw in further investment.
Major step for Swansea
Top of the club’s ownership structure with a 71.18 per cent stake are Swansea Football LLC, controlled by Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen.
British businessman Nigel Morris owns 12.9 per cent, whilst Swansea City Supporters Society Ltd have another 6.98 per cent.
Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric is also part of the ownership group, as well as rap legend Snoop Dogg, who modelled last season’s home kit.
Swansea’s owners want to secure promotion back to the Premier League, which they last featured in during the 2017/18 campaign.
“It’s very difficult for them (the club) to do that if they’re not in control of the asset,” said Stewart.
The purchase of their stadium marks a significant boost towards that goal as they head into a ninth consecutive Championship season.
Swansea have played at their home ground for over two decades Getty Swansea’s Premier League wait goes on
Following relegation from the top flight in 2018, Swansea have come close to returning on two occasions.
They reached the Championship play-offs in 2020 and 2021, but lost in the respective semi-finals and final.
Since then, they have only finished as high as tenth in the second tier, with 11th being their final standing for last season.
Swansea’s hopes of promotion will be boosted in the new season due to the introduction of two extra play-off places.
Teams finishing third to sixth normally enter the play-offs, but now seventh and eighth will also be involved.
Third and fourth enter the semi-finals, whilst fifth face eighth and sixth take on seventh in one-match eliminators to reach the last four.
- Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:31:48 +0000: Jude Bellingham tipped for shock transfer to EFL side before he turns 30 - EFL Championship News, Features, Opinion - talkSPORT
Could Jude Bellingham end up making an emotional return to Birmingham City in the next seven years?
talkSPORT commentator and Birmingham fan Ian Danter thinks so, due to the England superstar’s lifelong love for the club.
Bellingham has been tipped to rejoin his boyhood club in the next few years Getty Bellingham started his career with his boyhood team, making his senior debut aged 16 where he instantly becoming a star.
His incredible performances led to interest from European giants in rapid time, with Borussia Dortmund swooping in.
Dortmund signed a 17-year-old Bellingham in 2020 for a deal rising up to £22.75million – and his career exploded.
After three years in Germany and 132 appearances for the Bundesliga giants, he had Real Madrid knocking at the door.
His 24 goals and 25 assists for the club had attracted Real and they spent a whopping £88.5m to bring the Englishman to Spain.
Since then, Bellingham has shot to world stardom, becoming one of the best midfielders on the planet, winning the Champions League and now spearheading England’s run to a World Cup semi-final.
He’s done all of that by the age of 23, so what could happen to him over the next seven years?
The Prodigal Son returns?
Well, talkSPORT’s Danter thinks he could return home, saying: “I have had this bet with Andy Goldstein… I said that he’d be back at Birmingham by the time he’s 30.
“And my reason for thinking that is here we are as a club now, way beyond where we were when Jude left.
“We now have plans for a new stadium that could be completed within five years and the plan is to be a Premier League team again within five years.
Bellingham seemed to hint at an interest in coming back to Birmingham when looking at new stadium plans YouTube “Now, Jude saw the plans, it was part of the launch video… he was exclusively shown the plans on a trip back to St. Andrews, and his first reaction was to look at the film crew and go, wow.
“He said: ‘When’s this going to be ready?’ They said it would be about five years and he just looked into the camera, and it sort of said that he may have logged that for reference.
“It depends on how his next four or five years go as a player. He may win everything there is to win at Real Madrid and think, ‘what’s next?’
“The Prodigal Son returns? I wouldn’t bet against it at all.”
Beloved Birmingham
Bellingham was born in Stourbridge in Dudley, to the west of Birmingham, beginning his youth football in the town.
He then signed for Birmingham City at Under-8 level, going on to spend nine years in the academy system before making his debut.
Bellingham broke through to become a superstar at Birmingham aged 16 Getty Danter and many Blues fans were already aware of the young star as he was coming through the ranks at the time.
“We’re talking 2018,” Danter started. “I was told there was this kid who’s 15 and playing for the under-23s already and he was not just playing for them, he was bossing it.
“Just like the people of Liverpool with Wayne Rooney before his goal against Arsenal for Everton, we’d heard the name.
“Fast forward a year to August 2019 and Bellingham started at Fratton Park… a lot of kids were picked that night, Portsmouth walloped us, but Jude completely stood out in terms of his swagger, confidence, ability to find other players.
“His voice on the pitch, you could see even at that age that he was a very demonstrative character.
“He then scored against Stoke and then scored against Charlton in front of the away fans and he did that outstretched arm celebration for the first time, and that’s become one of his trademarks.”
Bellingham has become one of the world’s best at Real – but could he return home? Getty Proving his love
That was the start of his now iconic celebration, which he now uses after every goal for Real Madrid and England.
But of course, he would leave Birmingham just a year after his debut – although even then, he showed his love for the club.
Bellingham made sure to sign a professional deal with the Blues so they could sell him for a fee when they were struggling financially, which was a decision that made a huge impact.
“That was down to him and his dad,” Danter explained. “They made sure he signed pro forms when he turned 16, so we could command a fee for him, rather than him not sign and walk away.
“But Jude and his dad’s love of the club and their desire to make sure everything was done to give the club the very best it could be, they made sure they signed pro forms.
“The club were in pretty desperate straits with the previous ownership, it was lamentable, so it’s not an exaggeration to say that the money we got for Jude was vitally important.”
- Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:43:42 +0000: Danny Dyer gives major Jarrod Bowen transfer update amid uncertain West Ham future - EFL Championship News, Features, Opinion - talkSPORT
Danny Dyer has seemingly confirmed that Jarrod Bowen is staying at West Ham United this summer.
There has been speculation over the winger’s future since they were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.
Bowen’s future has been uncertain throughout the summer Getty A move to Liverpool, in which Bowen would arrive as the replacement for Mohamed Salah, has been suggested.
Aston Villa have also been credited with interest in signing the 29-year-old, who will be preparing for the upcoming Championship campaign.
However, according to his father-in-law Dyer, West Ham looks set to remain his home.
Will he stay, or will he go?
Speaking to talkSPORT’s Ian Abrahams at the charity match ‘A Match for Emilee’, which raised money for his cousin’s daughter who suffers with neuroblastoma, he said: “He’s a very great, loyal man.
“First and foremost, he is my family, the father of my grandchildren, of course. It’s been tough for him.
“He does deserve Champions League football and whatever decision he makes, or made, I would have supported him.
“I don’t think he’s going anywhere, and I think he will rip up the Championship, don’t you worry yourself about that.”
West Ham fans may have already had an inkling that Bowen will stay as he featured in their new home kit launch.
talkSPORT also understands that Hammers co-owner Daniel Kretinsky is hopeful of keeping him despite relegation.
Kretinsky wants his captain to stay and lead their fight for promotion back to the Premier League in the upcoming season.
Bowen is all but confirmed to stay at West Ham, as per his father-in-law Getty Back to the top
West Ham battled for survival in the top flight against Tottenham Hotspur during the latter stages of the 2025/26 campaign.
However, despite beating Leeds United 3-0 on the final day, it was their London rivals Spurs who stayed up.
The Hammers are back in the second tier of English football for the first time since the 2011/12 season.
They have also seen Mateus Fernandes join Spurs in a £85million move, but Dyer is confident that his beloved West Ham will go up.
“Absolutely,” he insisted when asked if they will get promoted. “It ain’t hit me yet, the season ended and then the World Cup started.
“The fixture list came out the other day and I was having a look at it… first of all, I was looking at the Millwall games, obviously. It’s a reset.
Bowen will be crucial to West Ham’s chances of promotion AFP “The thing that hurts the most is obviously it was down to us and Tottenham, of all clubs. I’ve been a West Ham fan for most of my life, so I’m used to heartbreak.
“You know yourself that we had a recent little run where we won a cup, and now it’s back to heartbreak again. It’s been 15 years since we were relegated.
“But, I don’t know what the expectations are of our club, really. I think we do need a change, we do need a reset, and we go again. It will be nice to see us win a few games, I’ll tell you that now.”
West Ham begin their season on August 8 with a Carabao Cup first round clash against Portsmouth.
A Basic list of recent teams in the Championship
Barnsley
Birmingham
Blackpool
Bristol City
Brighton
Burnley
Cardiff City
Coventry City
Crystal Palace
Derby
Doncaster
Hull City
Ipswich Town
Leeds United
Leicester City
Middlesborough
Millwall
Nottingham Forest
Peterborough
Portsmouth
Reading
Southampton
Watford
West Ham
More Information on each Football Team will be duly added shortly, along with Daily Motion details on the latest Videos.