Ranking all 24 EFL Championship owners from best to worst | OneFootball

Football League World take a deep dive into the 24 Championship owners and rank them from best to worst

The summer of 2025 has perhaps highlighted more than ever the influence a club’s ownership has on its overall success.

The likes of Birmingham City and Wrexham have come flying up from League One determined to achieve glory, whereas less fortunate sides such as Sheffield Wednesday have been tormented by their leaders.

Some outfits are ultimately limited by their owners but enjoy financial security and the comfort of knowing that they can run sustainably.

Ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, Football League World have ranked the 24 Championship owners from best to worst at this moment in time.

1 Birmingham City – Tom Wagner

Tom Wagner has been a sensation at Birmingham City after taking over the club in the summer of 2023, despite suffering relegation during his first season as owner.

Blues enjoyed a record-breaking 111-point promotion campaign last term and have brought that good feeling into the transfer market, with the club linked with deals for the likes of Demarai Gray and Tommy Doyle.

Wagner's vision for the club also includes a £2-3 billion Sports Quarter - a brand-new development in the east of the city that will encompass a new 60,000-seater stadium, training ground and academy facility, plus entertainment, office, residential and retail spaces.

2 Wrexham AFC - Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ownership of Wrexham has been well-documented, but it doesn’t make their achievements any less impressive.

The pair purchased the club in 2021 and during that time have completely transformed the Welsh outfit, guiding them from the National League to the Championship whilst taking their profile onto the global stage.

A Disney+ documentary and Deadpool cameo have made Wrexham a household name in multiple continents and like Birmingham, the future only seems to spell success for the Red Dragons.

3 Middlesbrough – Steve Gibson

Steve Gibson became Middlesbrough's youngest ever director at just 26, and he's been performing his role as chairman since 1994. He is a lifelong Boro fan and helped save the club from liquidation by forming a consortium in 1986.

The 67-year-old has overseen some of Boro's greatest ever days, including a 2004 League Cup win, two UEFA Cup campaigns and many years as a Premier League outfit.

Despite the club’s recent Championship residency, his connection with supporters and natural love for the club makes Gibson one of the division’s best owners.

4 Ipswich Town – Gamechanger 20 Ltd

Ipswich Town have enjoyed some brilliant years since their new ownership came into effect in 2021.

American group Gamechanger 20 Ltd have backed Kieran McKenna’s side sufficiently and the Tractor Boys gave them in an instant return on their investment, securing promotion from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons,

World-famous musician Ed Sheeran has also gotten involved with his boyhood club, buying a stake in Ipswich amounting to 1.4%, whilst also becoming the front-of-shirt sponsor.

Michael Eisner purchased Portsmouth in 2017 and has created a sustainable environment at Fratton Park.

The former Disney chief executive has continuously invested in Pompey throughout his tenure and saw his work pay off with promotion to the Championship in 2024.

Eisner has installed a stable culture at Portsmouth, something the club were crying out for following their financial turmoil in the early 2010s.

The future is bright for Pompey under the Eisner family’s rule and the supporters are right behind them.

Doug King took over Coventry City in 2023 and has experienced mostly highs during his time in charge.

The Sky Blues’ owner has invested well into his squad and made a bold call to dismiss Mark Robins, who had guided the side to the 2023 Championship play-off final and 2024 FA Cup semi-finals.

However, replacing Robins with new boss Frank Lampard turned out to be a masterstroke, with the former Chelsea midfielder changing the squad’s fortunes and leading them to another play-off campaign.

King has continued to back Coventry in the current summer window, and it seems likely that the Sky Blues will fight at the sharp end of the second-tier once more next season.

7 Derby County – David Clowes

Much like Portsmouth, Derby County have recovered from a precarious financial situation in the past to enjoy a real chance of an ambitious future.

Having been relegated from the second tier in 2021/22 after being deducted 12 points for entering administration, and a further nine for financial irregularities, David Clowes took ownership of the Rams.

Within two years, they were back in the Championship, with their new owner backing Paul Warne and now John Eustace handsomely.

The Rams have already made a number of additions so far this window and have big plans for the future, so much so that they managed to prise Eustace from play-off chasing Blackburn whilst they were languishing in the relegation zone.

8 Stoke City – John Coates

John Coates has been full-time owner of Stoke City for over 12 months now, with the Coates family involved in the Potters for almost 40 years.

The Bet365 owners are seriously wealthy, with Forbes estimating John Coates' net worth at around $3.3 billion, which roughly equates to £2.4 billion.

Whilst Stoke haven’t enjoyed too much success over the past decade, that has been more due to poor footballing decisions rather than a lack of investment.

It is on the contrary, with the Coates family keen to back their managers heavily, even if it sometimes has a negative effect on the Potters’ performances.

That said, it is rare for a club to possess such mega-rich local owners, and it feels like just a matter of time before Stoke finally get it right on the pitch.

9 Leicester City - Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha

Leicester City have been owned by the Srivaddhanaprabha family since 2010 and have enjoyed unimaginable success in that time.

Winning the Premier League in 2016 and the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2021 were unwritable triumphs for the Foxes, who were backed by their owners tremendously throughout that time.

However, recent years have seen the club’s fortunes drastically change, suffering two relegations from the top-flight in three years.

This has led to a lot of frustration from supporters, who believe that perhaps it is time to part ways with their current owners.

That said, the Foxes have enjoyed a lifetime’s worth of glory under the Srivaddhanaprabha family and that is reflected in this ranking.

10 Millwall - James Berylson

Millwall have been owned by the Berylson family since 2007, and by James Berylson since his father John’s passing in 2023.

During that time period, the Berylson’s have put over £100 million into the football club and subsequently moved up the Football League’s tiers, becoming Championship play-offs challengers over the past few years.

The Lions’ supporters are eternally grateful to the family for their backing during that spell and will hope that they can finally make that next step to the top-flight under Alex Neil.