With the riches of the Premier League just a step away, many clubs in the Championship take quite a few punts to try and get themselves into the top-flight of English football.

From fallen giants to clubs that are upwardly mobile and on a consistent upwards trajectory, every supporter of every club has a story to tell and an opinion on the way in which their club is run.

We have seen clubs veer into crisis and disaster but also propel themselves through the divisions in a sustainable and professional manner – and that mix makes the second-tier a fascinating watch year upon year.

As the 24 clubs jostle for position once more and supporters continue to have their view on the mechanics of the respective operations, FLW has consulted AI chatbot ChatGPT on what it says are the best owners for the level.

8 Shelby Companies Ltd (Birmingham City)

Eighth on the list of best owners of a Championship club, according to AI, is Birmingham City’s ownership group Shelby Companies Ltd, led by chairman Tom Wagner.

In a group that also consists of investment from Tom Brady, Birmingham owner Tom Wagner is deemed one of the best owners in the division with its significant investment and ambition, according to ChatGPT.

Wagner took charge at Birmingham and initially set the club back to League One with some tricky decision-making, but a heavy summer of spending in 2024 saw them bounce straight back, and they have ambitions of reaching the Premier League this season – while also embarking upon a new stadium project and transforming a major part of Birmingham as a city with a new Sports Quarter.

7 Norfolk FB Holdings LLC (Norwich City)

Norwich City owners may feel frustrated at their stagnation in the second-tier in the last couple of seasons, but AI has ownership group Norfolk FB Holdings LLC seventh on the list of the best owners, led by chairman Mark Attanasio.

According to the AI chatbot, Attanasio and his ownership has provided backing to both managers and within the squad that still needs to find consistency and continue to prove itself.

The Canaries finished very well last season and had anticipated a promotion challenge this time around, but they have been undermined by a poor start to the campaign under the management of Philippe Clement. Norwich have a strong squad chock-full of what would appear to be very good saleable assets at some stage and eventual consistency on the pitch will reflect well on the owners.

6 Lincoln City Holdings Ltd (Lincoln City)

Perhaps lower down on the list provided by AI than many would have expected are Lincoln City and their owner, Ron Fowler, who heads up Lincoln City Holdings Ltd.

Fowler’s support of stadium improvements and investment in the playing squad marks him out as one of the best, according to ChatGPT – and Lincoln do find themselves in an extremely impressive spot.

Despite the departure of promotion-winning coach Michael Skubala, the unusual decision to appoint co-managers Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw has paid off thus far, as Lincoln look like a side that will comfortably cement themselves in the Championship. They, too, have sold well and big in recent years and their recruitment has been extremely impressive as they mark themselves out as one of the best run clubs in England.

Next on the list is another ownership group with celebrity status, due to the involvement of both Luka Modric and Snoop Dogg, and that is Swansea Football LLC – led by American businessmen Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen.

According to the AI, Swansea City are benefitting from a fresh sporting project and recruitment strategy with the potential to build a competitive side – and a competitive side is something they possess.

Under the management of Vitor Matos, Swansea have led the Championship for a few weeks this season and their squad is certainly a strong one. The Jacks remain in a strong position to challenge for a return to the Premier League this season.

Another one whereby supporters may well have become frustrated by a stagnation and malaise in recent seasons, Bilkul Football WBA and West Bromwich Albion chairman Shilen Patel are next on the list.

Patel is as high as fourth due to his more open leadership style that the AI insists should give supporters reason to be optimistic about the future and the direction of the club.

Having staved off relegation last season, James Morrison and his Albion side began this campaign extremely well, but a small squad did suggest they may not be able to sustain a top two challenge. The Baggies remain a strong team and investment from the owners in January may well be a saving grace in pushing them into the play-offs.

3 Sport Republic (Southampton)

Another club whereby supporters have expressed frustration at the owners but rank highly on AI’s list is that of Sport Republic and Southampton, led by Dragan Solak.

A multi-club ownership model alongside Goztepe and Valenciennes, Southampton have yo-yo’d from the Premier League and the Championship under their ownership, with criticism of recruitment being a main talking point within the fanbase, but AI believes the willingness to invest in the squad leaves them as the third-best ownership group.

Having stuck by Tonda Eckert after their removal from last season’s play-off final due to ‘Spygate’, Southampton began this season with a four-point deduction, and yet they remain well in the mix for promotion.

2 Steve Lansdown (Bristol City)

Major stadium improvements to Ashton Gate and providing a strong foundation for the club are the reasons that AI has marked out Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown as the second-best owner in the Championship.

Majority shareholder at rugby union side Bristol Bears and basketball team the Bristol Flyers, as well as at City, Lansdown has been the owner of The Robins since 2002, having initially joined the board in 1996.

Bristol City are once again one of the more well-run and sustainable clubs in the Championship, often knocking on the door of the play-offs and even making them a couple of seasons ago. After a heavy summer of investment, particularly in attack with the signings of Dom Ballard and Lorent Tolaj, a promotion challenge is once again expected.

1 Stoke City Holdings Limited (Stoke City)

According to AI chatbot ChatGPT, the best owners in the Championship are Stoke City Holdings Limited at Stoke City and the Coates family, headed up by John Coates.

The Coates family have been involved with Stoke since 1986 when Peter Coates became a minority shareholder of the club after making money from Stadia Catering and Signal 1.

20 years on, and six years after Bet365 formed, the Coates family completed a full takeover of Stoke via Bet365 and the riches of the gambling company have aided The Potters in being one of the wealthiest clubs in the EFL and a club that reached an FA Cup final in the middle of an 11-year stint in the Premier League from 2007 to 2018.

Stoke have made some poor footballing decisions in the last half a decade or so, leading to a stagnation in the Championship but, under the management of Mark Robins, they do appear closer to being a more serious promotion contender.