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Assessing club stature throughout the EFL Championship landscape is no simple task, yet it's a matter that invariably promises to spark debate and discourse among supporters.
Indeed, it's one of the most topical subjects within the second-tier sphere, which plays host to a number of large clubs with rich histories not necessarily reflective of the level they're currently plying their trade at.
At the other end of the spectrum, of course, there are some smaller sides enjoying their own upward direction of travel, and the Championship can be characterised as having plenty in the way of diversity when it comes to club size.
So, who really are the biggest clubs in the Championship? Who are the smallest? And what would a table look like on the basis of sheer club size?
Two popular figures at the forefront of the EFL scene in YouTube pair Callum Fowler and Tom Garratt weighed in on the debate at the start of the season, where they graded handfuls of every Championship club from smallest to biggest on the Pyramid Podcast.
Featuring five set categories ranging from "tiny" to "massive", let's see how they scored all 24 second-tier sides...
Supporters of Bristol City, Millwall, Swansea, Lincoln and Wrexham may want to look away now. Those five clubs have been graded by Fowler and Garratt as the smallest in the Championship for the 2026/27 campaign, which, all things considered, may not provide too much surprise for the neutrals.
Lincoln, for example, were always a likely contender to feature that low, with the Imps having freshly returned to the second-tier for the first time since 1961.
There's precious little history to speak of, and Lincoln are very much of the upwardly-mobile, plucky-up-and-comer genre as opposed to providing size and stature.
It's quite similar with Wrexham, who have more history higher up the pyramid than Lincoln and were cited by the pair as a "proper football club" but did spend 15 years in the fifth-tier before welcoming the Hollywood riches of Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds and beginning their ascent at breakneck speed with three successive promotions.
As for Bristol City, it was argued that the Robins have historically underperformed to a significant extent, having never played top-flight football despite being based in a large city with such untapped potential.
A lack of major honours and plenty of years spent in the lower leagues meant that, despite City's solidified status as a second-tier ever-present these days, they were never going to score highly over the course of history.
The inclusions of Swansea City and Millwall provided more contentious debate, though. Garratt was not sold on the idea of ranking Swansea as one of the Championship's five smallest clubs, citing the Swans' seven consecutive years in the Premier League alongside a 2013 EFL Cup triumph - yet the size of their fanbase and overall trophy cabinet ultimately saw them consigned to this particular category.
Millwall, meanwhile, would also get a low grade, with no Premier League football or major trophies to speak of counting against them despite previously playing in the old First Division.
Charlton Athletic represented a controversial choice in the small category, and, much like a few of the duo's inclusions there, an argument remains for Nathan Jones' side to be graded more favourably.
It was pointed out that the Addicks do have an FA Cup trophy to their name and solid Premier League pedigree from the past, though ultimately, a smaller fanbase in comparison to other London clubs due to the intense competition at play and a more modest recent history prevented them from making the cut any higher.
Recent history goes a long way as far as Fowler and Garratt are concerned, which is why they graded Preston North End as a "small" club in spite of the Lilywhites' well-stocked trophy cabinet. A founding Football League member, the Lancashire outfit won two top-flight titles - including one as invincibles - alongside a pair of FA Cup triumphs, though all but one of those came before the 20th century and such historic success only carries a certain degree of weight.
Watford's positioning was a simple one, mind you, with the pair agreeing in light of the Hornets' lack of silverware and notable fanbase while paying homage to respectable top-flight history.
There was no debate whatsoever when it came to QPR, who had a few years of Premier League football at the start of the 2010s and were previously a major top-flight player but have a sole League Cup title to their name all the way back in 1966 and, much like Charlton, are just lagging behind some considerably bigger clubs in London.
Cardiff City also have just one major honour in the form of an FA Cup triumph 99 years ago, which prevented the Bluebirds from featuring in the "tiny" category alongside two fierce rivals in Swansea and Bristol City. They do, however, strut their stuff in a capital city with a large backing and catchment area, long giving the Welsh side the characterisation of a sleeping-giant with just two separate seasons of Premier League football in their mixed history.
There are a series of debatable inclusions in the middle-of-the-pack category, with fans of Birmingham City and Southampton likely to question Fowler and Garratt's grading decisions.
The Carrow Road faithful could too, with Norwich only featuring in what is essentially mid-table despite always having strong home crowds, many Premier League seasons and a pair of League Cup triumphs.
There are bigger fish at this level, though, which is why Birmingham were capped in the average region. Blues' renowned support both home and away received credit alongside two League Cup wins just like Norwich, yet it was pointed out that they have spent a short amount of time at the highest level relative to their size and fanbase.
Bluenoses won't like this, but the pair's argument that Aston Villa's overwhelming stature in the Second City holds Birmingham back may just carry some weight.
Burnley are rather similar to local rivals Preston in the context of having deep historical success with two league titles and an FA Cup trophy to boot, though their numerous Premier League campaigns gives the Clarets some credit in the bank. As does a decently-sized fanbase relative to a small town size, of course, but after some discourse, they ultimately settled on an average ranking for Burnley.
A lack of major honours, meanwhile, is what held Southampton back, with the pair both agreeing on their positioning in the average category after acknowledging the Saints' heavy Premier League history, European ventures and sustained strong support. They've only won one FA Cup, which actually feels rather modest for a club of Southampton's standing and top-flight reputation.
It was the same story when assessing Stoke City, who, despite also spending many years in the promised land and lifting a League Cup - albeit back in 1972 - a lack of silverware meant the Potters were never going to trouble the big-hitters.
There's little room for contention with some of the duo's selections for the bigger clubs in the Championship, with all five inclusions representing, for all intents and purposes, large outfits by second-tier standards.
Middlesbrough were highlighted as one owing to the club's proud and well-numbered home support,15 seasons at Premier League level and 2004 League Cup triumph, which preceded a run to the UEFA Cup final the following season as numerous high-profile arrivals such as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Juninho, Gaizka Mendieta, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Boudewijn Zenden all helped put Teesside on the map.
Derby County also made the cut, with reference made to the Rams' two league titles and FA Cup title - having enjoyed real success both domestically and continentally under the late, great Brian Clough, and even if their top-flight history largely precedes the Premier League era, Pride Park is one of the EFL's noisiest and well-attended grounds and supporters have backed the club through myriad rocky periods.
There's much to be said about Blackburn Rovers, though, who have a solid case to feature in the very highest echelons of Fowler and Garratt's grading system. Indeed, Garratt argued that the Lancastrians should after lifting six FA Cups, one League Cup and three top-flight titles including the 1994/95 Premier League trophy, with no current Championship club having tasted more serious silverware.
Type the top scorer next to each season. Surnames count. Two seasons had joint winners, so they need two names.
Top league scorers in the regular season, per season since the second tier became the Championship in 2004–05.
However, Rovers have been on the slide for more than a decade now under the Venky's deeply-unpopular ownership, which has prompted numerous protests and frequent low attendances at Ewood Park, leaving Fowler to claim that their support doesn't mirror the size of the club as a whole.
Another former top-flight staple of sorts came in the form of Portsmouth, who had a memorable seven-year Premier League spell following the turn of the millennium and added their second FA Cup triumph in that time-frame after previously lifting a pair of consecutive top-flight titles in the aftermath of World War II.
It's not just about trophies with Pompey, though, as many would agree that one of English football's loudest and proudest fanbases can be found at the revered Fratton Park and that wasn't lost on Fowler and Garratt, either.
Just like Portsmouth, Bolton Wanderers are a nostalgic flag-bearer of the early-2000s Premier League era and their sustained tenure at the highest level only strengthened their case as global stars ranging from Nicolas Anelka, Youri Djorkaeff and Ivan Campo to Fernando Hierro and Jay-Jay Okocha propelled Sam Allardyce's side into Europe. The Trotters' support has remained strong in spite of turbulent fortunes since relegation in 2012, having not come close to returning since, and four FA Cup titles mean that the history books also make for positive reading.
It's the section you've all been waiting for - has your club been graded as a true Championship heavyweight?
West Ham fans will love everything about Fowler and Garratt's judgement, with the pair having described the Hammers as the second-tier's biggest club.
That's not too shocking, of course, as West Ham had spent the last 14 years as an often-competitive Premier League outfit before suffering an unprecedented relegation, and their lengthy top-flight association has paved the path for a memorable UEFA Conference League triumph to mark their fifth major trophy, multiple top-half finishes and some of the largest home attendances in Europe. They're a clear standout in the Championship by all measures, and likely won't be sticking around for too long.
West Brom, by contrast, haven't played Premier League football since 2018, but Garratt's team were never going to feature too low and, in fairness, it's hard to disagree with the Baggies' placement.
What do you make of these rankings? Where does your club feature, and are you happy about it or not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Only two second-tier sides boast a larger trophy cabinet, with Albion's remarkable five FA Cup titles taking up plenty of space, and years of consistent Premier League pedigree coupled with historically-strong support despite plenty of local competition in the West Midlands means their position couldn't have been in much doubt.
One of those clubs, fittingly, is Wolves, who are also the only team in the division after Blackburn to have won more trophies than their bitter rivals. Named as the second-biggest club in the Championship, the Old Gold were a major historical player with three league titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups to their name and rolled back the years with initial Premier League success and runs in European competition before gradually losing their footing and suffering relegation in May of this year.
Still, Molineux is one of the loudest grounds in the land when fans are up for it, and they tick all the boxes for another club perhaps bigger than the Championship who won't intend on getting too comfortable in their present surroundings.
Finishing off proceedings is Sheffield United, who may represent the most-debatable selection of the four but are still, undeniably, a big-hitter at this level. Four FA Cup titles testify to that, alongside 63 top-flight seasons overall, and they've always had one of the largest fanbases in the second-tier amid fierce local competition, too.
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