Preston North End's 2023/24 Championship campaign drew to a close last week with a thumping defeat inflicted at the hands of West Brom.
The Lilywhites lost 3-0 at the Hawthorns, which was their fifth straight defeat in a row. Ryan Lowe's side finished the season in 10th, which is their highest finish under him since his appointment in 2021.
Last week's opponents West Brom are preparing for the play-offs now as they host Southampton whilst Norwich City who North End looked like they might challenge for the fourth and final spot are playing against Leeds United.
Leicester City of course won the title at Deepdale winning 3-0 last Monday, and Ipswich Town joined them by beating Huddersfield Town on the final day of the campaign. At the opposite end of the table, Birmingham City were relegated to the third tier for the first time in over 30 years as despite a 1-0 win over Norwich, wins for Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle and Blackburn Rovers meant they'd be joining Rotherham and Huddersfield in League One next year.
North End now await the victor of the play-off final to see who will be joining them out of Bolton Wanderers and Oxford United. In the Premier League, Sheffield United are already down and it looks like they will be joined by Burnley and Luton Town as it stands.
As we await the retained list, let’s reflect on the season gone by and look at some things that might be of note. The Championship is a competitive division and each team has a certain way of playing. Some managers or head coaches like to pass it around the back whilst others kick it long and are known for their physicality.
Which teams were the worst serial foulers during the season just gone and can therefore be judged to be the dirtiest? From the least fouls to the most, here’s a look at the numbers. This article was originally shared on BirminghamWorld.
1. Championship dirtiest teams table 2023/24
From the most fouls per match to the least, here's how all 24 clubs compare.
