Wales manager and former Burnley assistant Craig Bellamy has claimed that the Clarets are the best side to ever feature in the Championship despite Reading FC’s points record.
Burnley won promotion to the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign as champions on 101 points under manager Vincent Kompany and assistant Bellamy.
Speaking to BBC Sport about that season, the Wales boss said: “We murdered the league, and it was that. It hadn’t been done before.
“Someone else might have got five-odd points more (over a season) but, trust me, you didn’t do what we did. Nobody did. We only lost three games all season and one of them was when we were already promoted. It was the manner in which we did it.
“From November onwards, nobody saw the ball, everywhere we went. Home or away, it was an annihilation. If teams got a 0-0 draw, they were applauding and doing a lap of honour. It was that good. It was just like ‘wow’. We were so good without the ball, the intensity and, with it, we were able to find different solutions, able to adapt.”
Despite his claims, the Royals are still statistically the best side to ever play in the Championship.
Steve Coppell’s side won an astonishing 106 points in the 2005/06 season which saw Reading win promotion to England’s top flight for the first time in the club’s history.
The Royals also scored 99 league goals in 46 games, whereas Burnley managed 87.
Reading also had a tighter defence, letting in 32 goals compared to Burnley’s 35.
