Promotion hopefuls Brentford, Fulham and QPR hoping are likely to need at least 73 points to escape from the Championship next season - a figure which represents just over half of all those available.

That’s the average number of points that the team who finished sixth has had over the last 21 seasons - the length of time the existing league structure has been in place.

Teams have gotten into the play-off places with fewer points six times though.

Brighton were the most recent in 2013-14 with 72 points followed by Leicester in 2012-13 (68 points), Blackpool in 2009-10 (70 points), Watford in 2007-08 (70 points), Crystal Palace in 1996-97 (71) and Charlton in 1995-96 (also 71).

Teams have also missed out on sixth spot with more than 73 points as well, six to be precise. Most hard done by were Wolves in 2014-15 who finished seventh with 78 points.

If you want to finish as champions though you need 94 points on average, a total no second placed team has managed in the time in question.

Average points won by position

Several teams have come close though.

Middlesbrough came second in 1997-98 with 91 as did Blackburn in 2000-01 and West Brom in 2009-10. Leicester had 92 points in 2002-03, while Burnley had 93 in 2013-14.

If a team is happy to settle with the second automatic promotion spot then they’ll need as many as 86 points on average.

Reaching that mark is no guarantee though, as many as seven teams in the past 21 seasons have either reached it or surpassed it and still finished third.

Brighton were the most recent in 2015-16 (89 points) followed by Norwich in 2014-15 (86 points), West Ham in 2011-12 (86), Bolton in 2000-01 (87), Ipswich in 1999-00 (87), Ipswich in 1998-99 (86) and Sunderland in 1997-98 (90).

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