A vortex, a blackhole, Paris Hilton’s performance in The Hottie and the Nottie. However you wish to describe it the Championship has an innate ability of sucking clubs in and then spitting them out as hollow empty wrecks.

In the last two years only Birmingham (2008/09 and 2006/07) and Sunderland (2006/07), have managed to bounce back to the Premier League following relegation at the first time of trying.

The cash cow of promotion to the Premier League, worth over 120 million Australian dollars, means everyone is fighting for one of the three promotion spots.

To make things worse the line between success and oblivion is fine.

Take the Leeds side of 2005/06. They only narrowly missed out on promotion back to the Premier League then 12 months later Leeds had gone into administration and were relegated to the third tier of English Football for the first time in the club’s 88 year history.

This fall from grace was largely caused by crippling financial debts left over from Leeds’ attempts at keeping pace with the English Premier League’s ‘top four’.

A similar story was told last season with Charlton and Southampton. Both teams will start this season alongside Leeds in League One.

While most pundits feel only five teams will compete for the UEFA Champions League places in the Premier League this season (and this is a good year in terms of competitiveness) according to the bookies promotion from the Championship could be won by as many as 17 teams.

Manchester City are the fifth most likely team to take out the Premier League with odds of 15-1, while a division lower in the Championship Sheffield United and newly promoted Peterborough sit on 14-1 odds for promotion.

There are another 15 sides with even better odds still ahead of them.

That’s one of the allures of the Championship. While still keeping a reasonably high standard of football, it is one of the most open leagues in Europe.

An impressive average attendance of 17,888 per game last season helped to add to the competitive atmosphere and similar figures will be repeated once again.

While there is some truth to the stereotype of the Championship being a magnet for a physical and direct approach there are still teams who play attractive football along the deck. Last season there was Burnley and Swansea and this time West Brom and Reading offer hope to the ‘purists’.

It takes a different kind of player to handle the non-stop grind of the Championship. The Premier League is fast and physical but the Championship is a league unto itself.

The most enticing aspect of the forthcoming Championship season, commencing on Saturday morning (AEST), is the battle between the young Championship managers that’s shaping up.

With the influx of foreign coaches into the English Premier League it is in the Championship where British managers can now cut their teeth.

This season will see 16 of the 24 Championship managerial positions filled by coaches aged in their mid-40s or below.

With Roy Keane and Roberto Di Matteo there are two great playing names now forging careers as ‘gaffas’.

Meanwhile Darren Ferguson and Nigel Clough are looking to step out of the shadows of their legendary manager fathers.

Throw in names like Ian Holloway, Gareth Southgate and (hopefully) Alan Shearer and you’ve got some real drawcards.

It’s not the prettiest, nor does it have the best players, but the English Championship might very well be the most difficult league in Europe.

Season 2009/10 Preview
Barnsley
A side who, like many others, are still recovering from a Premier League hangover which saw them fall from the top flight to the lower reaches of the third tier in six seasons. Manager Simon Davey will be under pressure form the start and with their only summer arrival having come from non-league football it looks like another relegation battle is on the cards.

Blackpool
Blackpool are the only club in league football to play in tangerine but will they be left feeling green at the end of the season? The loss of a string of key players who returned to their clubs following loan stints at the seaside outfit means manager Ian Holloway will have his work cut out. Just don’t mention that at his last time of trying Holloway got Leicester relegated from the Championship.

Bristol City
The more popular team from England’s most underachieving football city are probably looking at another season of mid-table mediocrity. The key will be if they can finally find the consistent scorer they’ve been missing since promotion two seasons ago.

Cardiff City
The only club to have taken the FA Cup out of England, Cardiff only missed out on a play-off spot on goals scored last season. A new stadium could help but the loss of key players might mean the Premier League is just a little too far away again.

Coventry City
Another side that have lost a lot of players and failed to replace them. Only one player scored more then five goals last season and that will need to change if Coventry’s young squad are too stay up.

Crystal Palace
A club with fresh links to Australia. Everyone knows about Nicky Carle but it’s also the club Paul Ifill was at before signing with Wellington Phoenix recently. They have the potential to fight for promotion but after releasing their most prolific striker last season, Shefki Kuqi, it’s that same old story about whether they can score enough goals to challenge.

Derby County
With fresh American owners who put Hicks, Gillets and the Glazers to shame with their understanding of the game and considered financial approach a new dawn might be arriving at Derby. It probably won’t come this time around but Derby may lay the foundations for a genuine promotion challenge next season.

Doncaster Rovers
At 130 years of age Doncaster are a proud old club and one who are still ‘living the dream’ with the memory of conference football still fresh in the mind. Averaged less then a goal a game last season and have failed to reinforce their striking stocks so it could be a grim season. Survival will most likely suffice.

Ipswich Town
The pressure on Ipswich this season will be about as intense as manager Roy Keane’s gaze. The side under achieved last season, the fans are still mourning the loss of former boss Sir Bobby Robson but there’s a real sense of anticipation. Surprisingly quiet in the transfer market, it’ll all depend on what effect Keane (and a pre-season which involved Army training) has on the squad.

Leicester City
A respectable club who are approaching the level at which they feel like they belong. A mix of shrewd and sensible signings could prove the key to how Leicester fares as well as the inconsistent Matty Fryatt.

Middlesbrough
Steve Gibson is widely considered the ideal example of a club chairman and until last season Gareth Southgate the ideal English manager. How quickly things can change. Gibson’s focus will be to continue to eat away at the club’s debt (the 20th biggest in Europe) and Southgate’s will be to achieve immediate promotion. Both are possible. Rhys Williams four pre-season goals will have Socceroos fans excited as well.

Newcastle United
…what a mess. You know you’re in trouble when rumours start circulating that Joe Kinnear might be about to return. A 6-1 pre-season loss to Leyton Orient has everyone worried. You keep thinking things can’t get worse for this club yet they continuously do. It’s possible, but I can’t see promotion happening.

Nottingham Forest
With the arrival of Sven at Notts County, for once all the focus in Nottingham is off Forest. Over summer 13 players have left and eight have arrived. Manager Billy Davies has a decent track record and if the new faces settle he might lead them to his third play-off finish.

Peterborough United
After two promotions in as many seasons manager Darren Ferguson (son of Sir Alex) has focused recruiting on young players with something to prove. It may prove a shrewd tactic but youth and inexperience may also lead to a collapse towards the end of the season. Picking up points in the first half will be crucial.

Plymouth Argyle
Surprised many by managing to stay up last season though only just. With few Charltons and Southamptons waiting in the wings to prop them up again, League One’s beckoning may prove to hard to resist for Plymouth.

Preston North End
Preston’s run to the play-offs last season surprised many but was deserved. Alan Irvine resisted overtures form West Brom and while they’ve lost captain Paul McKenna (to Nottingham Forest) they’ve added Paul Parry (from Cardiff). Could challenge for a play-off spot again.

Queens Park Rangers
QPR are one of the richest clubs in England if you base it on the wealth of their owners (a list which includes Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone) but that money hasn’t found it’s way into the transfer budget. The summer signing of Alejandro Faurlin from the Argentinean second division for an astonishing 7 million Australian dollars could to be the worst signing in English football history.

Reading
After the heartbreak of the last two seasons Reading has tried to reinvent itself. New manager Brendan Rodgers has tried to put together a young squad who will attempt to play a fluid passing game. It should be exciting but will it be successful?

Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe is the smallest club in the English second division and that’s a title few expect them to hold for long. 6ft 7 record signing Rob Jones form Hibernian will need to stand tall if Scunthorpe are going to beat the drop.

Sheffield United
Despite going so close last season the play-off final losers have made a number of changes to their squad. Ched Evans who joins form Manchester City will prove a key signing if he can replace the consistent scorer Sheffield have missed since James Beattie’s departure in January. Will be up there once again.

Sheffield Wednesday
A mid-table finish last season was an achievement for the club and 2009/10 will probably see them finish in United’s shadow once again. Another derby double would prove decent consolation however.

Swansea City
Roberto Martinez worked wonders last season but his departure to replace Steve Bruce at Wigan means it might prove a difficult season for the Championship’s second Welsh club. New manager Paulo Sousa will be up against it especially as Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland have left to join Martinez at Wigan. Their championship status shouldn’t be at risk but promotion would be a phenomenal achievement.

Watford
Elton John is no longer running the show but he’s still a significant financial investor at Watford. With last season seeing their final parachute payment they’ll need all the help they can get. There’s potential here but a leaky defence will need to be sealed.

West Bromwich Albion
There’s a strong sense among football pundits in England that West Brom will go back up at the first attempt and it all hinges on new manager Roberto Di Matteo. It’s always a risk when a new manager comes in but Di Matteo revealed on BBC Radio this week that he doesn’t care how they win as long as they do.

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