Promotion from the Championship promises riches beyond the wildest of dreams, so it is no wonder that the ultimate prize of promotion to the Premier League has created such a fiercely competitive football league.
Second tier of English football it may be but the Championship always serves up top class entertainment and is now one of the most watched league's in Europe.
The football travel guide is here to help you make the most of your football day from important club contact numbers and web addresses to great quality and competitively priced hotel accommodation close to the ground. Simply select the football club below for all the information you need...
Championship - what's at stake?
Kicking off in August, League One pits 24 teams against each other, home and away, over the course of 10 gruelling months.
At the end of the season the top 2 in the league are automatically promoted to the Premier League.
The teams finishing in third, fourth, fifth and sixth places in the Championship qualify for the Play-Offs - where they get to battle it out for the one remaining promotion place to the Premier League.
The third and sixth placed teams, and fourth and fifth placed teams, play each other in a two-legged Semi-Final before competing in the Final at Wembley.
At the other end of the final season table, the teams who finish in the bottom 3 places - 21 to 24 - are relegated (demoted) to League One.
Going to the Championship Play Off final?
The Championship Play-Off Final takes place at Wembley Stadium on the last Bank Holiday Monday in May. Tickets for the game are available via the competing clubs and so select the relevant team above for the contact details. Check out our Wembley Stadium page for details on how to get their and hotels close by.
What happened in Championship 2010/11
Queens Park Rangers, with millionaire backers, held a comfortable lead at the top of the table for the majority of the season. They were joined in the automatic promotion places by Norwich City who achieved back to back promotions. The play off final was contested by Swansea City and Reading with Swansea winning the final 'golden ticket'.
The relegation places were determined before the final games of season with Preston North End, Sheffield United, and Scunthorpe United all going down.
What happened in Championship 2009/10
In the 2009/10 Championship football season Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion both secured an immediate return to the Premier League finishing 1st and 2nd respectively. The 6th placed team in the league, Blackpool, were the surprising play-off place winners against Cardiff City. Nottingham Forest and Leicester City were the play off semi final losers.
While Peterborough and Plymouth Argyle were relegated earlier, Sheffield Wednesday's fate was only selaed on the last day of the season when Crystal Palace secured their place in the Championship for another season.
2009/10 summary
Newcastle United (1, promoted as Champions)
West Bromwich Albion (2, promoted)
Blackpool (promoted)
Sheffield Wednesday (22nd, relegated)
Plymouth Argyle (23rd, relegated)
Peterborough United (24th, relegated)
What happened in Championship 2008/9
In the 2008/9 Championship football season Wolverhampton Wanderers were the Champions and were promoted with Birmingham City who finished ahead of Reading on a drammatic last day of the season. The play off final was won by Burnley promoting them to the Premiership for the first time since 1976.
Three former Premiership clubs were all relegated to League One, Charlton Athletic were joined by Norwich City and Southampton who were both returning to the third tier of English football for the first time in nearly 50 years.
2008/09 summary
Wolverhampton Wanderers (1, promoted as Champions)
Birmingham City (2, promoted)
Burnley (promoted by winning play off final against Sheffield United)
Norwich City (22nd, relegated)
Southampton (23rd relegated)
Charlton Athletic (24th relegated)
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