Sports News For The Championship 2011/2012

Downend, Gloucestershire ( openpr ) August 18, 2011 - The Championship season is now underway and newly relegated West Ham and big-spending Leicester City were the pre-season favourites to be promoted back to the Premier League.

Bookmakers expect nPower Championship betting to hit record levels of turnover this season and punters will be on the lookout for the best Championship betting odds throughout the year, in a variety of different markets

West Ham are more likely than Leicester to be promoted this season (ask Middlesbrough about how well trying to buy your way out of the league worked for them last season), but for those looking to bet on The Championship, it's a wide open race.

The 2011-12 Football League Championship sees West Ham joined by Blackpool and Birmingham City this season after all three were relegated from the Premier League last May.

All three have been tipped to bounce straight back at the first attempt, although punters are probably wise to avoid backing Birmingham to win promotion from the Championship at the first attempt as problems off the pitch threaten to disrupt their season.

Blackpool have lost some key players but with Ian Holloway in charge, the Tangerines could still win promotion back to the top flight and it will be well worth monitoring Blackpool's odds to win the Championship outright, as well as Blackpool's promotion odds, all the way through the season. The signing of veteran striker Kevin Phillips could prove to be a masterstroke from the Blackpool gaffer.

Promoted from League One are Brighton & Hove Albion, Southampton and Peterborough United, who will be looking to establish themselves in the division and avoid relegation. Southampton look the most well-equipped to mount a promotion challenge, or as it is more widely known, ‘do a Norwich’ and achieve back-to-back promotions to the promised land of the Premier League.

Punters looking to bet on promotion from the Championship this season could do worse than backing Ipswich or Reading to be promoted next May.

In terms of upsets and drama, there’s not really a league like it where truly anyone can beat anyone, with the prize of a £90million bonanza for the three promoted teams.

Burnley and Leeds United both have aspirations of playing in the Premier League in twelve months and could be worth looking to back, although both perhaps face a season of slight rebuilding, owing to the loss of key players.

The other teams in the chasing pack for a top two or top six finish are likely to be the teams who failed in the playoffs last year – Forest, Reading and Cardiff. Forest and Cardiff have both appointed new managers who have not been afraid to spend money on players who should have the required quality to sustain another promotion push this season.

There’s always a team that surprises everyone – this year it could be Derby County, Barnsley, Crystal Palace, Doncaster Rover, Watford – the list goes on. The uncertainty makes it one of the most exciting leagues in the world.

http://www.The-Championship.com is your unofficial guide to the nPower Championship. Written by industry pros, the site delivers insightful analysis, betting tips and match previews on all Championship games throughout the season. The site will also cover the FA Cup with Budweiser and Carling Cup exploits of Championship teams.

MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION:
The-Championship.com
E-mail: news@the-championship.com
Website: http://www.the-championship.com

www.The-Championship.com is your unofficial guide to the nPower Championship. Written by industry pros, the site delivers insightful analysis, betting tips and match previews on all Championship games throughout the season. The site will also cover the FA Cup with Budweiser and Carling Cup exploits of Championship teams.

The-Championship.com
20 Prospect Hill
Downend, Gloucestershire PO30 9EH
United Kingdom

This release was published on openPR.