The Championship looks a strong division this season following the arrivals of Charlton,  Sheffield United and Watford along with play-off losers West Bromwich Albion, Wolves and Southampton making up a formidable looking promotion-chasing sextet.

Here we take a look at some of the teams challenging for promotion to the Premiership and those who may not be good enough to class themselves as “Championship” material.

These are the six teams most likely to be vying for promotion.

Charlton Athletic
The bookmakers favourite following relegation and if Birmingham City and Sunderland’s form in this division was anything to go by, Athletic could well return to the top flight at the first attempt. Parachute payments and a massive transfer windfall from the sale of Darren Bent should make promotion that much easier. A classic “little and large” striker combination has been signed in Crewe Alexandra’s Luke Varney for £2 million and Colchester United’s 18-goal striker Chris Iwelumo on a free transfer.
To Win the Championship 8.0 (Betfred - £25 in Free Bets!)
Promotion 2.88 (Coral - £10 in Free Bets!)

West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion are the bookmakers second favourites to win the Championship this time around following last season’s play-off final defeat, but success will depend on whether the spine of the team remains at The Hawthorns or moves on to bigger and better things. Defender Curtis Davies had a transfer request rejected but star striker Diomansy Kamara, who netted 23 goals in all competitions, joined Fulham while Jason Koumas left for Wigan.
To Win the Championship 9.0 (Betfred - £25 in Free Bets!)
Promotion 3.25 (Coral - £10 in Free Bets!)

Wolves
After a patchy start to the season Mick McCarthy guided Wolves into the play-offs where they lost 4-2 on aggregate to bitter local rivals West Bromwich Albion. The bookmakers list them as third favourites behind Charlton and the Baggies and they are sure to go close again during the 2007/08 campaign. McCarthy has kept up his policy of signing players from the lower divisions with the arrival of Gillingham midfielder Matthew Jarvis for an undisclosed fee. He joins the likes of Stephen Ward who signed from Bohemians, Michael Kightly from Grays and Andy Keogh from Scunthorpe who all arrived during the January transfer window for a pittance.
To Win the Championship 9.0 (Paddy Power - £25 in Free Bets!)
Promotion 3.6 (Coral - £10 in Free Bets!)

Watford
Watford bowed out of the Premiership with a whimper last season, but it was not as though Aidy Boothroyd’s side were whipping boys - they just didn’t have that cutting edge to compete in the top flight. Watford missed out on Marek Saganowski who opted to make his loan move to Southampton permanent but they have signed potentially the most dangerous winger at this level in Jobi McAnuff. The bookmakers rate Watford as outside favourites but they will certainly go close next season.
To Win the Championship 10.0 (Bet365 - £100 in Free Bets!)
Promotion 4.5 (Coral - £10 in Free Bets!)

Sheffield United
United were relegated by the slightest of margins on the final day of the Premiership season but are in great shape to return to the top flight at the first time of asking. They may have lost Phil Jagielka to Everton but the rest of the team look well equipped to cope with life in the Championship. In Rob Hulse they have a battering ram of a striker and he could form a formidable partnership with Billy Sharp, who returned to Bramall Lane in a £2 million deal from Scunthorpe.
To Win the Championship 11.0 (VCBet - £50 in Free Bets!)
Promotion 3.75 (Bet365 - £100 in Free Bets!)

Southampton
Southampton crept into the play-offs on the last day of the season but were semi-final casualties against eventual winners Derby County. They are expected to challenge in and around the top six again this time around but will have to do so with one notable absence. Teenage prodigy Gareth Bale, who didn’t turn 18 until July, left for Tottenham Hotspur in a £5 million deal but the Saints secured the permanent transfer of striker Marek Saganowski for a reported fee of £680,000. The Polish forward, on loan from Troyes last season, netted 10 goals in 13 games and kept 21-goal fellow countryman Grzegorz Rasiak out of the side.
To Win the Championship 11.0 (VCBet - £50 in Free Bets!)
Promotion 4.0 (Coral - £10 in Free Bets!)

Here are the teams perhaps most likely to face the drop next season:

Scunthorpe United
Not many people would have predicted Scunthorpe United to win promotion to the Championship and much of their on-field success is undoubtedly down to striker Billy Sharp, who scored 53 league goals in two seasons at Glandford Park. His firepower will be sorely missed as he returned to Sheffield United in a £2 million deal. Nigel Adkins’ side are unsurprisingly the bookmakers favourites for relegation and it is difficult to see where the goals are going to come from without Sharp’s presence. Striker Paul Hayes, who returns to the club after two years at Barnsley, has some mighty large boots to fill.
Relegation 2.38 (Ladbrokes - £20 in Free Bets!)

Barnsley
Barnsley defied the odds last season and avoided relegation with three successive wins in April while striker Daniel Nardiello netted six goals in the final six matches of the season. It will be another battle against the drop next season with Nardiello joining QPR and the Tykes taking a chance on Cheltenham Town striker Kayode Odejayi who joined in a £200,000 deal.
Relegation 2.63 (Bet365 - £100 in Free Bets!)

Colchester United
Colchester were something of a surprise package last season and it was at home where United accumulated their points. Layer Road was a fortress where they won 15 of their 23 matches, losing just four times. Geraint Williams had two of the most potent strikers in the division in Jamie Cureton and Chris Iwelumo who amassed 42 goals in all competitions between them. However, with Iwelumo joining Charlton and Cureton returning to Norwich, there is a notable lack of firepower despite the arrivals of Clive Platt and veteran Teddy Sheringham.
Relegation 3.5 (Paddy Power - £25 in Free Bets!)

Queens Park Rangers
QPR ended the season in the lower reaches of the Championship and next season is likely to be more of the same as the club’s Italian owners are attempting to sell up. Rangers signed Daniel Nardiello who scored nine league goals for struggling Barnsley last season while left back Chris Barker, who spent last season on loan at Colchester United, arrived on a free transfer from Cardiff City.
Relegation 3.5 (Paddy Power - £25 in Free Bets!)

For a more detailed preview of all 24 teams in the Championship, please enter your name and email address into the form at the top of this page to download a free 39 page 2007-08 season preview for the Football League!