It may be the second tier and, to continue a nuptials theme, always the bridesmaid to the Premier League but it is certainly the most competitive and unpredictable which makes for great entertainment and over the 46 matches for each team always a very close-run thing for those seeking promotion and suffering relegation.
In previous years I have, at this stage, endured the agonies around my home team club, Hull City.
It has been a momentous last two decades for The Tigers with, in that time a new stadium, successive promotions through the lower leagues, up and downs to and from the Premier League, an FA Cup Final defeat and a few games in the Europa League.
These high points for the team were however countered by Owners who continue to alienate the supporters, attempted to change the club name and have let go for unrepresentative transfer fees Harry Maguire and Andy Robertson who have gone on to huge honours and even before the end of this combative season saw the shedding of the two best players, Jarred Bowen and Kamil Grosicki.
So it is no surprise to find The Tigers scrapping for their lives with eight other teams at the wrong end of the Championship Table.
A really good home win in this past week which came from an injury time goal saw Hull City haul themselves out of the bottom three. This was the first win since New Years Day and after one point out of the last 18 on offer.
It's very geeky of me but I always try for a predictive placing of my team by analysing all of the remaining games of those running the same risk of dropping down the leagues which has recently been the fate of former high flyers of Sunderland, Coventry City, Ipswich Town, AFC Wimbledon, Portsmouth and even Oldham Athletic.
It is a hard if nigh impossible task to get back from the wilderness if the worst scenario occurs for any team.
Add into the mix the exceptional circumstances of the Pandemic, playing matches in empty stadia, June and July temperatures and even the reluctance of some players to play for justifiable concerns over health issues or petty contractural wrangling and you have one of the most difficult seasons in which to gauge the results and points haul of the final half dozen games.
My starting point is the Championship Table as of this very moment.
I have included last nights match as it featured one of the nine combatants. Incidentally, I got that one wrong but the result of a defeat for Charlton does help the projections for my own team,
The table from bottom upwards is as follows. Luton Town 40 points, Barnsley 41, Stoke City 43, Middlesbrough 44, Huddersfield 45, Hull City 45 on goals scored, Charlton 46 points, Birmingham City 49 and Reading 49 points. Other teams above 49 points could be drawn into the dogfight if they hit a bad patch of form but for this exercise I will keep to the list above.
For each team I have looked at their opponents for the matches ahead and made a judgement on present form and motivation , for example whether fighting for their lives or whether they have an eye on the Play-Off Places. Even here there is intense competition below the clear pair of front runners, West Brom and Leeds United. Nine to ten teams are statistically capable of securing a play off position. In effect the Championship is truly a league of two halves.
Luton Town who were newly promoted along with Barnsley and Charlton for the 19/20 Championship have matches against four of the bottom nine and have had some good recent unbeaten form. However, late season attrition and nerves will, I predict, have an effect and my thinking is a points haul from the six games of just 4 and these from draws. They play Hull City in the second to last game.
Barnsley have also had a resurgence and play two fellow strugglers, a mid table team awaiting a points deduction for going into Receivership but then take on Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Brentford who occupy top ten spots. I can only see a 5 point tally.
Stoke City were for a long time mid table stalwarts in the Premier but oh, so boring. They have the most testing of fixture lists incidentally with the same high flyers as Barnsley and although they may claw back points when pitted against Barnsley and possibly an out of form Birmingham City my prediction is for a 5 point gain.
Middlesbrough have been very Jekyll and Hyde this season. They have some winnable games against teams which in mid table have nothing much to play for. I can see a 7 point tally from these.
Huddersfield dropped from Premier League status in 2019 and lost many of their better players. They have Reading and Luton from the bottom nine to play along with mid to upper tablers and West Brom the current league leaders. Nine points appear optimistic but could be achievable.
My team Hull City have a tricky 6 games left. They have played well up against the big hitters and in their last two matches drew 3-3 with Birmingham and beat Middlesbrough 2-1. The squad is good and if it had not been depleted by badly timed transfers and contract endings, as well as too many lost points from drawn games I would be doing this exercise with a Play-Off place in sight. Being very pessimistic and in an attempt to be impartial I have predicted 10 points from three winnable games and a draw amongst two defeats to high flyers.
Charlton Athletic could collect 9 points from their remaining matches but these do include Leeds United and Brentford for which I award nil points.
Birmingham City have three top tablers to play, two strugglers and in Preston North End the most out of form current team in spite of being up there on the edge of the Play Offs. I can see just 5 points as a workable addition.
Reading have games against four of the bottom teams and a couple of mid tablers and could easily escape the at risk drop zone by their own endeavours. If however their opponents feel themselves that they could make some headway to survive then Reading could have an unpleasant time of it. I have assumed a 6 point accumulation.
In summary this is my prediction as of today for the final places in the Championship. Again working from rock bottom upwards.
Luton Town 44 points
Barnsley 46 points
Stoke City 48 points
Middlesbrough 51 points
Huddersfield 54 points
Birmingham 54 points
Reading 54 points
Hull City 55 points
Charlton 55 Points
I have tried to be fair in my predictions and it is just coincidence that the main climber happens to be my own team in placings that are otherwise the same as the present time.
I'll do a follow up after the last game of the season.
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