Football League set for kick-off

The 2008-09 Football League season kicks off on Saturday with fans up and down the country clinging on to the hope that this might just be their year.

Over the next 10 months, 72 teams will battle it out for glory, but among the joy there will be inevitable despair as only a select few can come out on top.

In the Championship, Birmingham, Reading and Derby will all be hoping for an immediate return to the riches of the Premier League.

Leeds are clear favourites to emerge victorious from League One, but newly promoted MK Dons and Peterborough are well-fancied to gain successive promotions.

Relegation appears a formality for Luton, who were deducted 30 points, while Rotherham and Bournemouth may struggle with their 17-point penalty. However, predicting who will be at the top at the end of the season is an altogether more difficult task.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Officially the fourth highest attendances in Europe, ahead of Italy's Serie A, the Championship is a league full of surprises.

Who would have tipped Hull and Stoke to gain promotion along with West Brom last season, or Leicester to be relegated to League One?

The new season promises to be just as eventful.

Following relegation Birmingham, Reading and Derby have hefty parachute payments to feast on as they try to bounce back at the first attempt.

Derby, perhaps the busiest team of the summer, have added 14 players to their squad, Reading have lost Nicky Shorey but retain the vast majority of their players as have Birmingham, who have also managed to fend off Celtic's interest in James McFadden.

606: DEBATE Who will achieve what in the Championship this season?

However, the Championship is not an easy league to escape from, just ask Sheffield United, Charlton and Watford who all missed out on an immediate return to the top flight last season.

QPR - bankrolled by Formula One tycoons Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore - are hotly tipped to mount a serious promotion challenge, while Crystal Palace and Wolves will also fancy their chances of building on last season's finishes.

It's not all about the glory in the Championship and the bookies have Blackpool and Barnsley as favourites for the drop.

Cash-strapped Southampton could also find themselves dragged into a relegation dog fight and Doncaster may find it a struggle after promotion from League One.

However, fellow newcomers Nottingham Forest and Swansea look to have enough to survive.

LEAGUE ONE

Leeds are red-hot favourites to make up for the disappointment of last season and win promotion to the Championship.

Gary McAllister's side suffered the heartache of Wembley play-off final defeat to Doncaster last term - after beginning the campaign with a 15-point penalty for breaking Football League rules.

There is no such deduction this season and many expect the Yorkshire side to dominate the division.

It has been a tumultuous few months for Leicester - relegation to the third tier of football for the first time in their history was followed by the departure of manager Ian Holloway.

606: DEBATE It's a great time of the year, optimism abound. Witness2History

But with plenty of transfer activity at the Walkers Stadium, including the recruitment of veteran striker Paul Dickov, fans will be hopeful of a quick return.

The upwardly-mobile Milton Keynes Dons have replaced Paul Ince with Chelsea hero Roberto di Matteo and many will be interested in how the stylish Italian copes with his first foray in English football management.

Peterborough, who were promoted from League Two with MK Dons last season, are also expected to do well.

Boss Darren Ferguson showed just a touch of the skills of his illustrious Manchester United-managing father in guiding Posh to 92 points and promotion last term.

Elsewhere, the bookies are undecided on who will shine in what should be a fairly tight division.

Cheltenham, who struggled last season will do well to stay up - but for many of the other clubs, play-offs or relegation remain equally likely possibilities.

LEAGUE TWO

There is no clear favourite to emerge victorious from League Two with several teams in with a genuine chance of reaching at least the play-offs.

Relegated Gillingham will expect to return at the first attempt, but will face strong competition from Rochdale, Darlington and Wycombe who all suffered play-off heartache last term.

The trio played second fiddle to MK Dons and Peterborough for much of last season and will hope to go one better this time around with an automatic promotion spot.

The signing of Grant Holt from Nottingham Forest is seen as a coup for Shrewsbury and is one of the reasons why the bookies have them as favourites to win the league.

606: DEBATE The top seven could all easily make the top three. Ironbantam

Bradford, Port Vale and Chesterfield are also expected to challenge, while Aldershot will be full of confidence after promotion from the Blue Square Premier.

If promotion is a lottery then relegation seems a forgone conclusion.

Even the most optimistic of Luton fans will be hard pushed to present a case for them to beat the drop after they were deducted 30 points for breaking several Football League rules.

They will start the season 13 points adrift of Rotherham who themselves will start on minus 17 points after entering administration.

Bournemouth have also been handed a 17-point deduction, so it is hard to look beyond these three for the two relegation places.