BRIGHTON 20th: (Last season promoted)
Brighton survived relegation with a brave draw at home to promotion-chasing Ipswich on the final day, which must make their campaign a success.
Tipped to go straight back down, boss Mark McGhee also had the lingering shadow of the new stadium saga hanging over the club for much of the season.
But the canny Scot led his team to a run of five unbeaten at the business end as they pulled off a great escape.
VERDICT: The Falmer stadium must be sorted out or they will still struggle.
BURNLEY 13th: (Last season 19th)
Steve Cotterill's first season in charge of the Clarets can be considered a reasonable success.
He tightened up the club's previously leaky defence and avoided the expected relegation scrap to finish in a respectable mid-table position.
They will need to improve up front if they are to progress and challenge for the play-offs next season, particularly away from Turf Moor.
VERDICT: Cotterill has done a fine job with limit resources.
CARDIFF 16th: (Last season 13th)
It has been a year to forget at Ninian Park thanks to a season-long relegation fight, and financial problems that forced the sale of Graham Kavanagh.
The Bluebirds also saw star striker Rob Earnshaw depart in August, and the failure to replace his scoring power was behind their on-pitch struggles.
Manager Lennie Lawrence must build again in the summer, and a goalscorer will be his first priority.
VERDICT: Beating the drop was the only bright spot of a disappointing season.
COVENTRY 19th: (Last season 12th)
It is the end of an era for the Sky Blues, who will be moving to their new 32,500-capacity all-seater Ricoh Arena in time for next season.
They gave Highfield Road a decent send off, beating Derby 6-2 to secure their Championship status.
But it was a bright ending to an otherwise dreary season that saw Micky Adams replace Peter Reid. Much more will be expected next season.
VERDICT: Not a lot to cheer for Coventry fans in a season of struggle.
CREWE 21st: (Last season 18th)
Crewe's slide towards the bottom of the table after January can probably be summed up in two words: Dean Ashton.
Selling their star striker to Norwich for £3m signalled a remarkable downturn in fortunes for Dario Gradi's men and only won once after that.
Crucially that came on the final day of the season - a 2-1 victory at home to Coventry which ensured they will spend at least another season at this level.
VERDICT: Left it late but did just enough to stay in the division.
DERBY 4th: (Last season 20th)
George Burley has revolutionised the Rams and with a bit of luck in the play-offs they could be back in the Premiership after a three-year absence.
Burley put his faith in youth with the likes of Tom Huddlestone and foreign buys, in the shape of Grzegorz Rasiak, Morten Bisgaard and Inigo Idiakez.
Rasiak's eye for goal and Idiakez's wonderful ability on the ball have given Rams' fans great entertainment.
VERDICT: A season of massive progress that Burley must continue next term.
GILLINGHAM 22nd: (Last season 21st)
Gillingham could not quite pull off the Houdini act of last season and they went down on goal difference to Crewe - just one goal separating the sides.
Boss Stan Ternent took over with the Gills second-from-bottom in December but led a recovery that saw them lose just one of their last 12 games.
Sadly their draw on the final day with Nottingham Forest was not sufficient for a miracle recovery.
VERDICT: Showed tremendous character but couldn't quite pull it off.
IPSWICH 3rd: (Last season 5th)
Ipswich once again had to resign themselves to the Championship play-offs after missing out on automatic promotion to Wigan.
Joe Royle's side had led the division for more than two months but eventually had to make do with third behind league winners Sunderland and the Latics.
Despite a relatively small squad they remained a slick outfit throughout their campaign.
VERDICT: Let automatic promotion slip, but they are the play-offs' class act.
LEEDS 14th: (Last season relegated)
There is light at the end of the tunnel for Leeds fans after one of the darkest periods in the club's history.
Aside from a brief flirtation with the play-offs, the cash-strapped Yorkshire club rarely looked like making an immediate return to the Premiership.
But with Ken Bates sorting out their debts and Kevin Blackwell compiling a promising young side, they are likely to be more of a threat next season.
VERDICT: The rot has been stopped, but there is plenty of hard work ahead.
LEICESTER 15th: (Last season relegated)
Leicester only showed glimpses of the form needed for promotion, drew too many games, and struggled at home.
The direct style favoured by former boss Micky Adams has gone and new manager Craig Levein is gradually building a more attractive side.
David Connolly will surely not miss as many chances again next season and, if Levein can bring in the quality he wants, things will continue to improve.
VERDICT: Under-performed badly and missed their chance in a poor division.
MILLWALL 10th: (Last season 10th)
A first appearance in Europe for the Lions was a brief affair - lasting just two games - and their league form also proved to be a disappointment.
A play-off push never materialised and there was growing turmoil off the field between manager Dennis Wise and incoming chairman Jeff Burnige.
Wise eventually quit as player-boss after the final game of the season - a 0-0 draw with Burnley.
VERDICT: Few high notes after last season's rollercoaster ride.
NOTT'M FOREST 23rd: (Last season 14th)
A season that started badly at the City Ground ended in disaster and Forest will start next season in League One.
Joe Kinnear left it until December to quit as manager, having upset the club's best player Andy Reid and left Forest languishing in the bottom three.
Gary Megson led a mini-revival but the damage was done and Forest's lack of fitness told as they suffered a woefully inadequate end to the term.
VERDICT: Disaster from start to finish, Megson has a huge task on his hands.
PLYMOUTH 17th: (Last season promoted)
After two promotions in three seasons Plymouth found life in the Championship a tougher task.
They got off to a fine start but their poor away form - which saw them taste defeat 15 times out of 23 games - ensured a season of struggle.
But relegation never looked likely and manager Bobby Williamson is hoping to strengthen in the summer in a bid for an improved showing next season.
VERDICT: A season of consolidation for the Pilgrims.
PRESTON 5th: (Last season 15th)
When Billy Davies took charge in August, few fans could have expected him to take a side tipped to struggle and turn them into play-off contenders.
Davies has molded Preston into one of the division's form sides, losing just three of their last 23 league games, and making some shrewd signings.
They will go into the play-offs fearing nobody, but even if they miss out the club's future looks in safe hands.
VERDICT: Davies has performed wonders to turn things around at Deepdale.
QPR 11th: (Last season promoted)
If you'd have offered 11th place to QPR fans at the start of the season, they'd have bitten your hand off.
So it is a testament to Ian Holloway's men that they were still in with a shout of the play-offs come April.
A run of seven straight wins propelled Rangers into the top six earlier in the campaign, but injuries took their toll and their challenge faded away.
VERDICT: Exceeded all expectations and should hold their own again next season providing they keep the squad together.
READING 7th: (Last season 9th)
Another season of promise, another season of frustration for the Royals.
Virtual ever-presents in the top six until it mattered most, Steve Coppell's side did the double over champions Sunderland but fell short at the death.
A run of 11 games without a win after Christmas ultimately proved more vital a statistic than the 19 goals of Dave Kitson, injured for much of that run.
VERDICT: Close but no cigar. Chairman John Madejski may need to prove his ambition is not index-linked.
ROTHERHAM 24th: (Last season 17th)
Rotherham seemed consigned to the drop for much of the season and they must now rebuild in League One next term.
Ronnie Moore departed in January after eight successful years and the Millers have a highly-rated young coach in Mick Harford to take the club forward.
Two successive promotions at the turn of the millennium finally caught up on the club and four years of struggling at Championship level have ended.
VERDICT: Never recovered from bad start but have plenty to look forward to.
SHEFF UTD 8th: (Last season 8th)
Another season of so close but yet so far. The Blades finish a couple of places and a handful of points outside a play-off spot.
United saw off Aston Villa and West Ham in the FA Cup before the run came to an end at the hands of Arsenal and the dreaded penalty shoot-out.
Their stuttering league form was not helped by their poor home record and a lack of firepower up front.
VERDICT: Initially in play-off contention but couldn't quite cut it.
STOKE 12th: (Last season 11th)
For a while Stoke looked like play-off candidates but ultimately their lack of firepower proved their downfall.
Ade Akinbiyi fell out with the club's management and eventually departed, while of the rest only Gifton Noel-Williams managed more than three league goals.
The were signs that the club is on the right track, although news that the owners are looking to sell suggests an uncertain future at the Britannia.
VERDICT: Some signs of improvement but off-the-field issues dominated.
SUNDERLAND 1st: (Last season 3rd)
After just missing out in 2004, Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy turned to youth and the gamble paid off with a return to the Premiership.
A disappointing start of one win in their first six games left them at the wrong end of the table.
But their run of eight straight wins late in the season took them to the top of the league and they sealed the title with victory at West Ham.
VERDICT: The cream eventually rose to the top.
WATFORD 18th: (Last season 16th)
A season of unexpected highs ended with the Hornets scrambling to avoid relegation to League One.
Watford punched well above their weight in making the Carling Cup semis but fading form in the league led to the departure of Ray Lewington in March.
Goals from star striker Heidar Helguson in two crucial 1-0 wins secured Watford's survival with one game left.
VERDICT: New boss Adrian Boothroyd must rebuild this summer, with Helguson and Danny Webber expected to leave.
WEST HAM 6th: (Last season 4th)
Another season of frustration for fans and boss Alan Pardew alike, as the Hammers only secured their play-off place with a final day win at Watford.
Pardew once again spent much of the season wheeling and dealing but he could not find the players to compete with the top three in the division.
Teddy Sheringham's 20 league goals made him the star and play-off glory may rest on his 39-year-old shoulders.
VERDICT: Success or failure once again depends entirely on the play-offs.
WIGAN 2nd: (Last season 7th)
Dave Whelan's 10-year plan to get Wigan in the Premiership delivered and the Latics will soon be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.
Strike duo Nathan Ellington and Jason Roberts formed a deadly partnership and boss Paul Jewell moulded a hard-working side that fought all season long.
A last day win over Reading sealed promotion and a £25m injection for next season could see Wigan beat the drop.
VERDICT: The fairytale complete, but the hard work starts now for Wigan.
WOLVES 9th: (Last season relegated)
Wolves supporters must be wishing the season was not over after finishing it as one of the form teams in the Championship.
After losing his first game in charge in December, manager Glenn Hoddle has tasted defeat just once in 25 games.
Had he turned some of his 15 draws into wins a late play-off push could have been possible, but confidence will be high for next year if Hoddle stays.
VERDICT: No quick return to the Premiership, but hope for the future.
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