A great jump on a corner and a marvelous header. This is by no means a surprise coming from Plymouth striker Rory Fallon. But until few days ago, those kinds of attempts didn't bring a lot of attention. His club are struggling in Coca Cola Championship, while Fellon himself is far from the desired form.

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Popular "pit-bull" Edgar Davids might get back on football scene and as no less than a Leicester City member. Dutchman's final decision is expected these days and everyone in Leicester are unanimous about getting this excellent player and winner of many trophies on their side.

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When somewhat forgotten Ian Holloway took Blackpool over this summer, few people believed that this charismatic motivator will do anything more than traditional and boring survival fight. The team from English popular summer resort on Lancashire coast have been in financial problems for a long time now and in the last few seasons they struggled to make the team for the Championship.

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‘Mr. Nice Guy', ‘Pinocchio', ‘a lovely man but a terrible manager' these are all the ways former Middlesbrough boss, Gareth Southgate was described. "The Rookie" on Boro bench got sacked even though he was only one point behind the leading teams. In spite of the 2:0 win over Derby, president Steve Gibson made the decision that must be respected.

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Since Flavio Briatore bought Queens Park Rangers, everyone knew that Formula One world will intervene with the destiny of this famous football club from London. Lately it seems that this connection might be crucial for popular Hoops' future. Actually, Briatore resigned to the post of Renault Formula One boss after the accusations of fixing last year's race for Singapore Grand Prix.

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It will hardly set the football world on fire, but Gareth Southgate has been relieved of his duties as manager of Middlesbrough, the club's website has announced. Boro chairman Steve Gibson quoted: "This has been the most difficult decision I have had to make in all the time I have been in football. Gareth has given Middlesbrough [. Click to continue reading...

Years or injuries, seldom a heart failure or illness can move football player away from professional football. So the news about Ipswich Town reserve keeper, Shane Supple, healthy as a horse and has just signed the contract with the team from Portman Road, retiring at the age of 22 sounded strange.

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The younger ones of us remember the old fox when he was at the helm of the modest Sheffield United squad in the Premier League, season 2006/07. No one expected them to almost survive in the elite, the team whose best striker was John Stead and best players Phil Jagielka and experienced back Keath Gillespie.

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Coca Cola Championship is speeding up and we bring you a brief prediction for each club this season. Many things have changed in the squads, especially on the benches. It seems that it will be tougher than ever and many so-called favourites might just prove otherwise...Here is part three.

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Coca Cola Championship season is speeding up and we bring you a brief prediction for each club this season. Many things have changed in the squads, especially on benches. It seems that it will be tougher than ever and many so-called favourites might just prove otherwise...

LEICESTER CITY

When a pretty big club like Leicester city suffers such a failure like a drop to the Third league and then makes it to an express return to Championship, then other clubs should beware of their self-esteem and courage.

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While the Coca Cola Championship is speeding up, we bring you the brief prediction for each team this season. Many things have changed in the squads especially on the benches. It seems that it will be tenser than ever and many so-called favourites will soon turn into something else...

BARNSLEY

A quite summer for the club from south Yorkshire doesn't give many reasons for optimism this season.

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The season is over, the market is being tested now in the transfer window and the three heroes of Coca Cola Championship (Wolves, Birmingham, Burnley) are thinking about how to make the team that will survive season 2009/10 in Premier League lion's cage. Each of the teams will definitely need big signings, unless they are going to a field trip, but we should also mention that they already have some excellent individuals, whose career can be launched sky-high in the competition with the strongest teams on the island.

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Well-crafted squad started playing attractive football (except for the first round and 1:4 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday). The result followed in the championship and in the cups and everyone waited for the dip in Clarets' form. But it didn't happen which proves that you don't have to be a reach and modern club from the big city with a huge army of fans to fulfill your dreams.

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The story of Coca Cola Championship is over, at least for this season. When I wrote about the biggest achievements this season, mentioning Wolves, Sheffield United and Swansea, probably many of you wondered where is FC Burnley and their heroic campaign in the league and both Cups.

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It is enough to only take a look at the Championship standings bottom, where the three relegated clubs reside. It hasn't been even five years since Charlton, Southampton and Norwich were in the Premier League. That clearly points out who the biggest disappointments in worlds strongest second league are this year.

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Ok, clearly there is a huge, not to say cosmic difference in the quality of Coca Cola Championship and Premier League. These two leagues can't be compared. The players of the higher rank are top class and the quality is beyond any comparison, while the second league gives more thrill and excitement, as the league is leveled.

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We are not sure how well do you know CM manager but long experience taught us that anyone can buy a big start if they have enough money in their favourite club. In this simulation as in real life, finding young players with perspective that might explode in years to come is real art. Of course, all the scouting agents, as well as big clubs, eager to get the players that will sell their jerseys, often forget about these talented boys that take the longer way to the stars.

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There are some strange goings-on inside the walls of Loftus Road, home to one of the wealthiest football clubs in the world, Queens Park Rangers. Their top-scorer so far and one of the most talented young strikers in the league, Dexter Blackstock, was loaned to Nottingham Forest just in the time when the championship is [. Click to continue reading...

Although there are still six or seven rounds to the end of Coca Cola Championship, best players in lower tiers have already been chosen. Coca Cola Championship best player for the season 2008/09 is 22 years old Wolverhampton Wanderer's striker, Sylvain Ebanks-Blake. We have already written about him and his Wolves partner, Chris Iwelumo and we [. Click to continue reading...

When a player like Simon Walton changes the surroundings, that doesn't come as a surprise to anyone and is as if someone else goes to practice. You can say that the young hope of English football is still searching for the place to settle his unpredictable temper, and finally start playing at the expected level [. Click to continue reading...

Maybe I'm a sentimentalist, but watching a former top flight stalwart fight for promotion holds an undeniable appeal. Former league giants Leeds United nearly made it back to the top flight in 2006, and I found this notion exciting. Leeds repaid my interest with a disastrous season the following year and relegation in the [. Click to continue reading...

The beginning of Derby County's excellent striker Chris Commons' performances somehow matched with the arrival of Nigel Clough to the club. Up to that moment, former Rams' boss, Paul Jewell, had some troubles finding the partner for his first choice striker, Rob Hulse. Several players lined up, experienced Nathan Ellinghton and unimpressive Argentine, Emanuel Villa, [. Click to continue reading...

All the rumors regarding the illustrious, Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood's future keep piling up. The first guess was his former club, Nottingham Forest which he left in 2003 for a move to West Ham United. In their relegation struggle, this could've been a great deal for Forest since Martin O'Neill said he was willing to [. Click to continue reading...

Over the past few years, Coca Cola Championship took many "high-profile victims" who failed to recover from Premier League relegation. Leeds United two years ago, Leicester a year ago, and in this one, almost certain, elimination of Charlton Athletic have brought a fine entertainment to football world eager to find out if the great ones [. Click to continue reading...

Perhaps one of the biggest prizes in English football is promotion from the Championship, giving clubs the opportunity to play against some of the biggest clubs in the world. This season the race out of the Championship is tight, as always, but it looks as if the two automatic promotion places will go to two from [. Click to continue reading...

Patrick (Paddy) Kenny has been with Sheffield United for the six seasons already, the man is a genuine legend and an irreplaceable keeper in their on and off days. When, some time before Christmas, Kenny arrived late to practice, he couldn't even imagine what was in store for him... No one actually knows everything that happened [. Click to continue reading...

Exactly two years ago, Reading were fighting for a UEFA Cup seat, displaying a unique team spirit and manager Steve Coppell's specific approach. Now, with some new players, Steve Coppell is fighting for promotion to elite. They are respectably well seated considering the new surroundings, but the performances are not what Madejski Stadium fans would [. Click to continue reading...

Sometimes, it is very difficult to watch a big club with high ambitions and solid finances getting itself relegated on account on some misfortunate circumstances and one off season. Last season greatest jinx in Coca Cola Championship were definitely Leicester City, and their alike in the Premiership are surely Birmingham City. Click to continue reading...

It was not so long ago that we have watched long-term, stabile Premier League outfit, Leicester City, suffer and humiliate themselves fighting to survive in Coca Cola Championship. At the end of last season, after a number of investments by chairman Milan Mandaric, instead of the announced return to Premiership, the worst thing has happened: [. Click to continue reading...

The excellent Aussie keeper has been in Reading for two years, but hasn't got a chance to prove his worth until recently. In blue-white Royals' first top-flight season (2007/06) he had only a couple of performances, only when first keeper Marcus Hahneman would pick up an injury. He was watching his teammates from the bench [. Click to continue reading...

The famous manager hasn't been with Nottingham Forest for so long and the fans have already begun to protest over his several statements and over the way he leads their beloved team. The man who lead Preston through their double play-off (once even finals) campaign couple of years ago, and the man who brought Derby [. Click to continue reading...

The race for promotion and the play-offs spot in Coca Cola Championship is heating up, and the gaps on the top and the bottom are closing up lately, while the world's best second league enters another exciting finish. We should look into the ways for earning money by betting on so-called ante post betting. Click to continue reading...

Young Manchester United keeper, Tom Heaton, will again get a chance to guard the net for Cardiff City where he came on loan. While you are reading this, you must know about his record at Emirates stadium against Arsenal in FA Cup, and young 22-year old keeper will certainly be one step closer to fulfilling [. Click to continue reading...

Illustrious and acclaimed striker, Belgian Emile Mpenza is not that old after all. He is 30, which is not necessarily a problem for a striker if he doesn't play for top teams. During his prosperous career, playing for Standard Liege, Schalke 04, Hamburg and Manchester City, he had had many injury problems, [. Click to continue reading...

Transfer campaign has hit the boiling point and many of the players from English lower tiers have been in the heat over the past couple of days. Let's start chronologically, from our last briefing. Firstly, Bristol City striker, Steve Brooker, has finally become a Doncaster member and Sean O'Driscol's wish has finally come true. Click to continue reading...