Final lap in a wacky race to reach the Barclays Premier League

With three games left, every club has either the chance of being promoted or the chance of following Scunthorpe and Colchester into League One. Relegated.

Just 17 points separate Crystal Palace in the final play-off place and Leicester City, who occupy a relegation spot. Ian Holloway's side are third from bottom with a goal difference of minus two. Bristol City sit fourth in the table. Their goal difference is zero.

Since the beginning of the season, top spot has changed possession on 17 occasions, the last being Tuesday night when West Bromwich's 1-0 win at Wolves saw them once more match their billing as the best footballing side in the division with the tag of league leaders.

So, is the evenness of the playing field a sign of weakness or strength? Albion manager Tony Mowbray believes it is the latter.

"From our own perspective, the diversity of teams you play against is huge," he said. "You play against some who are direct, who depend on free-kicks, to others who play and rotate the football.

"Physically, the division is very evenly matched. And it's a league that's not governed by fear. If you are in the Premier League and you go and play at Old Trafford, everyone will have a negative set-up. In this league, everyone thinks they can get a result anywhere.

"I've heard the argument that the Championship is a rubbish league and that the three who go up from it will definitely go down. I'd like the opportunity to disprove that. If the Championship was that bad, why aren't the teams who went up last year all sitting in the Premier League bottom three?"

And why have last season's relegated sides not dominated the Championship this campaign?

Watford are still hopeful of automatic promotion, although defeat at home by Crystal Palace today would leave them fretting about making the play-offs.

Sheffield United may have left a late-season surge just too late, while Charlton still dream of a play-off berth in spite of poor recent form.

Charlton manager Alan Pardew is nevertheless enthused by life in the second tier of English football.

He said: "The true spirit, the honesty of the type of footballer in the division — and 90 per cent of them are English — comes out. Every game is very tough, very even. It's an in-your-face league.

"And although there are salary discrepancies in the division, teams coming down from the Premier League usually aren't able to move on players who have been a failure in the top flight, so that advantage can be countered by the spirit and togetherness of other sides."

Part of the secret of the Championship's success is that the pressurised lure of Premier League football does funny things to sides who come into contact with the thought that they might actually get there.

Of the current top five, only Hull City have not led the way. Even so, occupying the second automatic promotion place means that Phil Brown's team walk out at Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United today knowing that the prize is now theirs to throw away.

For Championship clubs, reaching the Premier League is akin to the likes of Blackburn, Middlesbrough and Bolton qualifying for the UEFA Cup.

Sounds great, but the reality is starkly different. Just ask Derby County and their suffering fans.

Had they lost last season's play-off final to West Bromwich, this year would have been so much more fun.