AFTER the scenes of celebration that greeted their dramatic Play-off victory last May, even the most cynical of Derby County's fans couldn't have imagined the humiliation that was to come.

Ironically, if they'd lost that Wembley final, Billy Davies would still be in charge, picking up the plaudits for slowly building a formidable side capable of surviving in the top flight.

Instead they went up, and their only contribution to the Premier League has been to raise the interesting argument that perhaps it should be possible to relegate teams early to spare their suffering.

This year, as they slink away from the party like a guest who has vomited in the punch bowl, there is a queue of industrious, but limited challengers waiting to take their place for a season in the firing line.

The Championship may be ahead of the Premier League for excitement and unpredictability but in terms of quality, it is light years behind.

West Bromwich Albion proved in the FA Cup semi-finals that they alone might be able to put up a decent fight.

Those below them, however, are as suited for life in the top flight as fish are for mountaineering.

Stoke City, who booked their ticket with a typically dour 0-0 against Leicester City, are probably the only football team in the land dull enough to make Bolton Wanderers look like Barcelona.

Manager Tony Pulis, aware that his players cannot hope to compete against the good sides on the ground, makes sure they don't have to by pumping the ball through the stratosphere at every opportunity.

If you're one of those good-natured supporters who's always happy to see a new face in the division, you're about to get a nasty shock.

Unless Stoke undergo a serious change in ideology, they will bore the pants off you without a second thought.

Hull City, who head the chasing pack doomed to fight their way through the Play-offs, aren't much better.

PHYSICAL

Led by Phil Brown, Sam Allardyce's former No. 2, they're another physical unit with a style that only their mother could love.

They, like Birmingham before them with Nicklas Bendtner, have built their promotion challenge on the goals of a loanee striker, this time Fraser Campbell from Manchester United.

Watford played some awful football the last time they were up and there's no evidence that Aidy Boothroyd has changed his tactics yet.

Crystal Palace are led by Neil Warnock, which should say it all and, though Bristol City are noted for trying to keep the ball down, there's something of the Swindon Town about them and we all remember what happened to them.

The most searing indictment on the standard of the Championship is the fact that just 18 points separated Crystal Palace, at the bottom of the Play-offs, from Coventry City on the fringes of relegation.

Over 46 games, just six victories would have made the difference between a shot at the Premier League, and the prospect of meeting Yeovil, Walsall and Hartlepool in the third flight.

Fans of Championship sides will tell you that it's the most exciting division in Europe, and they're not wrong,

I've been there with Southend and it's great fun. Unfortunately, the league doesn't seem to be generating much in the way of quality.

Derby County may be gone, but their hilarious slapstick defending means that they'll never be forgotten.

Unfortunately for their replacements, I can't see any chance of the laughter stopping next season.

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