The Championship season is shaping up to be as exciting as ever with all to play for right throughout the division.

Wolves, Birmingham and Reading have set the early pace and there are glut of clubs tucked in behind them hoping to scrap it out to be in the play-off positions in May.

At the bottom we've seen former Premier League sides like Nottingham Forest, Charlton, Southampton and Norwich in the mix and the basement battle remains as intriguing as the race for promotion.

Beagire: finishes his reports

We've seen great goals, great players and plenty of managerial departures and arrivals so far this season and as the drama unfolds, rest assured you'll see it all on Sky Sports.

Our Football League expert Peter Beagrie has been right across the action from day one and in his final columns of the 2008 he delivers his end-of-year verdict on each club.

Monday December 29:
Blackpool v Wolves
7.45pm, Sky Sports 1 & HD1

Which players have caught Peter's eye so far this campaign? Has he been impressed by YOUR team so far? Read on for Peter's report on the remaining 12 clubs.

Norwich City

Norwich finished 17th last year and if you're looking for progression, there hasn't really been any. I saw their 2-0 defeat to Reading and they played a defensive formation with no Arturo Lupolior Wes Hoolahan and they're the type of individuals you need if you want to win games. They are leaving talented players out to go more workmanlike but it's difficult to get a foothold on games when you're defending for long periods. As far as I'm concerned the stars of their season have been the supporters, who generate an incredible atmosphere. They are the third-highest supported team in the division behind Derby and Sheffield United, but they haven't been served up many treats apart from that 5-2 win over Wolves.

Nottingham Forest

Forest have proved that tradition and former glories count for nothing and they've had a reality check this year. They lost some important people in Junior Agogo and Kris Commons and the loss of those goals explains why they are down at the bottom. I'm not surprised they are down there, but they have some fantastic youngsters coming through and I hope young Joe Garner, who they paid a lot of more for, can fire the goals to keep them up when he gets back to full fitness. Instead of being pessimistic, there is an element of realism among the fans and they are turning out in numbers to get behind their young team.

Plymouth Argyle

At the start of the season the natives were restless down in Plymouth and I felt for Paul Sturrock - but I said at the time if anybody could turn it around it was him. He came out and said he wanted the backing of the board and he got that. He was able to bring in some players who've had a magnificent impact, particularly Paul Gallagher with the goals he's scored and the effect he's had on the dressing room. I never doubted Sturrock for a minute but I did think they were in for a season of struggle at the bottom if they didn't have an influx of fresh talent. Paul deserves a case of champagne for Christmas for what he's achieved.

Preston North End

Alan Irvine has carried on where he left off last season. Preston were 21st when he took over but he guided them to a 17th-placed finish and this year they are challenging near the top. They play a 4-4-2 formation with not many stars, but plenty of good professionals who are a match for anybody on their day. One indication of how well Alan has done is the signing of Chris Brown from Norwich, who has breathed life into Preston; he's scored a few goals and acts as a focal point for the team. Preston are overachieving in my opinion, but their first XI rarely changes and it shows what continuity and consistency can achieve.

Queens Park Rangers

Everybody expected them to run away with the league, but I honestly didn't. Despite their billionaire owners, they've hardly spent anything in comparison to other teams in the division which is very strange. The stars for them have been Dexter Blackstock and Martin Rowlands who seems to be in a different position every time I see him. But I don't think QPR will make the play-offs unless they have some heavy investment. It will be interesting to see what happens in the transfer window - will they make a couple of singings to make everybody sit up and take notice? Flavio Briatore may have packed the directors' box with supermodels, but we're yet to see the sexy football he promised on the pitch.

Reading

I'm a huge admirer of Steve Coppell, a genuine man manager who commands respect. He held on to a few important players, including the division's top scorer Kevin Doyle. Another key player has been Stephen Hunt who is a little bit like one of those wind-up Christmas toys - you stick a key in the back and he just keeps on going and going. That boy never runs out of batteries and has done a job for the team from left-back. Twinned with his brother Noel they've been doing extremely well - maybe they could take over from the Mitchell brothers in EastEnders when they hang up their boots!

Sheffield United

I thought they'd be around fourth or fifth place this year and they are on target for that. They went on a great run when Kevin Blackwell took over last year and just missed out on the play-offs by four points. The star of the show again for them has been James Beattie, the penalty king, who they lost through injury at an important time last year. I'm sure Kevin would like to be higher up, but he's wise enough and ugly enough to realise this is a tough decision and it's where you are at the end of the season that counts. I think Kevin genuinely believes they are challenging for a promotion place, maybe not automatic, but probably top six.

Sheffield Wednesday

Brian 'Houdini' Laws has turned Wednesday into one of the biggest over achievers in the Championship. They should re-register the word "imminent" in the dictionary because the takeover at Hillsborough has been "imminent" for a season and a half. Perhaps "imminent" means "never going to happen" in Yorkshire! Despite having one of the smallest squads in the division, Marcus Tudgay has provided quality and the likes of Tommy Spurr at the back has been tremendous. There are reasons to be cheerful for Wednesday fans in these festive times - but they are aware that if they get three or four injuries this division could punish them. A rich oligarch to add four or five players to a wafer-thin squad will be top of their Christmas list this year.

Southampton

Southampton are a team I've always admired, but it's amazing how things turn around so quickly in football. Two seasons ago they were favourites for promotion, but now they are a selling club reliant on their prolific academy. Watching youngsters like David McGoldrick and Adam Lallana coming through the ranks has been a source of comfort for Southampton's fans and they play in the right manner. I don't know how long they can hold on to the likes of Andrew Surman, who is definitely a Premier League player in the making, so it's hard to know what to say to their supporters. They clung on in this division by their fingernails and it looks to be the same this time around. They are lightweight and they can be bullied, but at least they stick to their footballing principles. That's to be admired but will the fans accept that if they drop down a division?

Swansea City

Nothing much takes the smile off Roberto Martinez's face. His fellow countryman Jordi Gomez is knocking goals in for fun at the moment, while Jason Scotland and Ferrie Bodde - a Glenn Hoddle in a Swansea shirt - have been playing well. The squad is a United Nations, dominated by the Spanish, and their fantastic fanbase can be really pleased with the job that Roberto has done. He's a very honest guy and nothing is lost in translation with him - it's all pass and move and they are difficult to play against because they are so unpredictable. He's done really well and long may it continue.

Watford

It was disappointing to see Aidy Boothroyd lose his job, especially after they sold important players such as Darius Henderson, Danny Shittu and Marlon King. The Watford players know they weren't consistent enough last year and they let the manager down. Some fresh blood has come in now and it will be interesting to see what transpires. Their player of the season has been Tommy Smith, a man for all seasons, and the youngster John-Joe O'Toole could be a bit of a star for them, coming on as an impact player and getting everybody going with his enthusiasm.

Wolves

It's probably right that we discuss Wolves last because they've been a breath of fresh air. Mick McCarthy has built a young side and has given them the confidence to go and express themselves after missing out on the play-offs by a couple of goals last season. Michael Kightly is the most exciting man in the division, he's so creative on either the right or left wing. With Chris Iwelumo and Sylvain Ebanks-Blake they are the top scorers in the division and they play in the same attacking manner home and away. I'm a bit worried they might be a bit inexperienced and lightweight at the back. I watched them the other week and I'd have bitten all my fingernails off if I hadn't had my gloves on - I've had to put a new pair of gloves on my Christmas list as a result! They commit bodies forward, they have competition for places up front and at the moment you can say they are that stars on the top of the Christmas tree.

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