Paralympics 2012: Bringing it all back home

GREAT BRITAIN has started the Paralympic Games brilliantly, winning seven medals including two gold on the opening day of action.

Cyclist Sarah Storey was the star of the show, setting a world record in the qualification stages of the women's individual pursuit before catching her opponent Anna Harkowska in the final with still more than half the race to run.

There was gold too for Jonathan Fox in the men's 100m backstroke S7 category. Just like Storey, Fox had also broken a world record in the heats, setting a new best time of 1:09.86, before winning the final in 1:10.46.

Mark Colbourne won Britain's first medal of the Games, a silver in the velodrome in the men's 1km time trial, and there were two swimming silvers from Nyree Kindred in the women's 100m backstroke S6 category and Hannah Russell in the women's 400m freestyle S12.

Finally, on a glorious opening day, there were bronze medals in judo for Ben Quilter and in powerlifting for Zoe Newson, meaning Britain has already made a good start towards achieving its minimum target of 103 medals overall.

The medal rush is expected to continue throughout the Games as, on an international scale, Paralympics GB is on a different level even when compared to the excellent efforts of Team GB at the Olympics.

Britain has a proud history at the Paralympic Games, finishing second in the medal table on the last three occasions, and never below fifth in all 13 previous official gatherings.

Further than that, the Paralympics can actually be seen as British, given that their true birthplace is at Stoke Mandeville hospital in Buckinghamshire.

There, a Jewish German doctor by the name of Sir Ludwig Guttman, who had fled Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in 1939, came to treat victims of World War II.

On his arrival, Sir Ludwig was dismayed to find the spinal injury ward was full of heavily-sedated, paralysed soldiers, all confined to their beds, and awaiting their inevitable deaths.

Sir Ludwig concluded that this would simply not do and, after treating their bedsores and infections, he encouraged the men out of their beds and into the sporting arena.

And so, in 1948, the Stoke Mandeville Games were officially born with 16 competitors - 14 men and two women - taking part in an archery competition.

In 1952, a Dutch team participated, making it an international event for the first time, and the ninth international staging - in Rome in 1960 - is now considered to be the first Paralympic Games.

Of course, the event moved on greatly since those early days and, in 2012, there are now 503 gold medals awarded in 20 sports with all sorts of different categories.

Thankfully, there is some help out there: the BBC, despite its lack of television rights, seems to have the best online guide of those categories, and it also has comprehensive radio coverage on Five Live.

Meanwhile, Channel 4 is the place to go for actual televised transmission of the Games. Already, though, the broadcaster's coverage has had its critics.

The biggest complaint so far seems to have been over the number of adverts shown during the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday.

But, while it is acceptable that a commercial station should show advertisements for sponsor reasons, a more valid objection has been the needless amount of chatter from the studio between - and sometimes during - the events.

Having said that, some of the studio interludes have been helpful with decent explanations often offered of the intricacies of each event.

On balance, Channel 4 has been more stodgy than completely amateur, and what was actually covered of the Opening Ceremony was still made to feel pretty special.

Indeed, more than 11m people tuned into the extravaganza at the Olympic Stadium, an extraordinary figure for the Paralympics and for Channel 4, too.

Those who were watching would have seen many brilliant and poignant moments, the best and most poignant of which came appropriately at the climax.

For, the Paralympic Torch - which had been reported to be late due to demand to see it on its route to Stratford - eventually arrived in the Olympic Stadium on a zip wire.

More impressively still, it was brought on the wire into the arena by a former Royal Marine Joe Townsend, who lost both his legs in Afghanistan. It has been reported that he is a hopeful for the ParalympicsGB team in Rio 2016 in the triathlon.

The torch was then lit by Margaret Maughan, Britain's first ever Paralympic gold medallist - and thus, the past and the future of the Paralympics were brought together perfectly.

Finally, chairman of organiser LOCOG Sebastian Coe spoke to mark the start of another truly 12 great days in London.

Lord Coe said: "It is my great honour to say welcome home to the Paralympic Games", and he added, "Prepare to be inspired, prepare to be dazzled, prepare to be moved."

Even after day one, it can be pretty much guaranteed that all of those things have already happened.

Indeed, it is already quite clear that this is going to be another amazing dozen days in London.

GREAT BRITAIN MEDALLISTS AT THE 2012 PARALYMPICS

GOLD

Archery
Danielle Brown Women's individual compound - open
Athletics
Jonnie Peacock Men's 100m T44

Hannah Cockcroft (two) Women's 100m T34, Women's 200m T34
Richard Whitehead Men's 200m T42
Aled Davies Men's discus F42
David Weir (four) Men's 800m T54, Men's 1500m T54, Men's 5000m T54, Men's marathon T54
Mickey Bushell Men's 100m T37
Josie Pearson Women's discus F51-53
Cycling
Sarah Storey (four) Women's individual pursuit C5, Women's 500m time trial C4-5, Women's road time trial C5, Women's road race C4-5
Mark Colbourne Men's individual pursuit C1
Neil Fachie [Barney Storey (pilot)] Men's 1km time trial B
Anthony Kappes [Craig MacLean (pilot)] Men's individual sprint B
David Stone Mixed road race T1-2
Equestrian
Sophie Christiansen, Deborah Criddle, Lee Pearson & Sophie Wells Team championship

Natasha Baker (two) [Cabral] Individual championship test grade II, Individual freestyle test grade II
Sophie Christiansen (two) [Janeiro 6] Individual championship test grade Ia, Individual freestyle test grade Ia
Rowing  
Pam Relph, Naomi Riches, David Smith, James Roe & Lily van den Broecke (cox) Mixed coxed four LTAMix4+
Sailing  
Helena Lucas 2.4 mR - 1 person keelboat
Swimming  
Jonathan Fox Men's 100m backstroke S7
Eleanor Simmonds (two) Women's 400m freestyle S6, Women's 200m individual medley SM6
Jessica-Jane Applegate Women's 200m freestyle S14
Heather Frederiksen Women's 100m backstroke S8
Oliver Hynd Men's 200m individual medley SM8
Josef Craig Men's 400m freestyle S7

SILVER

Archery
Mel Clarke Women's individual compound - open
Athletics
Stefanie Reid Women's long jump F42-44

Graeme Ballard Men's 100m T36
Libby Clegg [Mikail Huggins (guide)] Women's 100m T12
Paul Blake Men's 400m T36

Bethy Woodward Women's 200m T37
Dan Greaves Men's discus F44
Shelly Woods Women's marathon T54
Boccia
David Smith Individual BC1
Cycling
Mark Colbourne (two) Men's 1km time trial C1-3, Men's road time trial C1
Aileen McGlynn [Helen Scott (pilot)] Women's individual B 1km time trial
Neil Fachie [Barney Storey (pilot)] Men's individual sprint B
Jon-Allan Butterworth (two) Men's 1k time trial C4-5, Men's individual pursuit C5
Shaun McKeown Men's individual pursuit C3
Jon-Allan Butterworth, Darren Kenny, Rik Waddon Mixed team sprint C1-5
Karen Darke Women's road time trial H1-2
Equestrian
Lee Pearson [Gentleman] Individual championship test grade Ib
Sophie Wells (two) [Pinocchio] Individual championship test grade IV, Individual freestyle test grade IV
Deborah Criddle (two) [LJT Akilles] Individual championship test grade III, Individual freestyle test grade III
Judo 
Sam Ingram Men's 90kg
Shooting  
Matt Skelhon Mixed R3 - 10m air rifle prone SH1
Swimming  
Nyree Kindred Women's 100m backstroke S6
Sascha Kindred Men's 200m individual medley SM6 
Hannah Russell Women's 400m freestyle S12
Oliver Hynd Men's 400m freestyle S8 
Matthew Whorwood Men's 400m freestyle S6
Claire Cashmore Women's 100m breaststroke SB8
James Crisp Men's 100m backstroke S9
Heather Frederiksen (two) Women's 100m freestyle S8, Women's 400m freestyle S8
Charlotte Henshaw Women's 100m breaststroke SB6
Stephanie Millward (three) Women's 100m backstroke S9, Women's 400m freestyle S9, Women's 200m individual medley SM9
Aaron Moores Men's 100m backstroke S14
Eleanor Simmonds Women's 100m freestyle S6
Louise Watkin Women's 50m freestyle S9
Claire Cashmore, Heather Frederiksen, Stephanie Millward & Louise Watkin Women's 4x100m medley relay 34pts
Table tennis
Will Bayley Men's singles class 7
Wheelchair tennis
Andy Lapthorne & Peter Norfolk Quad doubles
 

BRONZE

Athletics
Aled Davies Men's shot put F42-44

Gemma Prescott Women's club throw F31/32/51

Rob Womack Men's shot put F54-56
Claire Williams Women's discus F11-12
David Devine (two) Men's 800m T12, Men's 1500m T13
Olivia Breen/Bethy Woodward/Katrina Hart/Jenny McLoughlin Women's 4x100m relay T35/T38
Beverley Jones Women's discus F37
Ben Rushgrove Women's 200m T36
Paul Blake Women's 800m T36
Ola Abidogun Men's 100m T46
Boccia
Dan Bentley/Nigel Murray/David Smith/Zoe Robinson Mixed team BC1-2
Cycling
Darren Kenny Men's individual pursuit C3
Jody Cundy Men's individual pursuit C4
Aileen McGlynn [Helen Scott (pilot)] Women's individual pursuit B
David Stone Mixed road time trial T1-2
Rachel Morris Women's road race H1-3
Equestrian
Lee Pearson [Gentleman] Individual freestyle test grade Ib
Judo 
Ben Quilter Men's 60kg
Powerlifting
Zoe Newson Women's 40kg
Sailing
Niki Birrell & Alex Rickham SKUD18 - 2 person keelboat
Shooting
James Bevis Mixed R5 - 10m air rifle prone SH2
Matt Skelhon Mixed R6 - 50m air rifle prone SH1
Swimming
Sam Hynd Men's 400m freestyle S8
Matthew Whorwood Men's 400m freestyle S6
Hannah Russell (two) Women's 100m butterfly S12, Women's 100m backstroke S12
James Clegg Men's 100m butterfly S12
Natalie Jones Women's 200m individual medley SM6
Susie Rodgers (two) Women's 100m freestyle S7, Women's 400m freestyle S7
Oliver Hynd Men's 100m backstroke S8
Eleanor Simmonds Women's 50m freestyle S6
Matthew Walker Men's 50m freestyle S7
Robert Welbourn Men's 200m individual medley SM8
Liz Johnson Women's 100m breaststroke SB6
Louise Watkin Women's 200m individual medley SM9
Harriet Lee Women's 100m breaststroke SB9
Claire Cashmore, Stephanie Millward, Susie Rodgers & Louise Watkin Women's 4x100m freestyle relay 34pts
Table tennis
Paul Davies Men's singles class 1
Jane Campbell & Sara Head Women's team class 1-3
Ross Wilson & Will Bayley Men's team class 6-8
Wheelchair tennis
Lucy Shuker & Jordanne Whiley Women's doubles

FINAL MEDAL TABLE

Rank		G	S	B	Total
1	CHINA (CHN)	95	71	65	231
2	Russia (RUS)	36	38	28	102
3	Great Britain & NI (GBR)	34	43	43	120
4	Ukraine (UKR)	32	24	28	84
5	Australia (AUS)	32	23	30	85
6	United States (USA)	31	29	38	98
7	Brazil (BRZ)	21	14	8	43
8	Germany (GER)	18	26	22	66
9	Poland (POL)	14	13	9	36
10	Netherlands (NED)	10	10	19	39
11	Iran (IRN)	10	7	7	24
12	South Korea (KOR)	9	9	9	27
13	Italy (ITA)	9	8	11	28
14	Tunisia (TUN)	9	5	5	19
15	Cuba (CUB)	9	5	3	17
16	France (FRA)	8	19	18	45
17	Spain (ESP)	8	18	16	42
18	South Africa (RSA)	8	12	9	29
19	Ireland (IRL)	8	3	5	16
20	Canada (CAN)	7	15	9	31

Prince Harry: Much ado about nothing

PRINCE HARRY caused a bit of a media furore last week after being caught on holiday in Las Vegas with his trousers down - literally.

The 27-year-old royal - who is third in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles and his brother Prince William - was snapped playing a game of billiards naked, and perhaps unsurprisingly the photographs subsequently appeared online.

Pretty soon, all of the US news networks had caught up with the pictures but it looked as if none of the UK newspapers was going to publish them... until the Sun finally broke ranks on Friday.

The Sun's front-page headline was "Heir It Is" and, explaining its decision to publish, managing editor David Dinsmore said: "For us this is about the freedom of the press.

"This is about the ludicrous situation where a picture can be seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world on the internet but can't be seen in the nation's favourite paper read by eight million people every day."

That rationale immediately brought guffaws from some of the newspaper's biggest critics including former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott, who is certainly no friend of the Murdoch press.

He said: "It is about money, money, money. And they know that by exclusively printing the pictures, assuming they are the only paper which does, they will get everybody buying the paper to see this."

On this point, Lord Prescott is probably right - though, as a croquet-playing, champagne-swilling politician - also a little hypocritical.

Far from standing up for press freedom in the light of the Leveson inquiry, this was a move to benefit the Sun only. 

But, then, it should be remembered that Britain's biggest-selling newspaper is a commercial operation and has a right to make money from information which had already been widely disseminated. 

Nevertheless, there has inevitably been some backlash to the Sun, and more than 3600 members of the public have now complained to the Press Complaints Commission.

However, the PCC confirmed that none of the complainants had come from the royal mouthpiece, St James's Palace.

The Palace had earlier released a statement which said: "We have made our views on Prince Harry's privacy known. Newspapers regulate themselves, so the publication of the photographs is ultimately a decision for editors to make."

In other words, it seems even the royal family have accepted that, with the pictures already so widely available, their hands are tied on this one.

Perhaps the situation was best summed up by London mayor Boris Johnson who said: "I think it'd be disgraceful if a chap wasn't allowed to have a bit of fun in Las Vegas.

"The real scandal would be if you went all the way to Las Vegas and you didn't misbehave in some trivial way."

Mr Johnson is correct. Prince Harry has done absolutely nothing wrong - you only live life once so it is only right that you should have a bit of fun every now and then.

However, nor the Sun done much wrong on this occasion either, and this whole episode will probably be recalled rather fondly and with some amusement when it all blows over.

It really is a case of much ado about nothing.

The Premier League 2012/13

ARSENAL
The Gunners - Emirates Stadium, Ashburton Road, Islington, London, N5 1BU. Capacity 60,362
Last season: 3rd, FA Cup 5th round, League Cup Quarter finals, Champions League Last 16
Last major trophy: FA Cup 2005
Manager: Arsene Wenger (since October 1996)
Players In: Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla
Players Out: Robin van Persie, Carlos Vela, Oguzhan Ozyakup, Kyle Barley, Rhys Murphy, Gavin Hoyte, Manuel Almunia, Pedro Botehlo, Denilson, Ryo Miyaichi, Joel Campbell, Benik Afobe
Pre-season form:
14.07 v Anderlecht (N) W1-0
14.07 v Southampton (A) D1-1
24.07 v Malaysia XI (A) W2-1
27.07 v Manchester City (N) L0-2
29.07 v Kitchee (A) (FE) D2-2
12.08 v Koln (A) W4-0
Prediction: 4th
Rinse and repeat. Last summer, gloom descended on the Emirates following the departures of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas. Arsenal subsequently made their worst start to a season since 1958 - a start which included a humiliating 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford. But, after Christmas, Arsenal were a different beast and a remarkable recovery saw them ease into third. Much of that was down to the goals of Robin van Persie - but the Dutchman has upped sticks and left for Manchester United on the season's eve leaving the Gunners' chances dependant on new strike pairing £11m Lukas Podolski and £13 Olivier Giroud adapting immediately. Another tough test for Arsene Wenger awaits.

ASTON VILLA
The Villains - Villa Park, Trinity Road, Birmingham, B6 6HE. Capacity 42,785
Last season: 16th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 3rd round
Last major trophy: League Cup 1996
Manager: Paul Lambert (since June 2012)
Players In: Brett Holman, Karim El Ahmadi, Matthew Lowton, Ron Vlaar
Players Out: Emile Heskey, Carlos Cuellar, James Collins
Pre-season form:
14.07 v Burton Albion (A) L1-2
18.07 v Philadelphia Union (A) W1-0
21.07 v Chicago Fire (A) W1-0
24.07 v Portland Timbers (A) D2-2 (won 5-4 on pens)
01.08 v Peterborough United (A) W2-0
04.08 v Nottingham Forest (A) L1-3
11.08 v Werder Bremen (A) D3-3
Prediction: 10th
Aston Villa acted quickly following a truly awful 2011-12 season, which brought just seven wins and 38 points. The dour Alex McLeish was dumped and Paul Lambert became the third manager in the last two years since Martin O'Neill left. The hope from Villa fans, then, is that the former Norwich man provides their club with some much-needed stability as well as making them rather more exciting to watch. That is easier said than done when your main striker is Darren Bent, who is hardly famed for his all-round team play. But, having said that, Villa should not struggle as much as they did last year, and it can only surely happen to be more fun. This is very much a work in progress for Lambert, though.

CHELSEA
The Blues - Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, London, SW6 1HS. Capacity 41,798
Last season: 6th, FA Cup Winners, League Cup Quarter finals, Champions League Winners
Last major trophies: Champions League 2012 and FA Cup 2012
Manager: Roberto Di Matteo (since March 2012)
Players In: Marko Marin, Eden Hazard, George Brady, Thorgan Hazard, Oscar
Players Out: Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa, Salomon Kalou, Marko Mitrovic, Rhys Taylor
Pre-season form:
18.07 v Seattle Sounders (A) W4-2
22.07 v Paris Saint-Germain (N) D1-1
25.07 v MLS All-Stars XI (A) L2-3
28.07 v AC Milan (N) L0-1
04.08 v Brighton & Hove Albion (A) L1-3
12.08 v Manchester City (N) L2-3
Prediction: 3rd
Chelsea took three-and-a-half weeks after their Champions League final victory to confirm the permanent installation of Roberto di Matteo as manager. The delay spoke volumes - no one expected that, following the somewhat acrimonious departure of Andre Villas-Boas, di Matteo would do quite so well and carry off a glorious Cup double. At the same time, though, league form took a dive and the Blues finished 6th, their lowest placing for 10 years. The last thing that Roman Abramovich wants is for Chelsea to become a glorified cup team while the two Manchester clubs dominate the Premier League. As a result, Di Matteo will be under pressure straight away to prove his doubters in the league wrong. A return to form by Fernando Torres would help him out, of course.

EVERTON
The Toffees - Goodison Park, Goodison Road, Liverpool, L4 4EL. Capacity 39,571
Last season: 7th, FA Cup Semi finals, League Cup 4th round
Last major trophy: FA Cup 1995
Manager: David Moyes (since March 2002)
Players In: Steven Naismith, Steven Pienaar
Players Out: Jack Rodwell, Tim Cahill, Joseph Yobo, Marcus Hahnemann, James McFadden, Femi Orenuga, Aristote Nsiala, Adam Forshaw, James Wallace, Joao Silva
Pre-season form:
14.07 v Morecambe (A) W4-1
19.07 v Dundee United (A) W1-0
21.07 v Motherwell (A) D1-1
05.08 v Blackpool (A) L0-2
08.08 v AEK Athens (H) W4-1
11.08 v Malaga (A) L0-1
Prediction: 8th
Another year, another surge in the second half of the season - if only Everton could begin the season well, then they would regularly challenge for a top four placing. Nevertheless, a sixth top-seven finish in the last eight years is not to be sniffed at, and there was actually no secret to the Toffees' rise up the table last time. January brought the arrival of Nikola Jelavic from crisis-torn Rangers and the return on loan of Steven Pienaar from Tottenham Hotspur. Pienaar has joined on a permanent basis this summer, giving David Moyes's side a settled look - could this be the year they finally begin well?

FULHAM
The Cottagers - Craven Cottage, Stevenage Road, London, SW6 6HH. Capacity 25,700
Last season: 9th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 3rd round, Europa League Group stage
Last major trophy: None
Manager: Martin Jol (since June 2011)
Players In: Mladen Petric, Sascha Riether, Hugo Rodallega
Players Out: Andy Johnson, Danny Murphy, Pavel Pogrebnyak, Orlando Sa, Marcel Gecov, Dickson Etuhu, Bjorn Helge Riise
Pre-season form:
15.07 v HB Koge (N) D0-0
18.07 v Lokomotiv Leipzig (A) W4-0
21.07 v Kaiserslautern (A) D2-2
28.07 v Wycombe Wanderers (A) W3-0
04.08 v Nice (A) W4-0
07.08 v Milton Keynes Dons (A) W1-0
11.08 v Charlton Athletic (H) L1-2
Prediction: 16th
Fulham have become a staple fixture in the Premier League - indeed, this is the Cottagers' 11th successive top-flight season. But, while recent years have been characterised by an increasingly comfortable mid-table status, this coming campaign looks like being the Londoners' toughest for some time. Andy Johnson and Danny Murphy have made for the exit door, and Clint Dempsey looks almost certain to follow. Meanwhile, Fulham were disappointed when Pavel Pogrebnyak - who impressed in the second half of last season - opted to join the Russian backers at Reading. Martin Jol has brought in Mladen Petric and Hugo Rodallega to try and plug the gap up front but neither of them are well-known for their consistency.

LIVERPOOL
The Reds - Anfield, Anfield Road, Liverpool, L4 0TH. Capacity 45,276
Last season: 8th, FA Cup Runners-up, League Cup Winners
Last major trophy: League Cup 2012
Manager: Brendan Rodgers (since June 2012)
Players In: Joe Allen, Fabio Borini
Players Out: Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy, Alberto Aquilani, Maxi Rodriguez, Fabio Aurelio
Pre-season form:
21.07 v Toronto (A) D1-1
25.07 v Roma (N) L1-2
28.07 v Tottenham Hotspur (N) D0-0
02.08 v Gomel (A) W1-0
09.08 v Gomel (H) W3-0 (won 4-0 on aggregate) [Europa League qualifier]
12.08 v Bayer Leverkusen (H) W3-1
Prediction: 7th
Another revolution at Anfield - though the new boss Brendan Rodgers at least seems to have more idea of Liverpool's current standing in the game than the delusional 'King Kenny'. Dalglish may have delivered a first trophy for six years with victory over Cardiff City on penalties in the League Cup final - but he also oversaw the Reds' worst league finish since 1954 and a racism row surrounding Luis Suarez which he played all wrong. It has hardly been plain sailing for Rodgers already with his apparent rejection of £35m man Andy Carroll. But an early competitive victory in the Europa League, with goals from Steve Gerrard and new signing Fabio Borini, should help Rodgers get a fair hearing from an increasingly frustrated Anfield faithful. 

MANCHESTER CITY
The Blues - Etihad Stadium, SportCity, Manchester, M11 3FF. Capacity 47,405
Last season: Champions, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup Semi finals, Champions League Group stage, Europa League Last 16
Last major trophy: Premier League 2011-12
Manager: Roberto Mancini (since December 2009)
Players In: Jack Rodwell
Players Out: Owen Hargreaves, Gai Assulin, Stuart Taylor, Wayne Bridge, Ahmed Benali, Greg Cunningham, Vladimir Weiss
Pre-season form:
13.07 v Al-Hilal (N) L0-1
17.07 v Dynamo Dresden (N) D0-0
20.07 v Besiktas (N) W2-0
27.07 v Arsenal (N) W2-0
30.07 v Malaysia XI (A) W3-1
04.08 v VfL Wolfsburg (A) W2-0
05.08 v Limerick (A) W4-0
12.08 v Chelsea (N) W3-2
Prediction: Champions
It has been a quiet summer at Eastlands following a first league title win in 44 years - only Jack Rodwell has arrived from Everton to add yet another option to an already jam-packed midfield. But, while Roberto Mancini has decided that his lack of spending in the summer translates to his rivals overtaking Manchester City in the title race, the Blue Moon club simply must start as favourites considering that midfield and the twin goal threats of Sergio Aguero and a re-energised Carlos Tevez. Matters are less certain in defence - for, although Vincent Kompany marshalled the meanest back-line in the Premier League last season, his absence on a few occasions was keenly felt as Stefan Savic failed to convince. However, Kompany is a reliable captain, he can be expected to play most weeks, and Man City's all-round squad should deliver a second title for the fans to celebrate wildly - even if it is not won quite as dramatically this time.

MANCHESTER UNITED
The Red Devils - Old Trafford, Sir Matt Busby Way, Manchester, M16 0RA. Capacity 75,765
Last season: Runners-up, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup Quarter finals, Champions League Group stage, Europa League Last 16
Last major trophy: Premier League 2010-11
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson (since November 1986)
Players In: Robin van Persie, Nick Powell, Shinji Kagawa
Players Out: Richie De Laet, Matty James, Oliver Norwood, Paul Pogba, Tomasz Kuszczak, Michael Owen, Park Ji-Sung, Fabio da Silva, Ben Amos
Pre-season form:
18.07 v AmaZulu (A) W1-0
21.07 v Ajax Cape Town (A) D1-1
25.07 v Shanghai Shenhua (A) W1-0
05.08 v Valerenga (A) D0-0
08.08 v Barcelona (N) D0-0 (lost 0-2 on pens)
11.08 v Hannover (A) W4-3
Prediction: Runners-up
Sir Alex Ferguson sent a real signal of intent across Manchester right on the eve of the new season by welcoming Robin van Persie to Old Trafford. Having blown an eight point lead with six games left, and lost the title in the dying moments of the campaign, Ferguson feels that his attack will make the difference on this occasion. It is not hard to see why - between them, van Persie and Wayne Rooney hit 57 Premier League goals last season - but Ferguson must also be aware of the weaknesses in other areas in his side. The lack of creativity in midfield resulted in the surprise return of Paul Scholes though there are high hopes that Shinji Kagawa could help out on that front. But that still does not solve a further problem at centre-back where Nemanja Vidic is returning from injury, Rio Ferdinand is starting to look his age, and Phil Jones and Jonny Evans still have much to prove.

NEWCASTLE UNITED
The Magpies - St James Park, Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4ST. Capacity 52,405
Last season: 5th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 4th round
Last major trophy: UEFA (Fairs) Cup 1969
Manager: Alan Pardew (since December 2010)
Players In: Romain Amalfitano, Gael Bigirimana, Curtis Good, Vurnon Anita
Players Out: Leon Best, Fraser Forster, Danny Guthrie, Tamas Kadar, Ryan Donaldson, Alan Smith, Peter Lovenkrands
Pre-season form:
13.07 v Chemnitzer (A) L0-1
16.07 v AS Monaco (N) W1-0
21.07 v Fenerbahce (N) D1-1
27.07 v Olympiakos (N) D1-1 (drew 4-4 on pens)
28.07 v Braga (A) W2-1
04.08 v ADO Den Haag (A) D0-0
07.08 v Hartlepool United (A) W5-1
11.08 v Cardiff City (A) L1-4
Prediction: 6th
Alan Pardew arrived at St James Park under the darkest of clouds having replaced the harshly-sacked Chris Hughton in December 2010. But, after guiding the Magpies to a solid mid-table finish on their first season back after promotion, Pardew did brilliantly last season, and - buoyed by an unbeaten start of 11 games - Newcastle launched an unlikely assault on the Champions League which lasted until the final day. In the end, the Toon had to settle for the Europa League but it is still a welcome return to European competition after an absence of five years. The Newcastle team now has quality right through it - from Tim Krul in goal, Fabricio Coloccini at centre-back, Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye in midfield, and Senegal pair Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse up front. However, the depth of the squad remains an issue, particularly at centre-back, and there are genuine worries that the additional games abroad may stretch Newcastle to the very limit.

NORWICH CITY
The Canaries - Carrow Road Road, Norwich, NR1 1JE. Capacity 27,224
Last season: 12th, FA Cup 5th round, League Cup 2nd round
Last major trophy: League Cup 1985
Manager: Chris Hughton (since June 2012)
Players In: Steven Whittaker, Jacob Butterfield, Robert Snodgrass, Michael Turner, Sebastian Bassong
Players Out: Zak Whitbread, Aaron Wilbraham, Adam Drury, Andrew Crofts, Josh Dawkin, Matt Ball
Pre-season form:
21.07 v Hertha Berlin (A) L2-3
24.07 v Celtic (A) W1-0
28.07 v Peterborough United (A) W2-0
31.07 v Ajax Amsterdam (H) D1-1
03.08 v Milton Keynes Dons (A) D0-0
07.08 v Hull City (A) D0-0
11.08 v Borussia Moenchengladbach (H) L0-2
Prediction: 20th
The start of a new season is usually a time when even the most pessimistic fan has a morsel of hope that, this year, it might just be a little bit better than the last time. For Norwich fans, over the last three years, that hope was realised with the Canaries flying up the league in extraordinary fashion, winning two successive promotions and then finishing 12th on their return to the top flight. All of that occurred under the stewardship of Paul Lambert, however, and the Scotsman is no longer at Carrow Road having left in an attempt to rebuild Aston Villa. As such, the close season in Norwich has been dominated by negativity which only got worse when star player Grant Holt demanded to be put on the transfer list. It was a huge credit to new boss Chris Hughton, then, that he halted the Holt exit strategy by convincing the striker to sign a new three-year contract. While former Newcastle boss Hughton also has much work to do on the defence, keeping Holt was surely the only way that the Canaries were going to stay truly competitive at this level. Even then, it could still be a tough ask to keep the momentum from the last few years going.

QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Rangers - Loftus Road Stadium, South Africa Road, London, W12 7PA. Capacity 18,439
Last season: 17th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 2nd round
Last major trophy: League Cup 1967
Manager: Mark Hughes (since January 2012)
Players In: Park Ji-Sung, Samba Diakite, David Hoilett, Andy Johnson, Robert Green, Ryan Nelsen, Fabio da Silva, Michael Dawson
Players Out: Bruno Perone, Peter Ramage, Danny Shittu, Danny Gabbidon, Gary Borrowdale, Fitz Hall, Lee Cook, Rowan Vine, Patrick Agyemang, Paddy Kenny, Akos Buzsaky, Heidar Helguson
Pre-season form:
18.07 v Sabah XI (A) W5-0
20.07 v Kelantan (A) W5-0
23.07 v Persebaya Surabaya (A) W2-1
31.07 v Wycombe Wanderers (A) W3-0
04.08 v Trabzonspor (N) D1-1
11.08 v FC Augsburg (A) D2-2
Prediction: 13th
After having just survived on the final day, Queens Park Rangers will be looking to this season as one in which they thrive. Discipline was perhaps Rangers' biggest problem last season with an unbelievable nine sendings-off, six of which were straight reds and four of which were for violent conduct. That, of course, included Joey Barton who put the club's top-flight status on a knife-edge on that final day for his assaults on Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany. Barton was banned for 12 games by the FA and looks unlikely to stay at Loftus Road as Mark Hughes attempts to stamp his own authority on the west Londoners. In have come experienced campaigners Ryan Nelsen, Andy Johnson and Robert Green while Hughes has also picked up Fabio da Silva and Park Ji-Sung from Old Trafford. Centre-back Michael Dawson was hastily added to the list after a second consecutive opening day horror show but QPR should be better than what they showed against Swansea in the long term. 

READING
The Royals - Madejski Stadium, Bennett Road, Reading, RG2 0FL. Capacity 24,197
Last season: Winners (promoted from the Championship), FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 1st round
Last major trophy: None
Manager: Brian McDermott (since December 2009)
Players In: Chris Gunter, Garath McCleary, Danny Guthrie, Pavel Pogrebnyak, Nicky Shorey, Stuart Taylor, Adrian Mariappa
Players Out: Mathieu Manset, Michail Antonio, Joseph Mills, Andy Griffin, Brian Howard
Pre-season form:
14.07 v AFC Wimbledon (A) W7-0
21.07 v Quarteirense (A) D1-1
24.07 v Sheffield Wednesday (N) L0-2
27.07 v Olhanense (A) D1-1
04.08 v Bournemouth (A) D2-2
07.08 v Brighton & Hove Albion (A) D1-1
11.08 v Crystal Palace (H) W2-0
Prediction: 19th
Reading won their second Championship title in six years but it would be fair to say that the 2012 vintage, with 89 points, did not quite reach the heights of the 2006 winners, who achieved a record 106. Brian McDermott seems to have recognised this, and the ex-scout and youth team boss has been busy in the transfer market bringing in the likes of Chris Gunter and Garath McCleary from Nottingham Forest, and Danny Guthrie from Newcastle. Perhaps the coup of the summer, however, was the signing of Pavel Pogrebnyak who was previously expected to join Fulham where he had played in the second half of last season. Backed by the roubles of new owners, Thames Sport Investment, Reading were able to throw their weight around a bit, shelling out £6m on the Russian. However, McDermott will also have to find a way of stopping the goals or else it could all be in vain.

SOUTHAMPTON
The Saints - St Mary's Stadium, Britannia Road, Southampton, SO14 5FP. Capacity 32,689
Last season: Runners-up (promoted from the Championship), FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 4th round
Last major trophy: FA Cup 1976
Manager: Nigel Adkins (since September 2010)
Players In: Jay Rodriguez, Steven Davis, Nathan Clyne, Paulo Gazzaniga
Players Out: Dan Harding, Aaron Martin, Radhi Jaidi, Lee Holmes, Bartosz Białkowski, David Connolly
Pre-season form:
14.07 v Anderlecht (H) L0-1
14.07 v Arsenal (H) D1-1
18.07 v Etoile Carouge (A) W4-1
21.07 v Evian (A) W1-0
28.07 v Ajax Amsterdam (H) L0-1
04.08 v Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) W2-0
07.08 v Bristol City (A) D1-1
11.08 v Udinese (H) L0-4

Prediction: 9th
It has been a heck of a long journey but Southampton are finally back in the big time after a seven-year absence. Premier League football looked a long way off even as recently as 2009-10 when Saints, having been relegated to League One, were given a 10-point penalty for entering administration. Under Alan Pardew, though, Southampton played well, winning the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Wembley, and finishing seventh, which would have been fifth without the deduction. Though Pardew then departed early in the next campaign, Nigel Adkins has picked up where he left off and successive second places have got Southampton to where they are now - back in the top-flight. Jay Rodriguez is the big summer signing - costing £7m from Burnley - and it is hoped that he and Rickie Lambert will step up from the lower divisions and fire enough goals to keep Southampton in the elite. In light of the recent successes of Andy Carroll and Grant Holt, that looks highly achievable though a baptism of fire awaits on the first weekend when the Saints take on champions Manchester City away.

STOKE CITY
The Potters - Britannia Stadium, Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4EG. Capacity 27,740
Last season: 14th, FA Cup Quarter finals, League Cup 4th round, Europa League Last 32
Last major trophy: League Cup 1972
Manager: Tony Pulis (since June 2006)
Players In: Geoff Cameron, Michael Kightly, Jamie Ness
Players Out: Danny Collins, Jonathan Woodgate, Louis Moult, Salif Diao, Ricardo Fuller, Tom Soares, Andrew Davies
Pre-season form:
19.07 v Sion (A) W1-0
24.07 v Columbus Crew (A) L1-2
28.07 v Orlando City (A) W1-0
01.08 v Sporting Kansas City (A) D1-1
06.08 v Torquay United (A) D1-1
07.08 v Yeovil Town (A) D1- 1
10.08 v Greuther Furth (A) D1-1
Prediction: 12th
Stoke City are the great pretenders of the Premier League, still conveying the perception of the plucky underdog successfully, despite spending more than £60m in the last five years, the third highest in the division. True, the squad which got promoted in 2007-08 needed an overhaul to make it competitive, and equally true, the money can be seen to some extent as well-spent with the Potters having since reached an FA Cup Final and taken part in European competition. However, last season effectively finished in March with a quarter final exit in the FA Cup to Liverpool, and it showed as Stoke won just one more game all season to finish down in 14th. Another disappointment is that, for all the money that has been spent, Stoke have persisted with their long-ball tactics. According to Opta, the Potters had an average of just 39% of the ball in their matches last season, less than any other team, while their total of long throws - 522 - was 243 more than any other side. Indeed, it feels as if few would shed a tear, were Stoke ever to struggle in the top flight. For now, though, Tony Pulis's men should be safe.

SUNDERLAND
The Black Cats - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, SR5 1SU. Capacity 48,707
Last season: 13th, FA Cup Quarter finals, League Cup 2nd round
Last major trophy: FA Cup 1973
Manager: Martin O'Neill (since December 2011)
Players In: Carlos Cuellar, Louis Saha, Steven Fletcher
Players Out: Craig Gordon, Cristian Riveros, George McCartney, Asamoah Gyan, Jordan Cook, Marcos Angeleri, Michael Turner
Pre-season form:
19.07 v Seongnam (A) L0-1
22.07 v Groningen (N) W3-2
27.07 v Hartlepool United (A) L0-1
04.08 v Helsingborgs (A) L0-2
08.08 v Derby County (A) D1-1
11.08 v Leicester City (A) L0-1
Prediction: 11th
Sunderland crashed and burned at the start of last season as the Steve Bruce reign ended on an inevitable low note with a horrible home defeat against Wigan. In came Martin O'Neill, a boyhood fan, who was able to steer the Black Cats away from real trouble by just after Christmas. A promising FA Cup run followed but that was brought to a shuddering halt in the quarter finals by Everton, and Sunderland finished the season without a win from their last nine matches. Goals were the main problem - the Mackems managed only 45 in the league, fewer than relegated Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers - so it is no surprise to see O'Neill invest in the forward line. In has come 34-year-old Louis Saha, and the Black Cats are also on the trail of Steven Fletcher from Wolves who are demanding £15m. That strikes me as a little expensive for someone of Fletcher's quality but, should he sign, his goals would push Sunderland a bit higher than their underwhelming 13th-placed finish last year.

SWANSEA CITY
The Swans - Liberty Stadium, Morfa, Swansea, SA1 2FA. Capacity 20,745
Last season: 11th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 2nd round
Last major trophy: None
Manager: Michael Laudrup (since June 2012)
Players In: Jose Manuel Flores 'Chico', Miguel Perez Cuesta 'Michu', Kyle Bartley, Jonathan de Guzman, Itay Shechter
Players Out: Joe Allen, Ferrie Bodde, Joe Walsh, Casey Thomas, Scott Donnelly
Pre-season form:
21.07 v Port Talbot Town (A) W5-0
25.07 v Colorado Rapids (A) L1-2
28.07 v Ventura County Fusion (A) W1-0
31.07 v San Jose Earthquakes (A) D2-2
07.08 v Blackpool (H) W4-2
11.08 v VfB Stuttgart (H) D3-3
Prediction: 17th
It has been all-change again at Swansea with Brendan Rodgers seduced by the bright lights of Anfield but it can be guaranteed that the south Wales club are not about to change their style for anyone. Rodgers may have caught the eye of the Reds on Merseyside but it could be said that he was merely continuing an already-defined pattern of play set up by his predecessors Roberto Martinez and Paulo Sousa. New man Michael Laudrup, as a famous playmaker, is hardly going to reduce the emphasis on possession football in his first managerial assignment in England - but there are still question marks over whether this great Dane can add a cutting edge which was lacking from Swans at times in the last campaign. It might even come down to form at the Liberty Stadium again - Swansea took 31 of their 47 points at home last season.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Spurs - White Hart Lane, Bill Nicholson Way, High Road, Tottenham, London, N17 0AP. Capacity 36,284
Last season: 4th, FA Cup Semi finals, League Cup 3rd round, Europa League Group stage
Last major trophy: League Cup 2008
Manager: Andre Villas-Boas (since July 2012)
Players In: Jan Vertonghen, Gylfi Sigurðsson
Players Out: Ben Alnwick, Ledley King, Ryan Nelsen, Vedran Corluka, Niko Kranjcar, Steven Pienaar, Louis Saha, Michael Dawson, Sebastian Bassong
Pre-season form:
18.07 v Stevenage (A) W2-0
24.07 v Los Angeles Galaxy (A) D1-1
28.07 v Liverpool (N) D0-0
31.07 v New York Red Bulls (A) W2-1
04.08 v Watford (A) W1-0
09.08 v Valencia (A) L0-2
Prediction: 5th
Never mind a winter of discontent, spring was the season when it all fell apart for Tottenham Hotspur in 2011-12. Indeed, right up until the end of February, Spurs were providing a refreshing alternative to the two Manchester clubs in the title race. But manager Harry Redknapp had his head turned by the vacant England job and then rivals Arsenal overturned a 2-0 deficit at the Emirates into a crushing 5-2 victory. Their other London rival, Chelsea, delivered another huge blow in a 5-1 loss in the FA Cup semi final, and it felt as if nothing could halt the slide when defeats to Norwich and Queens Park Rangers left Spurs uncertain even of a top-four finish. Ultimately, three wins out of their last four league games did confirm fourth place - but then Chelsea crushed Spurs' dreams again by knocking them out of the Champions League with an extraordinary victory in the Final of the competition itself. Perhaps only Champions League football would have kept Spurs and Redknapp together but the absence of this led chairman Daniel Levy to opt for change, and to bring in Andre Villas-Boas. The Portuguese has a huge point to prove after his premature sacking from Stamford Bridge last season but, having suffered badly from player discontent there, he has already had his struggles with Luka Modric at White Hart Lane this summer. Consequently, it remains hard to tell just how happy the ship is at Spurs heading into the new season, and there is a worry that Villas-Boas' reign could start in underwhelming fashion.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION
The Baggies - The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, B71 4LF. Capacity 26,445
Last season: 10th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 3rd round
Last major trophy: FA Cup 1968
Manager: Steve Clarke (since June 2012)
Players In: Ben Foster, Yassine El Ghanassy, Markus Rosenberg, Romelu Lukaku
Players Out: Joe Mattock, Somen Tchoyi, Nicky Shorey, Keith Andrews, Marton Fulop, Paul Scharner, Simon Cox
Pre-season form:
19.07 v Malmo (A) L0-1
25.07 v Copenhagen (A) W3-0
28.07 v Barnsley (A) D0-0
04.08 v Sheffield Wednesday (A) D1-1
07.08 v Walsall (A) W3-1
10.08 v Nottingham Forest (A) W2-0
Prediction: 18th
West Brom became the victims of their own relative success at the end of last season when the FA, having rejected the advances of Harry Redknapp without even an interview, came a-knocking for manager Roy Hodgson to lead the national team to Euro 2012 and beyond. Into the breach at the Hawthorns has stepped Steve Clarke who joins the club having been an assistant manager at Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool. However, the step up from coaching a team to leading it tactically is notoriously tough and Clarke threatens to become latest in a long list of assistants who have failed as the main boss. An improvement in home form must be seen as a priority as West Brom took only 21 of their 47 points at the Hawthorns last season. But, with Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie likely to remain the main source of threat, hitting teams on the break - either at home or on the road - will surely remain the Baggies' best tactic.

WEST HAM UNITED
The Hammers - The Boleyn Ground, Green Street, Upton Park, London, E13 9AZ. Capacity 35,016
Last season: 3rd (promoted from the Championship via the playoffs), FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 1st round
Last major trophy: League Cup 1981
Manager: Sam Allardyce (since June 2011)
Players In: Stephen Henderson, Juusi Jaaskelainen, Mohamed Diame, Modibo Maiga, George McCartney, James Collins, Alou Diarra
Players Out: John Carew, Abdoulaye Faye, Julien Faubert, Papa Bouba Diop, Frank Nouble, Robert Green, Freddie Sears, Peter Kurucz
Pre-season form:
07.07 v Austria Vienna (A) L1-3
10.07 v Boreham Wood (A) D0-0
14.07 v Southend United (A) W3-0
17.07 v Oxford United (A) L0-1
21.07 v Colchester United (A) W2-1
25.07 v FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt (A) W3-0
27.07 v Dynamo Dresden (A) L0-3
29.07 v Energie Cottbus (A) D2-2
04.08 v Ipswich Town (A) L1-3
10.08 v Braga (A) D1-1
Prediction: 14th
West Ham ensured their stay outside of the top-flight was no longer than a single season but they did it the hard way and in a pragmatic style under Sam Allardyce at odds to their traditional values. Even as late as March, the half-time whistle in a dour, goalless encounter at Peterborough was greeted with a chorus of "We play on the floor, we play on the floor; We're West Ham United, we play on the floor" - and it did appear as if Allardyce's side was going to blow it after a sequence of five consecutive home draws in February and March. In the end, the Hammers finally started playing just in time, and carried a six-match unbeaten run into the playoffs where they beat Cardiff 5-0 over the two-legged semi final before Carlton Cole's late winner sealed a rather narrower success at Wembley against Blackpool. Allardyce could yet be in trouble if he loses the fans' support again but he should be able to steer this West Ham squad above at least three other teams.

WIGAN ATHLETIC
The Latics - DW Stadium, Loire Drive, Robin Park, Wigan, WN5 0UH. Capacity 25,133
Last season: 15th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 2nd round
Last major trophy: None
Manager: Roberto Martinez (since June 2009)
Players In: Ivan Ramis, Ryo Miyaichi, Arouna Kone, Fraser Fyvie
Players Out: Hugo Rodellega, Chris Kirkland, Mohamed Diame, Steve Gohouri, Hendry Thomas
Pre-season form:
13.07 v Ostersunds FK (A) W1-0
24.07 v GW Micheldorf (A) W3-1
26.07 v Botev Plovdiv (N) D2-2
28.07 v Hoffenheim (A) D1-1
05.08 v Real Mallorca (H) L0-2
12.08 v Celta Vigo (A) L0-1
Prediction: 15th
Roberto Martinez's continued loyalty to the Latics is either admirable or foolhardy, or perhaps even both. Last summer, the Spaniard rejected the advance of Aston Villa to stay at the DW Stadium and, in hindsight, it looked as if he got that one right. Wigan not only climbed off the bottom of the table in time to secure a eighth consecutive top-flight season, but a final-day victory over already-relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers took them above the Villa into a finishing position of 15th. This summer, Martinez was offered an even more attractive proposition with speculation that he may end up in the Anfield dugout but again that ultimately came to nothing, and the 39-year-old manager must now get his head down and concentrate on his day job of keeping Wigan away from the trapdoor. Sadly, that remains the height of the ambition at this small club which has a tendency to lose any half decent player. For now, though, youngster Victor Moses is still with the club, and much will rely on him keeping up his scoring form. Meanwhile, Franco di Santo, who finished the season well, will also be one to watch.

KP fails to capture Olympic spirit as England concede No1 status

ENGLAND surrendered their number one Test status to tourists South Africa yesterday after a poor defeat in a series dominated by an unsavoury off-field spat involving Kevin Pietersen.

Proteas seamer Vernon Philander put his name on the Lord's honours board, taking 5-30 as - despite a battling lower order performance - England fell 51 runs short of their target in the third Test.

The 2-0 series defeat means Andrew Strauss' men are deservedly leapfrogged by the South Africans in the ICC Test Rankings.

But, while that is undoubtedly disappointing, a more worrying aspect has been the way that the relationship between Pietersen and the rest of the England set-up has almost irreconcilably broken down this summer.

Following the Olympics, there was much comment made comparing the efforts of the Great British athletes to the highly-paid footballers of the Premier League.

If anything, though, the contrast with English cricket - and Pietersen, in particular - has been even starker over the past few weeks.

True, Pietersen perhaps has more to lose than any other current England player by competing in Tests as required by his central contract as opposed to playing in the well-paid Indian Premier League.

However, some of his actions have come across as unreasonably selfish and others as outright paranoia.

The sorry saga actually began at the end of May when Pietersen announced his retirement from international limited-overs cricket.

By July, he hinted at having had a chance of heart but he then cast fresh doubt about his future in Test cricket after being told by players' chief Angus Porter that he would have to commit to all England matches if he was to return.

Of course, all of this so far could be sorted out with some frank discussions around a table with representatives present from both sides.

But, unfortunately, that was not the end of it and indeed, pretty soon, the situation had turned into a complete farce.

The problem escalated two weeks ago when a Twitter account called @KPGenius, which mocked Pietersen's perceived on-field arrogance, was shut down following his complaint that some of his England team-mates were behind it.

It later emerged - courtesy of Piers Morgan on BBC Radio 5Live - that the tweets had been administered by a friend of Stuart Broad.

The bowler himself then made it clear that he was not in any way responsible for them although he did confirm to having followed the account along with Graeme Swann and James Anderson.

In the meantime, Pietersen demonstrated his total disenfranchisement with the national set-up after he was unable to deny allegations that he had sent derogatory text messages to the South African camp about the England players and management.

Pietersen was dropped for the third Test as a result of the texts which were said to have been aimed at skipper Strauss and head coach Andy Flower. 

The South Africans, perhaps fearful that their own players may be distracted from the job at hand, then tried to diffuse the situation by dismissing Pietersen's comments as "banter".

But another leak suggested they were rather more than this, and that they had in fact given tactical advice to the Proteas on how to get Strauss out.

"Treachery" was the verdict of former England international and Daily Telegraph writer Derek Pringle on BBC's Test Match Special.

And fellow South Africa-born ex-England captain Tony Greig was just as strong in his condemnation: "If what is being written is correct, he's absolute history. There's no way he'll ever play again."

Certainly, this was not the way that Strauss wanted to 'celebrate' his 100th Test match, and 50th as captain - and, sadly, it got no better once the game actually began.

Strauss made just 20 in the first innings and a solitary run in the second to continue his poor form in a series in which he has averaged a woeful 17.83.

Indeed, Strauss seems to have mirrored England's struggle since they ascended to the top of the Test rankings almost a year ago to the day.

The skipper's only convincing recent performances have come in the 2-0 series win over the West Indies in which he scored back-to-back centuries.

But his averages against Pakistan in January (25.00), Sri Lanka in March (28.50) and in this latest series have started to lead to aspersions being cast on his position as captain.

Not that Strauss is the only one struggling. Alastair Cook and Ian Bell have been unable to reprise their past form with the bat with their own averages from this series down at 32.50 and 28.80 respectively.

Meanwhile, another key strength to England's surge up the rankings was their excellent fielding. However, in this three-match series, it has been absolutely dire with an astonishing nine catches dropped.

Even the usually reliable Anderson has fumbled two sitters to sum up an overall team performance which would have probably come up short in a club match.

Finally, with the ball, Broad and Tim Bresnan lacked intensity while, rather embarrassingly for Swann, his part-time off-spin alternative Pietersen got as many wickets as him.

The nadir for England's bowlers came early on in the series when, in the first Test at the Oval, Hashim Amla became the first South African in Test cricket to make a triple century.

Better still for the visitors, it was even an unbeaten triple ton as the Proteas batted through more than five sessions to rack up an improbable 637 runs for the loss of just two soddin' wickets.

By contrast, England collapsed from 267-3 at stumps on the first day to 385 all out, and then could only make 240 all out at the second attempt to lose by an innings.

After a draw in the second Test at Headingley, South Africa confirmed their dominance by recovering from 105-5 in the first innings and 164-4 in the second to record two competitive scores.

Amla was at it again with 121 in that second innings to record an outstanding overall average from the three matches of 120.50.

Chasing a nominal target of 346, England were 16-2 at the close of day four with Strauss and Cook both lbw to Philander.

Then, on day five, Bell and newbie James Taylor fell early to leave the hosts in dire straits on 45-4.

Defeat was inevitable from there on in, really - and, despite a rally by Jonathan Trott (63), Jonny Bairstow (54), Matt Prior (73), Broad (37) and Swann (41), England's demise was confirmed just under an hour after tea.

Man of the match Philander finished it off in style, claiming his seventh five-for in just 10 Tests by dismissing Prior and Steven Finn in successive balls at 5pm.

So, having been put out of their misery, can England reflect on any positives from this convincing beating?

Well, yes - there were a couple of things, actually.

Bairstow - Pietersen's replacement, of course - was one of the few batsmen in the home team to come out with any credit, falling agonisingly short of his century in the first innings and contributing another decent half-century in the second.

Additionally, Finn's reintroduction to the Test arena was a success. The 6'7" Middlesex seamer took eight of South Africa's 20 wickets in the third Test and generally did his level best to keep England in the hunt.

Hopefully, these morsels of positivity can result in a change of mindset under One-Day captain Cook. Undoubtedly, it will be needed in the camp with such a quick turnaround.

The 50-over NatWest series against the South Africans begins on Friday, and England also have a good reputation in this arena to defend having racked up 10 straight wins so far this year.

Then, in September, it is onto Sri Lanka where the fourth edition of the ICC World Twenty20 will be played and defended by the No.1-ranked team in that form of the game... which is England.

By contrast, the team's next Test cricket is not until November away in India, and that hiatus should give Strauss - and Pietersen - plenty of time for reflection.

For the first time in a few years, it is desperately needed.

ENGLAND RECORD AS NO.1 RANKED TEST TEAM
LLLLWWWDLDL
Tests P11 W3 D2 L6  
Test series P4 W1 D1 L2  
Days 363

Pakistan 3-0 England
Sri Lanka 1-1 England
England 2-0 West Indies (one draw)
England 0-2 South Africa (one draw)

17-21 Jan	1st Test	v PAKISTAN (N)	Pakistan 338 & 15-0 beat England 192 & 160 by 10 wickets
25-29 Jan	2nd Test	v PAKISTAN (N)	Pakistan 257 & 214 beat England 327 & 72 by 72 runs
3-7 Feb	3rd Test	v PAKISTAN (N)	Pakistan 99 & 365 beat England 141 & 252 by 71 runs
26-29 Mar	1st Test	v SRI LANKA (A)	Sri Lanka 318 & 214 beat England193 & 264 by 75 runs
3-7 Apr	2nd Test	v SRI LANKA (A)	England 460 & 97-2 beat Sri Lanka 275 & 278 by eight wickets
17-21 May	1st Test	v WEST INDIES (H)	England 398 & 193-5 beat West Indies 243 & 345 by five wickets
25-29 May	2nd Test	v WEST INDIES (H)	England 428 & 111-1 beat West Indies 370 & 165 by nine wickets
7-11 Jun	3rd Test	v WEST INDIES (H)	West Indies 426 drew with England 221-5
19-23 Jul	1st Test	v SOUTH AFRICA (H)	South Africa 637-2dec beat England 385 & 240 by an innings and 12 runs
2-6 Aug	2nd Test	v SOUTH AFRICA (H)	South Africa 419 & 258-9dec drew with England 425 & 130-4
16-20 Aug	3rd Test	v SOUTH AFRICA (H)	South Africa 309 & 351 beat England 351 & 294 by 51 runs

UPDATED ICC TEST RANKINGS
20.08.2012
1 SOUTH AFRICA 120
2 ENGLAND 117
3 AUSTRALIA 116
4 PAKISTAN 109
5 INDIA 104
6 SRI LANKA 98
7 WEST INDIES 90
8 NEW ZEALAND 80
9 BANGLADESH 0

ANDREW STRAUSS: 100 TESTS NOT OUT
Test Debut v New Zealand, Lord's, 20-24 May 2004 - made 112 and 83
Innings 178, Runs 7037, High Score 177, Not Out 6, 100s 21, 50s 27, Average 40.91
Captaincy record (2006-2012): P50 W24 L11 D15 - 48% win ratio

The Championship 2012/13

BARNSLEY
The Tykes - Oakwell, Grove Street, Barnsley, S71 1ET. Capacity 23,009
Last season: 21st, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 1997-98
Manager: Keith Hill (since June 2011)
Players In: Ben Alnwick, Mido, Jacob Mellis, Kelvin Etuhu, Lee Collins, Toni Silva
Players Out: Jacob Butterfield, Jay McEveley, David Cotterill
Pre-season form:
17.07 v Alfreton (A) W2-1
21.07 v Rotherham United (A) L1-2
28.07 v West Bromwich Albion (H) D0-0
04.08 v Doncaster Rovers (A) D2-2
07.08 v Crewe Alexandra (A) L0-1
11.08 v Rochdale (A) W4-3 aet [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 20th
Barnsley's fourth-bottom finishing position belied the comfort with which they achieved safety last season - the Tykes were eight points clear of a stranded bottom three, helped of course by Portsmouth's 10-point deduction. But Barnsley flirted with the playoff places before Christmas and the second half of the season still came as a disappointment for Keith Hill whose primary aim will still be collecting around 50 points again this time.

BIRMINGHAM CITY
The Blues - St Andrews, Birmingham, B9 4RL. Capacity 30,009
Last season: 4th (lost playoff semi final to Blackpool), FA Cup 5th round, League Cup 3rd round, Europa League Group stage
Most recent top flight season: 2010-11
Manager: Lee Clark (since June 2012)
Players In: Peter Lovenkrands, Darren Ambrose, David Lucas, Hayden Mullins
Players Out: Jordon Mutch, Ben Foster
Pre-season form:
21.07 v Borussia Moenchengladbach (A) D2-2
24.07 v Shrewsbury Town (A) W2-1
28.07 v Cheltenham Town (A) L0-1
31.07 v Bury (A) W5-1
04.08 v Plymouth Argyle (A) W5-0
11.08 v Royal Antwerp (H) L1-3
14.08 v Barnet (H) W5-1 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 2nd
Chris Hughton restored some soul to St Andrews last season with a more attacking approach than his predecessor Alex McLeish and just one home league defeat all season. However, such were Birmingham's finances that Hughton felt compelled to take his chance in the top flight with Norwich, leaving Lee Clark to pick up the pieces. But, despite the poor off-field situation, the former Huddersfield boss cannot complain too much at a squad which includes the likes of Marlon King, Peter Lovenkrands, Darren Ambrose, and youngster Nathan Redmond.

BLACKBURN ROVERS
Rovers - Ewood Park, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4JF. Capacity 31,154
Last season: 19th (relegated from Premier League), FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup Quarter finals
Most recent top flight season: 2011-12
Manager: Steve Kean (since December 2010)
Players In: Colin Kazim-Richards, Dickson Etuhu, Fabio Nunes, Nuno Gomes, Leon Best, Danny Murphy, Paulo Jorge
Players Out: Nick Blackman, Matthew Pearson, David Hoilett, Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Herold Goulon, Vince Grella, Michel Salgado
Pre-season form:
21.07 v Fleetwood Town (N) W2-0
21.07 v Accrington Stanley (A) L0-1
25.07 v Rochdale (A) L0-1
29.07 v AEK Athens (A) W2-1
03.08 v Go Ahead Eagles (A) L2-4
05.08 v NEC (A) D0-0
12.08 v Cork City (A) W3-1
Prediction: 6th
Steve Kean has been given just three games to save his job going into the new season in the latest crass measure by the Venkys owners. Yes, if last season's car crash of a relegation was not enough, the Scot - who has a measly 25% win ratio - now goes into the season under more pressure than ever. Frankly, it is hard to see him beating the odds this time but, with Rovers fans having just about unanimously given up on Kean, perhaps the only way that the club can thrive again is without him. Yakubu and David 'Junior' Hoilett may have left Ewood Park but the likes of Leon Best and Danny Murphy should be at ease in this division and Rovers should still be thereabouts at the end of the season. It is likely, though, that they will be without their bête noire Kean, come next May.

BLACKPOOL 
The Seasiders - Bloomfield Road, Seasiders Way, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 6JJ. Capacity 17,338
Last season: 5th (lost playoff final to West Ham United), FA Cup 5th round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 2010-11
Manager: Ian Holloway (since May 2009)
Players In: Jake Caprice, Isaiah Osbourne, Tiago Gomes, Scott Robertson
Players Out: Keith Southern
Pre-season form:
28.07 v Wrexham (A) W2-1
04.08 v Hyde (A) D1-1
05.08 v Everton (H) W2-0
07.08 v Swansea City (A) L2-4
12.08 v Morecambe (H) L1-2 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 4th
Blackpool were just 90 minutes away from an immediate return to the Premier League but the Tangerine dream died at Wembley after a late West Ham winner. Nevertheless, Ian Holloway could be satisfied that his squad suffered no real hangover from relegation - and with the sprightly youth of Matt Phillips and Tom Ince ably assisting 39-year-old Kevin Phillips - the Fylde Coast club should see another playoff push this time around. Indeed, the Tangerines would be in a position to push even higher if it weren't for their leaky defence.

BOLTON WANDERERS
The Trotters - Reebok Stadium, Burnden Way, Horwich Way, Bolton, BL6 6JW. Capacity 28,723
Last season: 18th (relegated from Premier League), FA Cup Quarter finals, League Cup 4th round
Most recent top flight season: 2011-12
Manager: Owen Coyle (since January 2010)
Players In: Matt Mills, Keith Andrews, Joe McKee, Andy Lonergan, Benik Afobe
Players Out: Mark Connolly, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Robbie Blake, Ricardo Gardner, Sean Davis, Paul Robinson, Ivan Klasnic, Nigel Reo-Coker
Pre-season form:
18.07 v Ayr United (A) D1-1
21.07 v Hamilton Academicals (A) L0-2
25.07 v Falkirk (A) D1-1
28.07 v Crewe Alexandra (A) D1-1
01.08 v Morecambe (A) W2-0
04.08 v Portsmouth (A) L0-3
07.08 v Tranmere Rovers (A) W3-1
10.08 v Barcelona B (H) D2-2
Prediction: Champions
While Blackburn's demise was entirely predictable, the relegation of near neighbours Bolton Wanderers was rather less foreseen. In fairness to Owen Coyle, the Trotters were a tad unlucky with the loss of vital midfielders Stuart Holden and Lee Chung-Yong to season-long injuries but the club was also foolish in its failure to replace outgoing forwards Johan Elmander and Daniel Sturridge. Holden and Lee are back from their year of torment now and, if the signing of Matt Mills from Leicester can shore up a porous backline, Coyle and Bolton should be able to restore their damaged reputations.

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 
The Seagulls - The Amex Community Stadium, Village Way, Falmer, East Sussex, BN1 9BL. Capacity 22,374
Last season: 10th, FA Cup 5th round, League Cup 3rd round
Most recent top flight season: 1982-83
Manager: Gus Poyet (since November 2009)
Players In: Andrew Crofts, Tomasz Kuszczak, Bruno Saltor, Wayne Bridge
Players Out: Alan Navarro, Michael Poke, Jake Forster-Caskey, Yaser Kasim, David Gonzalez, Tommy Elphick
Pre-season form:
14.07 v Maidstone United (A) W5-0
17.07 v Lewes (A) W3-0
20.07 v Dorchester Town (A) W3-0
21.07 v Hastings United (A) L2-3
24.07 v Portsmouth (N) W5-1
28.07 v Cordobo (A) D0-0
04.08 v Chelsea (H) W3-1
07.08 v Reading (H) D1-1
14.08 v Swindon Town (A) L0-3 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 11th
Brighton continued their upwardly mobile projection last season with a solid 10th-place finish in the Championship. An excellent start at their new stadium in Falmer left Seagulls fans dreaming of a return to the top flight after 30 years of absence but that was not to be following a mid-season slump and a failure to win any of the last eight games. However, between January and March, Poyet's men lost just once in the league, and there could be no doubt that Brighton looked as if they belonged at this level. Can they make the next step up? Probably not, unfortunately - there will always be bigger clubs than Brighton in this division and a similar topsy-turvy season on the south coast awaits.

BRISTOL CITY 
The Robins - Ashton Gate, Ashton Road, Bristol, BS3 2EJ. Capacity 21,497
Last season: 20th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 1979-80
Manager: Derek McInnes (since October 2011)
Players In: Greg Cunningham, Jody Morris, Paul Anderson, Tom Heaton
Players Out: Christian Ribeiro, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, David James
Pre-season form:
28.07 v St Johnstone (A) L1-2
30.07 v Kilmarnock (A) W3-2
01.08 v Dunfermline Athletic (A) W2-0
04.08 v Bristol Rovers (H) W3-0
07.08 v Southampton (H) D1-1
11.08 v Bournemouth (A) W2-0
14.08 v Gillingham (H) L1-2 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 24th
The last couple of seasons at Ashton Gate have not made for easy viewing for Bristol City supporters. Nine home league defeats in 2010-11 were followed up by 10 in the last campaign as the Robins spent almost all season in the bottom four. Fifth-bottom was ultimately where they would end up, thanks in part to a late unbeaten run of seven matches but also because of the 10-point deduction for Portsmouth. City's main problem was a lack of goals - their top scorer in the league was Nicky Maynard with eight, and he left in January. It still remains a problem now so it hard to be optimistic about the Robins' chances of avoiding the drop again this time.

BURNLEY 
The Clarets - Turf Moor, Harry Potts Way, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 4BX. Capacity 22,546
Last season: 13th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 4th round
Most recent top flight season: 2009-10
Manager: Eddie Howe (since January 2011)
Players In: Luke O'Neill, George Porter, Jason Shackell, Joseph Mills, Sam Vokes, Brian Stock
Players Out: Jay Rodriguez, Zavon Hines, Tom Anderson, Joe Jackson, Brian Easton, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Amougou, Ross Wilson, Dave Lynch, Dominic Knowles, Alex-Ray Harvey
Pre-season form:
21.07 v Altrincham (A) W4-1
24.07 v Bury (A) W1-0
28.07 v Alfreton (A) W3-0
31.07 v Bath City (A) W3-1
04.08 v Cheltenham Town (A) W4-0
07.08 v Rochdale (A) L1-3
14.08 v Port Vale (A) W3-1 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 16th
Burnley lurched from the sublime to the ridiculous last season as a result of some pretty wretched home form at Turf Moor against some impressive performances on the road. No surprise then that Eddie Howe's men finished right in the middle of the table, 13 points off the playoffs - and there was also no surprise that such an outcome was not enough to convince 15-goal Jay Rodriguez to stay. The youngster has instead moved to Southampton for £7m and Howe will at least hope to reinvest some of that money so that he can build a side around the impressive Charlie Austin instead. There is a lot of pressure on the 23-year-old's shoulders now.

CARDIFF CITY 
The Bluebirds - Cardiff City Stadium, Leckwith Road, Cardiff, CF11 8AZ. Capacity 26,828
Last season: 6th (lost playoff semi final to West Ham United), FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup Runners-up
Most recent top flight season: 1961-62
Manager: Malky Mackay (since June 2011)
Players In: Craig Bellamy, Jordon Mutch, Filip Kiss, Joe Lewis, Etien Velikonja, Kim Bo-Kyung, Heidar Helgusson
Players Out: Jon Parkin, Tom Heaton, Anthony Gerrard
Pre-season form:
28.07 v Forest Green Rovers (A) L0-1
31.07 v Cheltenham Town (A) W4-0
04.08 v Oxford United W2-1
07.08 v Bournemouth (A) W2-1
11.08 v Newcastle United (H) W4-1
14.08 v Northampton Town (A) L1-2 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 3rd
Cardiff coped really well last season after a tumultuous summer of 2011 which saw the loss of manager Dave Jones and key forwards Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra and Craig Bellamy. The Bluebirds reached the playoffs and pushed Liverpool all the way in the League Cup final before defeat on penalties in a solid first season under the wily Malky Mackay. Bellamy is now back in the Welsh capital on a permanent basis, despite showing for Team GB this summer that he can clearly still cut it at the top level. Of course, his real hope is that he will return to the Premier League with his hometown club - and, certainly, Cardiff's chances have got all the better with his arrival. 

CHARLTON ATHLETIC 
The Addicks - The Valley, Floyd Road, Charlton, London, SE7 8BL. Capacity 27,111
Last season: Winners (promoted from League One), FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 2006-07
Manager: Chris Powell (since January 2011)
Players In: Lawrie Wilson, Jordan Cook, Salim Kerkar
Players Out: Conor Gough, Gary Doherty, Mikel Alonso, Freddie Warren, Tosan Popo, Jason Euell
Pre-season form:
14.07 v Welling United (A) W4-0
19.07 v Sporting Libson (N) W1-0
26.07 v Barnet (A) W4-1
01.08 v Crawley Town (A) W1-0
04.08 v Gillingham (A) L0-1
08.08 v Southend United (H) W3-2
11.08 v Fulham (A) W2-1
14.08 v Leyton Orient (H) D1-1 (lost 3-4 on pens) [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 10th
Charlton Athletic ended three seasons at the third level with a glorious championship-winning campaign which finished with the Addicks breaching the 100-point mark. Manager Chris Powell can take a lot of credit for re-energising the south Londoners following a five-year decline after he brought in no fewer than 18 new players last summer. By contrast, this coming campaign at the Valley will be more about consolodation, and the likes of scoring midfielders Johnnie Jackson and Bradley Wright-Phillips should ensure that this target is well within their grasp.

CRYSTAL PALACE
The Eagles - Selhurst Park, South Norwood, London, SE25 6PU. Capacity 26,309
Last season: 17th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup Semi finals
Most recent top flight season: 2004-05
Manager: Dougie Freedman (since January 2011)
Players In: Joel Ward, Aaron Wilbraham, Peter Ramage, Aaron Martin
Players Out: Sean Scannell, Darren Ambrose, Nathaniel Clyne, Antonio Pedroza, Anthony Gardner, Jake Caprice, Lee Hills, Charlie Holness, Nathaniel Pinney, Calvin Andrew, Kieron Cadogan
Pre-season form:
20.07 v Lewes (A) W5-1
24.07 v Dulwich Hamlet (A) W3-0
28.07 v Aldershot Town (A) W2-0
04.08 v Welling United (A) L1-2
08.08 v Swindon Town (A) W1-0
11.08 v Reading (A) L0-2
14.08 v Exeter City (A) W2-1 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 19th
Following a couple of years which included administration, points deductions and final day survival missions, last season was a rather quieter affair for Crystal Palace. The Eagles may have finished down in 17th as a consequence of a late-season slump but they were never really in any real danger of falling through the Championship trapdoor. Young manager Dougie Freedman even had time to fit in a run to the League Cup semi finals and his impressive tenure should continue this term with Palace far away enough from the drop. The departures of Darren Ambrose and Nathaniel Clyne will be felt but not too much if Wilfried Zaha continues his progress after his breakthrough season last year.

DERBY COUNTY
The Rams - Pride Park Stadium, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8XL. Capacity 33,597
Last season: 12th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 2007-08
Manager: Nigel Clough (since January 2009)
Players In: Michael Jacobs, Paul Coutts, Richard Keogh, Michael Hoganson
Players Out: Jason Shackell, Paul Green, Chris Maguire, Miles Addison
Pre-season form:
25.07 v Mansfield Town (A) L1-2
28.07 v Burton Albion (A) W1-0
31.07 v Northampton Town (A) W4-3
03.08 v Colchester United (A) D2-2
08.08 v Sunderland (H) D1-1
11.08 v Chesterfield (A) L1-3
14.08 v Scunthorpe United (H) D5-5 (lost 6-7 on pens) [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 21st
The prevailing feeling is that if Derby were managed by a Smith or a Jones rather than a Clough, then there would have been a change at the top by now. Perhaps that is a little harsh - last season's 12th place was the best that the Rams have done since their humiliating Premier League relegation in 2007-08 - but, despite more big attendances at Pride Park, they are unlikely to better it this time around.
 
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
The Terriers - John Smith's Stadium, Stadium Way, Huddersfield, HD1 6PG. Capacity 24,500
Last season: 4th (promoted from League One via playoffs), FA Cup 1st round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 1971-72
Manager: Simon Grayson (since February 2012)
Players In: Sean Scannell, Paul Dixon, Oliver Norwood, Adam Clayton, Joel Lynch, Keith Southern, Anthony Gerrard
Players Out: Jamie McCombe, Anthony Kay, Gary Naismith, Nathan Clarke, Aiden Chippendale, Tommy Miller, Danny Cadamarteri, Gary Roberts, Joey Gudjonsson and Kallum Higginbotham
Pre-season form:
21.07 v Guiseley (A) L0-1
25.07 v Kilmarnock (A) D1-1
28.07 v Hibernian (A) D2-2
01.08 v Crewe Alexandra (A) L0-1
04.08 v Oldham Athletic (A) D0-0
07.08 v Chesterfield (A) W3-0
08.08 v Barcelona B (H) L0-2
13.08 v Preston North End (A) L0-2 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 23rd
Huddersfield finally did it! After two playoff bids which had faltered at the semi final stage under Lee Clark, the Terriers made their experience count at the third time of asking, beating Sheffield United on penalties under former Leeds boss Simon Grayson. But, while promotion was long-awaited and richly-deserved, the more sobering news for the west Yorkshire club is that the hard work starts now. Despite years of preparation, staying in the second flight will still be an arduous journey, made even rockier if hot-shot Jordan Rhodes ends up agreeing terms with an array of potential suitors. The Terriers are more than a one-man team but Rhodes' goals have been vital in covering for a somewhat leaky defence and Huddersfield's survival chances could ultimately depend on him. 

HULL CITY 
The Tigers - Kingston Communications Stadium, Walton Street, Hull, HU3 6HU. Capacity 25,586
Last season: 8th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 2009-10
Manager: Steve Bruce (since June 2012)
Players In: Ben Amos, Eldin Jakupovic, Nick Proschwitz, Abdoulaye Faye, Sone Aluko, Alex Bruce
Players Out: Kevin Kilbane, Richard Garcia
Pre-season form:
16.07 v North Ferriby United (A) W3-1
17.07 v Winterton Rangers (A) W5-0
20.07 v Grimsby Town (A) D0-0
28.07 v Rochdale (A) W1-0
31.07 v Doncaster Rovers (A) L1-3
04.08 v Hartlepool United (A) D1-1
07.08 v Norwich City (H) D0-0
11.08 v Rotherham United (H) D1-1 (won 7-6 on pens) [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 9th
Nick Barmby seemed to be doing well at Hull City last season with Tigers regularly stalking the playoff places. However, while the defence worked well, a desperate lack of goals meant Hull fell short of the top six. Only 47 goals were scored from their 46 league games, the fifth-worst in the division and, when Barmby subsequently made comments about the club's finances, his employers were not shy in giving him short shrift. In has come Steve Bruce, desperate to restore his reputation after his sacking by Sunderland. But, while Bruce has some pedigree at this level after two promotions with Birmingham City, the attacking problems remain. 

IPSWICH TOWN 
The Blues - Portman Road, Ipswich, IP1 2DA. Capacity 30,311
Last season: 15th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 2001-02
Manager: Paul Jewell (since January 2011)
Players In: Luke Chambers, Elliott Hewitt, Scott Loach, Massimo Luongo
Players Out: Grant Leadbitter, Jimmy Bullard
Pre-season form:
17.07 v Helmond Sport (A) D1-1
19.07 v Den Bosch (A) D1-1
25.07 v Cambridge United (A) W2-0
28.07 v Luton Town (A) L0-2
31.07 v Southend United (A) L1-2
04.08 v West Ham United (H) W3-1
08.08 v Colchester United (A) W2-1
14.08 v Bristol Rovers (H) W3-1 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 15th
Of all 24 clubs playing in the Championship this season, Ipswich Town have been at this level the longest. Four managers have tried and failed to take the Portman Road club back up over the past decade with Paul Jewell as the latest. The Scouser enjoyed promotions from this division with Bradford City and Wigan Athletic in the past but his first full season finished with Town down in 15th and it would be foolish to expect any more from an average-looking squad this time around.

LEEDS UNITED 
The Whites - Elland Road, Leeds, LS11 0ES. Capacity 37,697
Last season: 14th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 3rd round
Most recent top flight season: 2003-04
Manager: Neil Warnock (since February 2012)
Players In: Jason Pearce, Adam Drury, Paul Green, Paddy Kenny, Andy Gray, Jamie Ashdown, Luke Varney, David Norris, Rodolph Austin, Lee Peltier, El-Hadji Diouf
Players Out: Alex Bruce, Lloyd Sam, Mikael Forssell, Danny Webber, Maik Taylor, Adam Clayton, Andy Lonergan, Robert Snodgrass, Andy O'Brien, Billy Paynter
Pre-season form:
20.07 v Farsley (A) W5-2
23.07 v Tavistock (A) W6-0
25.07 v Bodmin Town (A) W4-0
27.07 v Torquay United (A) W2-1
01.08 v Sandefjord (A) D1-1
04.08 v Preston North End (A) W3-1
07.08 v Burton Albion (A) W1-0
11.08 v Shrewsbury Town (H) W4-0 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 13th
Experienced promotion campaigner Neil Warnock was not exactly a surprising choice for Leeds after everything went wrong last season but the Yorkshireman may have bitten off more than he can manage at Elland Road. Certainly, anyone expecting a promotion challenge from the Whites needs a reality check after last season ended with a bottom-half finish and the club's worst home record in its history. The loss of Robert Snodgrass to Norwich will be keenly felt and puts even more pressure on the admittedly impressive Ross McCormack. Ultimately, Warnock will need more than one season to turn this ship around.

LEICESTER CITY 
The Foxes - King Power Stadium, Filbert Way, Leicester, LE2 7FL. Capacity 32,262
Last season: 9th, FA Cup Quarter finals, League Cup 3rd round
Most recent top flight season: 2003-04
Manager: Nigel Pearson (since November 2011)
Players In: Jamie Vardy, Matty James, Richie De Laet, Anthony Knockaert, Zak Whitbread, Marko Futacs
Players Out: Lee Peltier, Steve Howard, Chris Weale, Matt Mills, Sol Bamba, Darius Vassell, Franck Moussa, John Pantsil
Pre-season form:
24.07 v Hinckley United (A) W4-1
28.07 v Shrewsbury Town (A) L0-2
01.08 v Burton Albion (A) W3-1
07.08 v Nuneaton Town (A) W3-1
11.08 v Sunderland (H) W1-0
14.08 v Torquay United (A) W4-0 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 5th
Last season, Leicester City were expected to march up the division but the Sven-Goran Eriksson reign always looked like it might end in tears. The Swede paid for a terribly inconsistent start and in came former boss Nigel Pearson who eventually oversaw the Foxes' first back-to-back league wins of the season at the start of March. It was too little too late for Leicester, who finished in ninth, but Pearson has reduced the average age of the squad over the summer and expectations will be high again at the King Power Stadium.

MIDDLESBROUGH 
Boro - Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, TS3 6RS. Capacity 34,988
Last season: 7th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 3rd round
Most recent top flight season: 2008-09
Manager: Tony Mowbray (since October 2010)
Players In: Mustapha Carayol, Jayson Leutwiler, George Friend, Jonathan Woodgate, Grant Leadbitter, Emmanuel Ledesma
Players Out: Tony McMahon, Jonathan Grounds, Jon Franks, Barry Robson, Matthew Bates
Pre-season form:
22.07 v Falkirk (A) W7-3
27.07 v Tottenham Hotspur XI (N) W5-0
31.07 v Hartlepool United (A) D2-2
03.08 v Carlisle United (A) W2-1
04.08 v York City (A) W2-1
08.08 v Scunthorpe United (A) L2-3
11.08 v Bury (A) W2-1 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 14th
Middlesbrough made an excellent start to the 2011-12 season, taking 21 points by mid-October after going unbeaten for the first 11 games. But the longer campaign went on, the tougher it got for the Boro who won only six league games after Christmas to fall short even of the playoffs. As such, the feeling is that the Teessiders may have missed the boat and their sojourn in the Championship, already entering its fourth season, shows no sign of coming to an end. Despite this, club legend Tony Mowbray should have no problem retaining the support of the fans who appreciate the limitations of his young squad.

MILLWALL 
The Lions - The Den, Zampa Road, Bermondsey, London, SE16 3LN . Capacity 20,146
Last season: 16th, FA Cup 5th round, League Cup 3rd round
Most recent top flight season: 1989-1990
Manager: Kenny Jackett (since November 2007)
Players In: Maik Taylor, Scott Malone, Chris Taylor, Karleigh Osborne
Players Out: Chris Hackett, Josh McQuoid, Hameur Bouazza, Jordan Stewart, Tony Craig
Pre-season form:
16.07 v Shelbourne (A) D0-0
18.07 v Longford Town (A) W4-1
21.07 v Glenavon (A) W3-0
28.07 v Crawley Town (A) L0-1
04.08 v Exeter City (A) W3-2
07.08 v Southend United (A) W2-1
14.08 v Crawley Town (H) D2-2 (lost 1-4 on pens) [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 18th
After the first 12 games in the Championship last year, it looked as if the departure of Steve Morison to Norwich City had wounded the Lions fatally. Millwall had won just once and were stuck in the bottom three - but then came three successive wins to raise spirits at the Den. Although form then remained terribly inconsistent until April, Kenny Jackett's men finished their second successive season with a flourish, taking 16 points from their last six games to finish nearer the middle than the bottom. A repeat of that outcome, but without the eight-month relegation worry, would do just fine.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST 
The Reds - City Ground, Nottingham, NG2 5FJ. Capacity 30,603
Last season: 19th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 3rd round
Most recent top flight season: 1998-99
Manager: Sean O'Driscoll (since July 2012)
Players In: Adlene Guedioura, Danny Collins, Greg Halford, Dan Harding, Simon Gillett, Daniel Ayala
Players Out: Luke Chambers, Gareth McCleary, Paul Anderson, Marlon Harewood, Joel Lynch
Pre-season form:
28.07 v Mansfield Town (A) L1-2
04.08 v Aston Villa (H) W3-1
07.08 v Notts County (A) D2-2
10.08 v West Bromwich Albion (H) L0-2
13.08 v Fleetwood Town (A) W1-0 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 7th
It has been a rather dramatic 12 months at the City Ground, starting from last summer when the Steve McClaren reign predictably failed to get off the ground. McClaren's slow start left Forest at the wrong end of the table and matters were little improved by his successor Steve Cotterill. The Tricky Trees enjoyed just one league victory in 13 matches between November and February, and there was more bad news when former club owner Nigel Doughty died suddenly. However, an upturn in fortunes in the last third of the season was followed by a change of ownership in the summer as Kuwaiti tycoon Fawaz Al-Hasawi put the east Midlanders in the money. A big name manager was subsequently promised but, instead, in has come Sean O'Driscoll. But, what the former Doncaster boss lacks in terms of a name, he makes up with an impressive CV. Hopefully, for O'Driscoll's sake, the Al-Hasawis will be happy enough with a steady improvement for now.

PETERBOROUGH UNITED 
The Posh - London Road, Peterborough, PE2 8AL. Capacity 15,314
Last season: 18th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: N/A
Manager: Darren Ferguson (since January 2011)
Players In: Michael Bostwick, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Bobby Olejnik, Danny Swanson, Shaun Brisley, Tyrone Barnett, Jonson Clarke-Harris
Players Out: Joe Lewis
Pre-season form:
21.07 v Crawley Town (A) W1-0
24.07 v St Neots Town (A) W6-0
28.07 v Norwich City (H) L0-2
01.08 v Aston Villa (H) L0-2
04.08 v Stevenage (A) D1-1
10.08 v Manchester United XI (H) W2-0
14.08 v Southend United (H) W4-0 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 22nd
Peterborough gave a much better account of themselves last season than in 2009-10 when they finished rock-bottom of the division. As usual, though, the philosophy was very much based upon their attacking approach as the defence conceded 77 goals, the second highest in the division after Doncaster Rovers. It remains to be seen if the Posh forwards can continue to make up for such an obvious deficiency, harder still considering the sparse resources at London Road.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 
The Owls - Hillsborough Stadium, Owlerton, Sheffield, S6 1SW. Capacity 39,732
Last season: Runners-up (promoted from League One), FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 1999-2000
Manager: Dave Jones (since March 2012)
Players In: Anthony Gardner, Chris Maguire, Joe Matlock, Kieran Lee, Chris Kirkland, Diogo Amado, Nejc Pecnik, Rhys McCabe, Michail Antonio
Players Out: Jon Ostemobor, Clinton Morrison, Rob Jones, Ryan Lowe
Pre-season form:
10.07 v Dinnington Town (A) W4-1
17.07 v Sheffield FC (A) D1-1
17.07 v Stocksbridge Park Steels (A) W4-0
22.07 v Sporting Lisbon (A) L0-2
24.07 v Reading (A) W2-0
28.07 v Doncaster Rovers (A) D0-0
04.08 v West Bromwich Albion (H) D1-1
08.08 v Kilmarnock (A) W4-1
13.08 v Oldham Athletic (A) W4-2 [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 8th
Wednesday won perhaps the sweetest promotion, pipping neighbours Sheffield United by beating Wycombe Wanderers on the final day. More than 37,000 turned up at Hillsborough for that decisive moment, showing just how big football still is in this part of the Steel City, despite years of underachievement. But, far from putting pressure on the Owls as has happened in the past, the fans really were like a 12th man last season as Wednesday boasted the best home record in League One with 17 wins. More of the same this time around will ensure Dave Jones's men have no worries of falling back to League One for the third time in a decade.

WATFORD
The Hornets - Vicarage Road, Watford, WD18 0ER. Capacity 17,477
Last season: 11th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 2006-07
Manager: Gianfranco Zola (since July 2012)
Players In: Manuel Almunia, Fitz Hall, Almen Abdi, Ikechi Anya, Steve Leo Beleck, Daniel Pudil, Matej Vydra, Alexandre Geijo
Players Out: Rene Gilmartin, Michael Bryan, Tom James, Chez Isaac, John Walker, Adrian Mariaappa, Scott Loach, David Mirfin
Pre-season form:
17.07 v Boreham Wood (A) D1-1
21.07 v Wealdstone (A) D1-1
24.07 v Cork City (A) W2-0
01.08 v Barnet (H) W8-0
05.08 v Tottenham Hotspur (H) L0-1
07.08 v Gillingham (A) W3-0
11.08 v Wycombe Wanderers (H) W1-0 aet [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 17th
Watford spent all of last season proving the doubters wrong, starting the campaign as relegation favourites and ending it with their best finish for five years. All that good work under Sean Dyche is pretty irrelevant now, though, after a complete sea-change at the Hertfordshire club. In have come Italian backers - owners of Udinese, no less, Dyche was swiftly dumped and Gianfranco Zola installed, despite his patchy management record at West Ham. Hornets fans still recall the disastrous Gianluca Vialli reign with horror, and will probably simply accept history not repeating itself over the next 10 months.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Wolves - Molineux, Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, WV1 4QR. Capacity 31,700
Last season: 20th (relegated from Premier League), FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 4th round
Most recent top flight season: 2011-12
Manager: Stale Solbakken (since July 2012)
Players In: Frank Nouble, Jamie Tank, Bjorn Sigurdarson, Tongo Doumbia, Slawomir Peszko
Players Out: Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Ashley Hemmings, Adlene Guedioura, Sam Vokes, Michael Kightly
Pre-season form:
21.07 v Bray Wanderers (A) W5-1
28.07 v Walsall (A) W3-0
31.07 v Shrewsbury Town (A) D2-2
04.08 v Southampton (A) L0-2
11.08 v Aldershot Town (H) D1-1 (won 7-6 on pens) [League Cup R1]
Prediction: 12th
The Wolves faithful was finally put out of their misery at the end of last season, largely accepting of a relegation which had, in truth, been coming for a couple of years. The final nail in the coffin undoubtedly came after the sacking of Mick McCarthy following the horrendous 5-1 derby defeat to West Brom. Candidates for the Molineux hot-seat came and went without being appointed, and Wolves were eventually left with only one option - to promote reluctant assistant, Terry Connor. It did not work out and Connor has been reassigned his assistant role but that still did not stop the Wolves board from taking another risk this summer by approaching the unproven Stale Solbakken. The Norwegian could have a tough time winning over some notoriously difficult fans if he makes a slow start.