BARNSLEY
Manager: Keith Hill
Position last season: 22nd
Nickname: The Tykes
Ground: Oakwell
Capacity: 23,009
Players in: Lee Collins (Port Vale, undisclosed), Kelvin Etuhu (Portsmouth, free), Jacob Mellis (Chelsea, free), Mido (Zamalek, free), Ben Alnwick (Tottenham, free), Toni Silva (Liverpool, free), Tomasz Cywka (Reading, free)
Players out: David Cotterill (Doncaster, free), Jay McEveley (Swindon, free), Jacob Butterfield (Norwich, undisclosed), Nathan Doyle (Bradford, free), Alistair Taylor, David Preece and Andy Gray (all released)
Key man: Luke Steele
Chances: More wheeling and dealing in the transfer market for manager Keith Hill, but the Tykes are set for another tough season.
BIRMINGHAM
Manager: Lee Clark
Position last season: 4th
Nickname: Blues
Ground: St Andrew’s
Capacity: 30,009
Players in: Peter Lovenkrands (Newcastle, free), David Lucas (Rochdale, free), Hayden Mullins (Portsmouth, undisclosed), Darren Ambrose (Crystal Palace, undisclosed), Ravel Morrison (West Ham, season-long loan)
Players out: Jordon Mutch (Cardiff, undisclosed), Ben Foster (West Brom, undisclosed), Luke Hubbins (AFC Telford, free), Caleb Folan, Enric Valles, Cian Hughton and Ashley Sammons (released)
Key man: Curtis Davies
Chances: Hoping to improve on last season’s play-off semi-final defeat with Clark at the helm. He has added Lovenkrands, Ambrose and Morrison to an already talented squad.
BLACKBURN
Manager: Steve Kean
Position last season: 19th in Premier League
Nickname: Rovers
Ground: Ewood Park
Capacity: 31,154
Players in: Danny Murphy (Fulham, free), Leon Best (Newcastle, £3million), Nuno Gomes (Braga, free), Fabio Nunes (Portimonense, undisclosed), Paulo Jorge (FC Porto B, undisclosed), Edinho (Olhanense, £500,000), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham, £1million)
Players out: Ayegbeni Yakubu (Guangzhou R&F, undisclosed), Ryan Edwards (Rochdale, six-month youth loan), Junior Hoilett (QPR, free), Matthew Pearson (Rochdale, free), Jackson Ramm (Colchester, free), Michel Salgado, Vince Grella, Zac Aley, Jamie Maclaren and Herold Goulon (all released)
Key man: Danny Murphy
Chances: Following turmoil on and off the pitch and relegation, Kean has enjoyed the backing of owners Venky’s in the transfer market. Promotion is the expectation but a serious pre-season injury to Best could be a significant blow.
BLACKPOOL
Manager: Ian Holloway
Position last season: 5th
Nickname: The Seasiders, the Tangerines
Ground: Bloomfield Road
Capacity: 16,220 (under development)
Players in: Jake Caprice (Crystal Palace, free) Isaiah Osbourne (Hibernian, undisclosed), Scott Robertson (Dundee United, free), Tiago Gomes (free)
Players out: Lomana LuaLua (Karabukspor, free), Brett Ormerod (Wrexham, free), Daniel Bogdanovic and Stephen Husband (released), Matt Hill (Sheffield United, free)
Key man: Tom Ince
Chances: Expected to be in contention again following play-off heartache against West Ham. Kept wingers Ince and Matt Phillips.
BOLTON
Manager: Owen Coyle (pictured)
Position last season: 18th in Premier League
Nickname: The Trotters
Ground: Reebok Stadium
Capacity: 28,723
Players in: Keith Andrews (West Brom, free), Matt Mills (Leicester, undisclosed), Joe McKee (free) Andy Lonergan (Leeds, undisclosed), Benik Afobe (Arsenal, season-long loan)
Players out: Jussi Jaaskelainen (West Ham, free), Robbie Blake (Doncaster, free), Rhys Bennett (Rochdale, free), Tope Obadeyi (Rio Ave, free), Mark Connolly (Crawley, free), Ivan Klasnic, Gretar Steinsson, Paul Robinson, Sean Davis, Ricardo Gardner and Dino Fazlic (released), Tom Eckersley (Accrington, free)
Key man: Martin Petrov
Chances: Many people’s favourites for promotion with most of last season’s youthful Premier League squad plus Mills and Andrews are shrewd additions at Championship level.
BRIGHTON
Manager: Gus Poyet
Position last season: 10th
Nickname: The Seagulls
Ground: American Express Community Stadium
Capacity: 22,374
Players in: Tomasz Kuszczak (Manchester United, free), Bruno Saltor (Valencia, free), Wayne Bridge (Manchester City, loan), Andrew Crofts (Norwich, undisclosed)
Players out: Alan Navarro (Swindon, free), Michael Poke (Torquay, free), David Gonzalez and Leon Redwood (both released)
Key man: Vicente
Chances: Having brought in Kuszczak and kept talented Spanish playmaker Vicente, Poyet has a side capable of the play-offs at least.
BRISTOL CITY
Manager: Derek McInnes
Position last season: 20th
Nickname: The Robins
Ground: Ashton Gate
Capacity: 21,497
Players in: Jody Morris (St Johnstone, free), Paul Anderson (Nottingham Forest, free)
Players out: Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Notts County, free), Jamie McAllister (Yeovil, free), David James, David Clarkson, Christian Ribeiro, Marlon Jackson, Danny Ball and Henry Muggeridge (all released)
Key man: Albert Adomah
Chances: McInnes is regarded as one of the most highly-rated managers in Britain and enjoyed instant success at Ashton Gate as he steered the Robins clear of relegation last season. Will be hoping for a higher finish in his first full campaign in charge.
BURNLEY
Manager: Eddie Howe
Position last season: 13th
Nickname: The Clarets
Ground: Turf Moor
Capacity: 22,546
Players in: Luke O’Neill (Mansfield, undisclosed), George Porter (Leyton Orient, free), Jason Shackell (Derby, undisclosed), Joseph Mills (Reading, season-long loan), Sam Vokes (Wolves, undisclosed)
Players out: Jay Rodriguez (Southampton, undisclosed), Andre Amougou, Clarke Carlisle, Brian Easton, Alex-Ray Harvey, Joe McKee, Dominic Knowles, Neil Yadolahi, David Lynch and Ross Wilson (all released), Joe Jackson and Tom Anderson (both AFC Barrow, loan).
Key man: Charlie Austin
Chances: Howe’s youthful squad will strive for greater consistency and are outsiders for a play-off push, although the pressure will be on Austin to fill the void in attack left by Rodriguez’s move to Southampton.
