Saturday is a huge day for Championship betting

English Football League / Andrew French / 13 December 2007 / Leave a Comment

Andrew French tells us why the tables may turn at the top of the Championship table on Saturday afternoon as West Brom clash with Charlton

Days like this Sunday - when four of the biggest teams on the planet go head-to-head in a league that is watched by a massive global audience - make fans of all the clubs outside the Premiership realise what will be on the menu if they can secure a place at domestic football's top table.

Of course, many of those in the Championship have very recently experienced all that glitz and glamour. Two such clubs, West Brom and Charlton, meet in the live lunchtime game on Saturday: a fixture that, although on a far smaller scale than Sunday's Premiership 'grand slam', is a crucial one in its own sphere.

A few weeks ago, Watford were clear and it looked as if the rest might be playing for the other automatic promotion place. That's no longer the case but they are still odds-on at [1.75] to return to the dizzy heights of Premiership football. Such is the competitive, almost unpredictable nature of the Championship, the Baggies who trade at [1.7] to go up, or the Addicks, who are a [2.46] shot to be promoted, could go top of the table, albeit possibly only for a matter of hours, if they take all three points on Saturday.

You can currently get [2.2] on Betfair that all three points stay in the Midlands, the away win pays [3.55] and a share of the spoils trades at [3.45].

At this point I must declare an emotional interest. I worked for Charlton as Communications Manager for two and a half years, and it is a great club with excellent characters behind the scene and some glorious history.

Despite being in the mire for most of last season, my heart kept telling my head they'd stay in the Premiership. This season, I think my belief they will go back up is more logical.

Alan Pardew is a fine manager, and he has assembled a strong squad using the funds from the sale of Darren Bent. If only their home form was better . . . but Pardew will not need me to tell him that.

However, Saturday's game is at The Hawthorns, and the Addicks have been good on the road this season. They don't give much away - only eight goals conceded in 10 away league games - and having ended a run of four home defeats in five games by beating Ipswich 3-1 at The Valley last week, they're in great heart.

That victory came at a price though. Defender Jon Fortune was sent off in injury time and is suspended, along with defensive colleague Danny Mills. Veteran Chris Powell is struggling, and longer-term injuries to Ben Thatcher, Grant Basey and Cory Gibbs combine to leave Pardew with real problems at the back.

Is it clutching at straws to point out that Charlton have won on all of their last four visits to The Hawthorns? Possibly, especially when you look at the home record this term of Tony Mowbray's side.

Only one defeat in 10 games and 21 goals scored make the Baggies a demanding proposition in their own back yard - although interestingly they have not won any of their last three games at home. But they are undoubtedly a match for anyone in the Championship, as they showed when beating Watford 3-0 at Vicarage Road last month.

Both West Brom and Charlton will have a say in who wins The Championship, and it's difficult to believe at least one of the pair won't go up automatically - the evidence so far suggests they could both return to the big time come May, even if they require the Play-Offs to do so.

Later on Saturday, it's matters at the other end of the table that come into focus as Colchester host Norwich.

The home side are a [2.26] shot, the draw is [3.5] and its currently [3.05] that Delia Smith's side can rustle up an away win.

The Canaries have hoisted themselves out of the bottom three with a run of four wins in five under new boss Glenn Roeder, who knows how to get a team organised but fans in East Anglia would be advised not to crack open a celebratory bottle of sherry just yet, they're still only [4.1] for the drop.

Layer Road has been the place to be for goals, with 37 in 10 games. Trouble is for Colchester, 19 of them have gone in at the other end. Both teams will know a point doesn't really help their cause, and that points towards an open game - with two defences that have shipped 68 goals between them this season in the league, a little look at the Over 2.5 goals market might be the order of the day.