As part of our summary of some of the deals that have been made in the Championship so far here are some of the players that have bought in the Championship from Cardiff to Doncaster.

Cardiff City

Don Cowie (Watford) –Free Transfer

Craig Conway (Dundee United) – Free transfer

Andrew Taylor (Middlesbrough) –Free Transfer

Robert Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest) –Free Transfer

Coventry City

Chris Dunn (Northampton) – Free Transfer

Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe) – Free Transfer

Crystal Palace

Glenn Murray (Brighton) – Undisclosed

Kagisho Dikacoi (Fulham) -£600,000

Derby County

Jason Shackell  (Barnsley) – Undisclosed

Nathan Tyson (Nottingham Forest) – Free Transfer

Craig Bryson (Kilmarnock) – £350,000

Frank Fielding (Blackburn Rovers) – Undisclosed

Jamie Ward (Sheffield United) – Undisclosed

Theo Robinson (Millwall) –Undisclosed

Doncaster

Tommy Spurr (Sheffield Wednesday) – £200,000

Kyle Bennett (Bury) – Undisclosed

James Baxendale –(Leeds) – Undisclosed

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Due to the weather it was a much reduced Championship fixture list with Doncaster, Hull, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth all unable to host a match due to pitch and safety concerns.

This did not stop this weekend being action packed with each fixture averaging three goals per game.

Those that battled the sub zero temperatures included Swansea who made the trip to East Anglia and were able to beat Ipswich courtesy of a Craig Beattie brace that will heap more pressure on Roy Keane as the Tractor Boys extended their losing streak to five games.

Second placed Cardiff scored late to deny Preston a shock victory; however the draw will be seen as an opportunity lost to close the gap on leaders QPR who were not in action.

Around the play off places Coventry and Leeds took advantage of half the league not playing by putting points on the board with Leeds creeping into the play off places after looking to be heading for defeat before a late double from Luciano Bechhio cancelled out Neil Danns opener.

Whilst in the midlands Derby were shocked as Norwich made a blistering start to go two goals up after just fifteen minutes and the Rams were only able to get one goal back meaning they dropped out of play off places as Norwich surged to fourth.

The takeover talk at Watford seemed to buoy confidence as the Hornets took advantage of the condensed Championship table with a late winner in an action packed 3-2 victory that moved the club five places to tenth.

Finally in the late kick off Steve Morison scored twice to help Millwall thump Scunthorpe by three goals to nil.

One of the most exciting days in the football calendar, the FA Cup 3rd Round draw took place yesterday. Throwing up its usual unpredictable mix of fixtures but failing to deliver a Premier League fairytale story for a non-league club.

We can already guarantee that there will be two sides from England’s second tier in the fourth round draw as Coventry v Crystal Palace and Preston v Nottingham Forest constitute the only all Championship 3rd round ties.

Overall the draw is a tough one for the Championship with more than 10 sides facing Premiership opposition, whilst increasing the chances of a relative upset it also means that a strong Championship presence in the fourth round and beyond is limited.

What do you think your teams chances of progression are in the FA Cup this season?

Despite this pessimism here is my selectino of the most interesting ties in the third round for the Championship:

Arsenal v Leeds

Until recent times a battle of two powerhouses of the modern game, the decline of the Yorkshire club will do little to diminish what will be seen as one of the ties of the round.

Last season Manchester United were knocked out of the competition by Leeds and with Arsene Wenger unlikely to name his strongest side this could be another opportunity for a famous ‘cupset’.

Leicester City v Manchester City

This is a game between two clubs with rich foreign investors, albeit on a different scale.

The cup has a habit of bringing together former players and managers and I am sure that Sven Goran Errikson will be desperate to overcome his former employers. With a home tie the chances of an upset are increased however the depth of the Manchester City squad; even a weakened side is likely to be considered strong favourites.

Reading v West Bromwich Albion

The game for me that is most likely to produce a ‘cupset’ despite mediocre league form, a home tie against Premiership opposition will present a big opportunity to put in a performance and victory that will raise morale and placate the fans.

West Bromwich Albion have started the season well but form is rarely a factor in the FA Cup and this represents an intriguing third round tie.

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This week’s game of the week was the Saturday evening kick off at Bramall Lane, which was screened live on BSKYB. Those fortunate enough to catch the game either from the stands or via their television were treated to a five goal thriller featuring two sending offs, three penalties and a bucket load of late drama.

The punch line of this drama was that Sheffield United scored two goals in a controversial final five minutes to come from behind, snatching the points and  leaving Crystal Palace in the relegation mire.

Yet despite the end result it was the away side that took the lead, as Jean Calve was penalised for pushing Neil Danns inside the penalty area. The alleged victim was able to step up and convert the resulting penalty himself.

Sheffield United not to be outdone were able to equalise five minutes before half time with a penalty of their own, as Nathaniel Clyne was judged to have fouled Ched Evans, Richard Cresswell converted for the Blades.

This is despite replays suggesting that the defender won the ball and unable to accept the decision Owen Garvan talked his way into an early bath by earning a second yellow card for dissent.

With the sides level at half time, Crystal Palace were able to regroup and live up to the adage that it is sometimes harder to play against ten men than eleven, Sheffield United pressured but were unable to breakthrough. Despite this pressure Crystal Palace were able to take the lead against the run of play, as James Vaughan converted a Nathaniel Clyne cross just after the hour mark.

The advantage remained with the visitors going into the last ten minutes and optimistic Eagles fans must have sensed they were on the brink of a potentially season defining victory, however fate and the Blades had other ideas.

After piling on the pressure following the visitors goal, the Blades finally broke the Eagles’ resistance with just five minutes to play. Unsurprisingly this was the result of another controversial decision  which allowed a blatantly offside Ched Evans to hook home the rebound from a Kyle Bartley header which hit the bar.

Just two minutes later Sheffield United were able to break through again and break Crystal Palace hearts by winning another, but this time more clear cut penalty. As Claude Davis fouled Daniel Bogdanovic inside the area with his back to goal, the Blades striker however was able to recover and fire home from 12 yards.

The Maltese striker however went from hero to villain within a few minutes of his goal as he concluded an action packed game by earning a straight red card for serious foul play.

There was little incident after Bogdanovic left the field and Sheffield United secured a hard fought victory in a game that seemed to be alluding them until the final moments.

Both sides needed to win this game and although now clear of the relegation zone there will be much for Sheffield United to do if they want to get their season back on track, as for Crystal Palace a change in fortune is a must should they wish to play Championship football next season.

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Last Saturday was another frustrating day as for the second time in four days (& the third time in a month) Crystal Palace’s Championship fixture was called off – not due to Peaches Geldof’s pending divorce, Michael Phelps being pictured purportedly smoking marijuana from a bong or that ‘idiot’ Gordon Brown………..no you guessed it, it was due to the weather!

Now I am well aware that neither you nor I (the man in the street) can do anything about the weather itself, but maybe the Clubs outside the Premier League should look at alternative strategies in an attempt to make sure games are played despite the weather.

In the cold light of day the Premier League is in a world of its own, The Royal Family of the Football League if you like, BUT the foundation, the bread and butter of our game emanates from the lower leagues.

The Championship, the second tier of our national  game is susceptible to the same problems and issues as the Blue Square League when games are called off.
Lost revenue through various channels including television rights, match sponsorship and ticket sales, match re-scheduling, administration costs, disruption and disappointment for the fans and general inconvenience.

For example, Crystal Palace were due to meet Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on Saturday 10th January, the match was postponed and is now re-scheduled for Tuesday 17th February .
How feasible and fair is it on the modern day fan to even contemplate a 460 mile round-trip from London, a nine-hour vehicle journey in MIDWEEK, and in the current economic climate!

A day off work, traveling costs, the long trip, returning home in the early hours and getting up for work the very same morning. Preposterous!
However the tenacity of some of our supporters (as with many Clubs) means there will without a doubt be a small representation of Palace fans at Home Park next week but obviously nothing like the vocal support OUR team would have received had the game been on the proposed Saturday.

This Saturday is FA Cup weekend, and with both teams are out of the competition, in theory anyway both Clubs were available to fulfill the fixture on this ‘free’ weekend, but for whatever reason it seems football politics got in the way. 

I stand to be corrected and will happily hold my hands up if I am wrong, but I thought the re-scheduling of postponed fixtures took priority wherever possible. Palace’s last two fixtures against Birmingham and Barnsley respectively were both victims of the weather. Meanwhile this Saturday Charlton play host to Plymouth, whilst Birmingham entertain Forest.  Both Barnsley and Palace will be kicking their heals this weekend, as neither of them have a game!  

I assume  a week is not enough time for two professional clubs and the FA to re-schedule a fixture! Galling and irksome are just two adjectives that immediately spring to mind.

Now the proposed solution………….of all the various gimmicks in British Football over the years the plastic or artificial pitch is possibly the least bemoaned.
Considered an avant-garde remedy to the rain, frost and snow of a British winter, as well as an additional form of income on non-match days by staging an assortment of other activities to raise money, the plastic football pitch was originally modelled on the Astroturf surfaces of the USA in the 1960’s.

The first football club to roll out a synthetic pitch on these shores was QPR at their Loftus Road ground in 1981. Luton, Oldham and Preston followed suit, but shortly after 1994 when Deepdale reverted back to the green green grass of home, artificial pitches were outlawed under Premier League guidelines.

At the time these pitches were in the early development stage and admittedly there were issues revolving around the bounce of the ball, carpet-type burns and the potential damage to joints, (in particular those of the knee) due to the overly unforgiving nature of the hard surface.
However times and science have moved on quite considerably, 25 years on in fact since the initial experiment at Loftus Road.

Under-soil heating and better drainage facilities also contributed to the death of the artificial pitch, BUT the fact remains today that currently the lushest of footballing surfaces are often made out of a combination of artificial fibres to toughen up the traditional ‘live’ grass alongside it!

In 2003 at the Under-17 World Cup Championships in Helsinki, ten of the matches including the final were played on one of the new generation of artificial surfaces.

Furthermore many of the ultra-modern stadiums in Britain have such high-sided stands that they block out the natural elements that are needed for the turf to be at its best. Subsequently this results in pitches having to be re-laid during a season at great expense, suggesting that an artificial surface of sufficient quality could have a place in the game, particularly outside the top flight.

A full international fixture for the 2008 European Championships was played in October 2007 between England and Russia on an artificial surface, which was installed to counteract adverse weather conditions, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
In Scotland last month Alloa Athletic hosted Aberdeen on their plastic pitch for a Scottish Cup game. 

Is it not finally time that the people at the apex of our game, in their shiny suits, moccasin shoes and badly dyed hair, took the bull by the horns and instead of  watching football clubs fall foul of the weather, became pro-active and provided lower league clubs in the British domestic game, with at least the option of using the latest technology in the form of ‘3G’ type plastic pitches?

The thrid round of the FA Cup draw is out and here is who the teams of the CCC will face. The ties will be played the weekend of January 3, 2009. If the tie is tied then a replay will be played.

Portsmouth v Bristol City – Ashton Gate

Sheffield Wednesday v Fulham – Hillbrough

Preston NE v Liverpool – Deepdale

Birmingham City v Wolves – St. Andrew’s Stadium

West Ham United v Barnsley – Upton Park

Manchester City v Nottingham Forest – Eastlands

Cardiff City v Reading – Ninan Park

Ipswich Town v Chesterfield/Droylesden – Portman Road

Charlton v Norwich – The Valley

Torquay v Blackpool – Plainmoor

Leyton Orient v Sheffield United – Brisbane Road

Southampton v Manchester United – St. Mary’s Stadium

Histon v Swansea City – Bridge Road

Forest Green Rovers v Derby County – The New Lawn

QPR v Burnley – Turf Moor

Leicester City v Crystal Palace – Walkers Stadium

Morcambe/Cheltenham v Doncaster

Arsenal v Plymouth – Emirates Stadium

Watford v Scunthorpe – Vicarage Road

Coventry City v Kidderminster – Richo Arena

After another action packed weekend the sides in the Championship look like they are sorting themselves into the areas we can expect to find them in for the remainder of the season. Reading and Birmingham looking like they are going to bounce straight back whilst Doncaster and Notts Forest look destine to be involved in a relegation battle for the next 8 months.

However there are those that prove the rule that the Championship is the most unpredictable league with Plymouth currently occupying fourth whilst Watford and Crystal Palace are currently struggling near the bottom. However I don’t expect that to be the case come the end of the season, although following the relegation of Leicester and the promotion of Hull you can never say never.

Everyone knows that the Championship is unpredictable but it seems unlikely that we will have a season like the last with Hull and Bristol contesting the play-off final and Stoke going up. This season looks like it is going to go by the book though with Birmingham and Reading, who have managed to keep hold of their best players and use their parachute payments to their benefit, certainly looking like two of the best sides in the league.

Even Derby are starting to take steps in the right direction and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they were up there come the end of the season. It seems then that the £30m the Premier League give to relegated clubs is starting to effect the Championship whilst newly promoted clubs, with the exception of Swansea, are struggling to make the step up. It seems then that if the Football League wanted the Championship to be more like the Premier League then they are succeeding.

Whilst it may now be easier to bet on the Championship parachute payments are in danger of taking the unpredictability of the league away, one of the elements which makes this league so watch able.

As for the future well normally I would say who knows what it will hold but this season things look a little more predictable. The only thing that will change the way this season is going is the January transfer window. QPR have plenty to spend whilst others may stick their hands in their pockets if they believe there is a chance for promotion or to save themselves from relegation. At the minute though the odds for the Championship look like they aren’t going to change until we find ourselves at the play-off final again.

The Second Round of the Carling Cup is finished and the 16 CCC teams that made it to the Second Round, 10 made
thier way to the third round which will be drawn live on Sky Sports Saturday August 30th and played the week of the 21st of September. I will have the Third Round draw on Monday for the advancing CCC clubs.

Ipswich 2 (Counago 28′,Lisbie 56′) Colchester 1 (Gillespie 87′)

Coventry City 2 (Morrison 45′,Dann 90′) Newcastle 3 (Dann(og)21′, Milner 38′, Owen 97′)

Cardiff City 2 (McCormack (pen)45′, Whittingham 58′) MK Dons 1 (O’Hanlon 75′)

Swansea City 2 (Pintado 63′,Gomez (pen) 105′) Hull City 1 (Windass 11′) AET

Rotherham 0 Wolves 0
Rotherham win on penalty kicks 4-3

Leeds United 4 (Douglas 11′, Beckford 32′, Becchio 52′, Showunmi 76′) Crystal Palace o

Crewe 2 (Elding 24′, Moore 76′) Bristol City 1 (Wilson 79′)

QPR 4 (Stewart 48′, Ledesema 56′,63′,85′) Carlisle United 0

Reading 5(N. Hunt 11′, S. Hunt 15′, Pearce 54′, Karacan 55′, Henry 76′) Luton Town 1 (Charles 80′)

Preston 0 Derby County 1 (Green 40′) Wooo Hooo

Watford 2 (Francis 37′, O’Toole 116′) Darlington 1 ( Blundell) AET

Southampton 2 (Holmes 17′, Lallana 56′) Birmingham 0

Burnley 3 (McCann 12′, Paterson 63′, 79′) Oldham Athletic 0

Huddersfield Town 1 (Flynn 34′) Sheffield United 2 (Henderson 82′, Naughton 83′)

Nottingham Forest 1 (Earnshaw 60′) Sunderland 2 (Bardsley 86′, Healy 93′) AET

Here are the match-ups for the CCC clubs that have advanced to the Second Round of the Carling Cup. Ties will be played on August 26th and 27th at 7:45 GMT unless otherwise changed.

August 26th 

Burnely v Oldham Athletic (League One)

Cardiff City v MK Dons (League One)

Coventry City v Newcastle United (EPL)

Crewe(League One) v Bristol City

Ipswich Town v Colchester United(League One)

Leeds United(League One) v Crystal Palace

Preston NE v Derby County

QPR v Carlisle United (League One)

Reading v Luton Town (League Two)

Rotherham United (League Two) v Wolves

Southampton v Birmingham

Swansea City v Hull City (EPL)

Watford v Darlington (League Two)

August 27th

Huddersfield Town (League One) v Sheffield Untied

Nottingham Forest v Sunderland (EPL)

On Saturday the CCC season officially started as 24 teams battle to win promotion to the English Premier League and the riches that would come with that promotion. For the three promoted teams, Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and Doncaster, they are looking to establish themselves and avoid an immediate return to League One while Reading, Birmingham and Derby County look to bounce straight back to the EPL. One thing that is known about the CCC, there is no sure thing in this division and anything can happen. Here the results from the first weekend of action.

Birmingham City 1 (Kevin Phillips 90′) Sheffield United 0

Blackpool 0 Bristol City 1(Steve Brooker 90′)

Cardiff City 2(Steven Thompson 41,Roger Johnson 90′) Southampton 1 (David McGoldrick 45′)

Charlton 2 (Mark Hudson 3′, Andy Gray 85′) Swansea City 0

Coventry City 2 (Elliot Ward,pen 48′, Leon McKenzie 86′) Norwich City 0

Crystal Palace 0 Watford 0

Derby County 0 Doncaster 1 (Lewis Guy 59′)

Ipswich 1 (Kevin Lisbie 2′) Preston NE 2(Paul McKenna 21, Simon Whaley 34)

Plymouth 2 (Rory Fallon 7′, Marcel Siep 55′) Wolves 2 (Michael Knightly 19′, Sam Vokes 78′)

QPR 2(Fritz Hall 29,31′) Barnsley 1 (Iain Hume 5′)

Sheffield Wednesday 4(Marcus Tudgay 1′,65′, Apko Sodje 4’17′) Burnely 1 (Martin Paterson 6′)

Nottingham Forest 0 Reading 0

The Carling Cup is next up for the CCC teams on Tuesday and Wednesday then back to CCC action on Saturday.