Queens Park Rangers were surely the best club in the Championship this season. They only lost six matches from 46 played and finished four points clear of second-placed Norwich City.
Yet, in the end QPR survived a scare as they were in danger of missing out on promotion to the Premier for the first time in 15 years had the FA docked them points following a probe into Alejandro Faurlin’s transfer in 2009.
The west London club were eventually fined £875,000 after being found guilty of two of the seven charges put against them.
Meanwhile, the club’s board, that includes the likes of Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, have not informed manager Neil Warnock yet if his future still lies at Loftus Road next season.
Warnock turned Rangers’ fortunes around since the side was languishing in the drop zone when he signed a three-and-a-half year contract in March 2010.
He went on to describe the Championship title as his best achievement in his 32-year career.
Norwich City did well to go up as runners-up as manager Paul Lambert lifted the team to back-to-back promotions, a feat that the fans had never expected to happen this season.
Final standings
Queen’s Park Rangers - 88 pts
Norwich City - 84 pts
Swansea City - 80 pts
Cardiff City - 80 pts
Reading - 77 pts
Nottingham Forest - 75 pts
Leeds United - 72 pts
Burnley - 68 pts
Millwall - 67 pts
Leicester City - 67 pts
Hull City - 65 pts
Middlesbrough - 62 pts
Ipswich Town - 62 pts
Watford - 61 pts
Bristol City - 60 pts
Portsmouth - 58 pts
Barnsley - 56 pts
Coventry City - 55 pts
Derby County - 49 pts
Crystal Palace - 48 pts
Doncaster Rovers - 48 pts
Preston North End - 42 pts
Sheffield United - 42 pts
Scunthorpe - 42 pts
Leading scorers
24 − Graham (Watford).
21 − Holt (Norwich City), Long (Reading).
19 − Becchio (Leeds United), Sinclair (Swansea), Taarabt (QPR).
PFA Select XI
Kenny (QPR), Naughton (Leicester City), Harte (Reading), Williams (Swansea), Morgan (Nott. Forest), Taarabt (QPR), Sinclair (Swansea), King (Leicester), Hoolahan (Norwich City), Graham (Watford), Holt (Norwich City).
Average attendances
1. Leeds United - 27,299
2. Derby County - 26,022
3. Norwich City - 25,386
4. Leicester City - 23,666
5. Nottm Forest - 23,274
6. Cardiff City - 23,193
7. Hull City - 21,168
8. Sheffield Utd - 20,632
9. Ipswich - 19,614
10. Reading - 17,681
11. Middlesbrough - 16,312
12. Coventry - 16,309
13. Portsmouth - 15,707
14. QPR - 15,635
15. Swansea - 15,507
16. Crystal Palace - 15,351
17. Burnley - 14,930
18. Bristol City - 14,604
19. Watford - 13,151
20. Millwall - 12,438
21. Barnsley - 11,855
22. Preston - 11,767
23. Doncaster - 10,258
24. Scunthorpe - 5,547
Hat-trick heroes
September 11: Iwelumo for Burnley (home) vs Preston North End 4-3.
September 14: Vaughan for Crystal Palace (home) vs Ports-mouth 4-1; Coppinger for Doncaster Rovers (home) vs Norwich City 3-1.
September 28: Parkin for Preston North End (away) vs Leeds United 6-4.
October 30: Howson for Leeds United (away) vs Scunthorpe 4-1.
November 13: Becchio for Leeds (home) vs Bristol City 3-1.
November 28: Holt for Norwich (home) vs Ipswich 4-1.
December 28: Hoolahan for Norwich (home) vs Sheffield United 4-2.
January 1: Puncheon for Millwall (home) vs Crystal Palace 3-0.
February 4: Fryatt for Hull (away) vs Scunthorpe 5-1.
February 15: Wickman for Ipswich (away) vs Doncaster 6-0.
April 2: Yakubu for Leicester City (away) vs Middlesbrough 3-3; Holt and Jackson for Norwich (home) vs Scunthorpe 6-0.
April 23: McDonald for Middlesbrough (away) vs Hull City4-2.
April 25: Jackson for Norwich (home) vs Derby 3-2.