While the Premier League boasts some of the world’s greatest players, displaying their superlative skills in state-of-the-art stadiums, the really dramatic title chase in England this season has been elsewhere.

The Premier League has been a two-horse race all season between Manchester United and Chelsea, while Liverpool and Arsenal have been either third or fourth since December. In fact, only seven clubs have finished in the top four of the Premier League over the last 11 seasons — this season’s top quartet plus Newcastle United, Everton and Leeds United.

That predictability is nowhere to be found in Division Two — currently known as the Coca-Cola Championship, but still the Second Division to the purists.

Cardiff City, Preston North End, Derby County, Sunderland, and Birmingham City have all led the league at some stage — while Leeds, English champions in 1969 and 1974, European Cup runners-up in 1975 and Champions League semi-finalists in 2001, are about to be relegated to the third division for the first time in their history, along with Southend United and Luton Town.

Sunderland, who came down last year, began the season with four straight league defeats and looked to be heading for the third division themselves. Then Roy Keane took over as manager, guided them to an unbeaten 17-match unbeaten run earlier this year, restored their pride and this weekend saw their Premier League status restored with automatic promotion.

The difference between the Premier League and the Second Division is that there are so many genuinely big clubs who are real contenders for honours.

The likely playoff quartet: Derby County, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton, have all recently been in the Premier League. Clubs like Sheffield Wednesday, Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Stoke City, Norwich City, Leicester City, Coventry City and Queens Park Rangers regularly attract crowds of over 20,000 in generally superb stadiums that would be a credit to most other top divisions anywhere in Europe.

It might not be the elite division, but in almost every other way it’s first class. The tickets are cheaper too.

Mike Collett is Reuters soccer editor, based in London

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