I thought I'd examine how sides have typically fared when they've been relegated from the Championship (or Division One or Division 2), looking particularly at sides that have spent most of their existence within the top two tiers of English football and promotions/relegations since the 1970s.

Man City and Leicester have been relegated to the third tier once. Both won immediate promotion.

Middlesbrough spent two seasons in the third tier, winning promotion in both.

Aston Villa, Derby, Southampton and West Brom both spent two seasons in the third tier, winning promotion at the second attempt.

Leeds spent 3 seasons trying to get out Division Two, failing twice in the playoffs but winning automatic promotion at the third time of asking. Wolves also spent 3 seasons in the 3rd tier, getting relegated once and winning promotion twice. Forest spent 2006-08 in the division finishing 7th, 4th and then winning automatic promotion.

Birmingham City spent 4 seasons there in the 90s, winning promotion twice.

Blackburn have won 3 promotions in 6 seasons in the third tier. Stoke 2 from 7 with 2 other failed playoff attempts. Sheffield Wednesday 3 from 9.

Next, let's move to sides that have spend 10 or more seasons in the third tier. Bolton have won promotion 3 times but also been relegated twice, similarly with Burnley. Fulham have won 4 promotions but also endured 8 seasons before relegation to the bottom division. Portsmouth have also been relegated to the dungeon but have been promoted twice and have only lost out in the playoffs in recent seasons.

Our previous form in the division is quite different to many other sides with similar stays in the division. Since the 70s we've won promotion to the 2nd tier on 3 occasions, though in the 14 years from 1986 we would be relegated on 4 out of the 6 seasons we spent in the third tier.

Are there any conclusions to draw from all of the above? Big sides tend to get out of the division quickly with the playoffs being the biggest stumbling block. If a side has big problems in the Championship, particularly financial, then further problems are likely. However, staying the Championship if there are big problems only delays the inevitable and the fall can be greater, like we've seen with Bolton and Portsmouth in recent times.

Historically I'd class Cardiff City as a big club whose home is in the 2nd tier, despite the 80s and 90s. Some big clubs have ended up in the bottom division. Ours was, for a club of our size, quite a lengthy absence from where we have belonged historically. Such lengthy absences don't seem to strike twice.