Leicester lead scramble for survival

The scramble to avoid relegation from the Championship is as absorbing as the chase for promotion out of it, albeit ghoulishly so, like rubber-necking a car wreck. Scunthorpe United and Colchester United have gone, to no great surprise, but the odds are a big club will also drop.

A decade ago Leicester City, Coventry City, Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday finished 10th, 11th, 12th and 16th in the Premier League, all above Everton. The former three, confident about their futures, have since moved to new grounds, each with capacities above 32,000, while Wednesday's Hillsborough remains a great temple of the sport.

Yet this quartet all face relegation to the third tier. Leicester have never dropped as low while Southampton and Coventry have not done so in more than four decades. Another club with a top-flight pedigree, Norwich City, are also in danger of slipping into the third tier, for the first time in nearly half a century. As Leeds United and Nottingham Forest can testify, coming back up can be tough.

The key match today is at Leicester, where Wednesday are the visitors. Ian Holloway, who became City's third manager of the season in November, said: "What you need to do in our position is to try and show you believe in your team."

The fans, added Holloway, appear to do so. "I was stood in the dressing room before [last week's] Barnsley game and I heard fans singing very, very loudly: 'we're not going down, we're not going down.'

"I thought 'Christ, the Barnsley supporters are up for it' and when I walked out I saw it was Leicester fans who were singing. Goosebumps ran upmy back – it was fantastic and my lads responded to that."

Leicester will guarantee survival if they win, while point for Wednesday would drop Southampton in to the bottom three ahead of Monday's trip to West Bromwich Albion. Blackpool. Coventry, Norwich and Barnsley will all be safe if they win today.

Two things most of these clubs have in common is a ridiculous turnover of managers – Leicester, Coventry, Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday have shared 34 between them since the Millennium – and problems in the boardroom and with the bank. Southampton and Wednesday are in the throes of attempted takeovers. The lesson appears clear: instability leads to failure.

l A fourth-minute goal by Dougie Freedman gave Leeds a 1-0 win at Yeovil last night to book their place in the League One play-offs, but Gary McAllister's side had to withstand late pressure after seeing Alan Sheehan sent off for a two-footed challenge on Lee Peltier in the 64th minute at Huish Park.

Falling from grace The big clubs under threat

* COVENTRY CITY

(17th, 52pts, GD -9)

Pedigree Top flight for 34 years prior to 2001. FA Cup winners 1987.

Ground Ricoh Arena (since 2005), capacity 32,609

Last in third tier 1964

Manager Chris Coleman (Feb 2008)

Managers since 2000 8

Form WDLLW (league only)

Fixtures Wolves (h), Charlton (a)

* NORWICH CITY (18th, 52pts, GD -10)

Pedigree Spent 20 of 23 years 1972-95 in top flight, also 2004-05

Ground Carrow Road (1935) 26,034

Last in third tier 1960

Manager Glenn Roeder (Oct 2007)

Managers since 2000 4

Form WLWLL

Fixtures QPR (h), Sheffield Wed (a)

* LEICESTER CITY (20th, 51pts, GD -1)

Pedigree Top flight eight of 10 years before 2004. League Cup winners 1997, 2000.

Ground Walkers Stadium (2002), 32,500

Last in third tier Never

Manager Ian Holloway (Nov 2007)

Managers since 2000 9

Form LWLDW

Fixtures Sheff Wed (h), Stoke (a)

* SOUTHAMPTON (21st, 50pts, GD -17)

Pedigree Top flight for 27 years prior to 2005. FA Cup finalists 2003.

Ground St Mary's (opened 2001), capacity 32,689

Last in third tier 1960

Manager Nigel Pearson (appointed Feb 2008)

Managers since 2000 9

Form DLWDL

Fixtures West Brom (a), Sheff Utd (h)

* SHEFF WEDNESDAY (22nd, 49pts, GD -6)

Pedigree Top flight for 15 of 16 seasons prior to 2000.

Ground Hillsborough (1899), 39,812

Last in third tier 2005

Manager Brian Laws (Nov 2006)

Managers since 2000 8

Form DDDDDL

Fixtures Leicester (a), Norwich (h)

*Also in danger

*BLACKPOOL (16th, 53pts, GD -2)

Pedigree Newly promoted with an illustrious history, but mediocre recent past.

Manager: Simon Grayson (June 2006)

Form: DDLLW

Fixtures: Plymouth (a), Watford (h)

* BARNSLEY (19th, 52pts, GD -13)

Pedigree FA Cup semi-finalists this season, and in the Premier League a decade ago, but in League One as recently as 2004

Manager Simon Davey (Jan 2007)

Form LWWLL

Fixtures Charlton (h), Cardiff (a)

What can be decided today

* CHAMPIONSHIP

West Bromwich promoted if Bristol City and Hull fail to win. Stoke promoted if they better Hull's result and match or better Bristol City's. Relegated: Scunthorpe, Colchester.

* LEAGUE ONE

Champions: Swansea. Carlisle promoted if they win and Doncaster and Nottingham Forest do not. Relegated: Port Vale, Luton. Bournemouth go down if they lose, or if they draw and Cheltenham get a point. Gillingham down if they lose and Cheltenham draw, or if they draw, Cheltenham win and Millwall get a point.

* LEAGUE TWO

Promoted: MK Dons, Peterborough. Hereford up if they win and Stockport lose. Relegated: Wrexham. Mansfield down if they lose and Dagenham, Notts County and Chester win.