Birmingham City desperately wanted an immediate return to the Championship after relegation

Birmingham City are short-priced favorites to return immediately to the Championship following their relegation to League One last weekend. The Blues’ 13-year stay in the second tier is over despite beating Norwich City at St Andrew’s. They were relegated as Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers equaled their result elsewhere.

Work now begins to ensure their stay in the third tier is as short as the last time they found themselves in the division in 1994 – when they were guided back at the first attempt by Barry Fry, as part of a league and cup double – and quite simply they are convincing the bookies to do just that.

With SkyBet, the Blues are 11/10 to win promotion in any form next term, either automatically or via the play-offs. For context, the next shortest-priced side are fellow relegated Huddersfield Town, who are 9/4. Wrexham, who have just been promoted to League One after back-to-back promotions from non-league and League Two under Phil Parkinson, are third favorites at 11/4.

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Then you have the other side to drop out of the Championship, Rotherham United, who are 7/2 and Reading – the former Championship – are 9/2. It’s a similar story in the title-winning market; The Blues are short favorites at 7/2, while Huddersfield are 7/1, Wrexham 9/1, Rotherham 12/1 and Reading 14/1. The Blues are just 1/2 to finish in the top six.

The 24-man league has yet to be confirmed; The League Two play-offs begin this week and Crawley Town, MK Dons, Doncaster Rovers and Doncaster Rovers battle it out in the coming weeks to decide who will join Wrexham, Stockport County and Mansfield Town in making the step up and who will join Blues, Huddersfield and Rotherham in making up the new faces of the division.

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