In the Championship - Monty Python's Flying Circus

Last updated : 14 June 2007 By Tony Scholes
And now for something completely different
Sheffield born ex-Python star Michael Palin is backing the Blades' campaign for re-instatement to the Premiership alongside actor Sean Bean who is a director of the South Yorkshire club.

Palin said: "I heartily support Sean Bean and all those who feel strongly that the arbitration panel should re-consider the decision on West Ham's punishment. A fine makes precious little difference to a club like West Ham, and a points deduction would have not only matched the crime, but have been a just encouragement for all those clubs, who, like Sheffield United, have played fair. To let the current judgement stand makes everyone involved look as if they don't really care."

It's not going to happen, I really can't see the decision to fine West Ham being overturned, but it must be good for Sheffield United to have a comedian involved after three weeks of Bryan Robson moping around the place.

Elsewhere in the league there have been a few transfers gone through, with Leicester and Barnsley leading the way with two each in the last week. Probably the Crisp Bowl has been the busiest place in the Championship with a new technical director and three coaching staff added as well as the new signings.

Don Mackay - he's the man who couldn't spend Jack Walker's millions. He's never been out of the game and for the last few years he's headed Middlesbrough's continental scouting operation. He's moved to Leicester to take up the role of technical director and as he got his feet under the table Martin Allen completed his coaching team with three new appointments.

Carl Cort - signed for Leicester after being released by Wolves
He also made a couple of signings. Firstly he signed 17-year-old QPR forward Ricky Sappleton who had looked all set to join Liverpool after a trial there. Apparently, according to Allen, he chose Leicester over the Merseyside club and a number of other Premiership clubs.

On Friday he added another striker, taking Carl Cort who had been released by Wolves' boss Mick McCarthy. It's hard to believe that Newcastle boss Bobby Robson paid £7 million for Cort in 2000 and even three years ago he cost Wolves £2 million.

For Leicester, the down side this week was the loss of defender Patrick McCarthy who decided on a move to Charlton for a £650,000 fee. Midfielder Andy Johnson, released at the end of the season, also found himself a new club. He's joined Barnsley where manager Simon Davey is moving quickly in the transfer market.

He's made it four summer signings in the last week by adding Sparta Rotterdam defender Marciano Bruma to his ever increasing squad. And he's promised Barnsley fans there will be more to come.

The biggest fee paid this week was by Watford who handed £2 million over to Crystal Palace for Jobi McAnuff. It's Watford's fourth summer signing too. Palace also confirmed that Selhurst Park would still be home next season for the Legend. He's not proving too popular with the home fans, I wonder why, but Simon Jordan has backed him. We'll see how long he stays now.

Elsewhere, QPR have signed Cardiff defender Chris Barker. Goalkeeper Paul Rachubka has made his move from Huddersfield to Blackpool a permanent one (as previously reported) and Coventry have signed Robbie Simpson from Cambridge United. The 22-year-old scored 17 league goals for them in last season's Conference after moving from Cambridge City in the summer of 2006.

Other players are looking to move. Colchester's Jamie Cureton has asked for a transfer after seeing his strike partner Chris Iwelumo move to Charlton. The request has been turned down, but with the likes of Norwich and Southampton interested in the veteran striker it is likely he will be on the move.

David Nugent will too, but Preston have said the starting price for any bidding is £7 million. Given that you can get Michael Owen for £9 million this fee does look to be a touch exaggerated. He's got one year left on his contract but would not be able to go for nothing next summer given that he'd still be under the age of 24. Will he leave Preston? Not unless they get more realistic with the price. He could stay, but defender Seyfo Soley won't. They paid a fee to take him from Gent in January but he's turned down the offer of a new deal and has left.

Chris Brunt - happy at Hillsborough
Sheffield Wednesday's Chris Brunt and QPR's Lee Cook have also been the subject of interest from other clubs. Brunt has said he is more than happy at Hillsborough and is not looking to move. QPR fan Cook has said nothing, but they club have slapped a £5 million fee on him. He's good, but he's not that good.

When Ian Holloway joined Plymouth last summer he promised the fans big names and delivered almost immediately. Apart from fixing up a friendly with Real Madrid, within no time of his arrival they had Elton John performing on the Home Park pitch. He's claimed to have pulled off another coup this summer and George Michael will be there as part of his 25 years tour. In true Holloway style he's been milking it with such names appearing at Plymouth.

Back to the football side of things and West Brom's new man finally started last week. Simon Hunt has been given the title of Technical Director (Designate) at the Hawthorns. It was the senior position they spoke about when looking for a new manager. He's moved from Southampton after a change round by Burley. It's a surprise, Hunt had worked with Burley at Ipswich, Derby and Hearts before joining him at Southampton.

You'll be pleased to know that the match day experience at Carrow Road will be much improved next season. No, Delia is not going to get on the cooking sherry earlier. What they have done is install two new scoreboards, one at either end in the same positions as the old ones.

Will Hoy, their brand marketing manager, said: "The new boards will be full colour with scope for still and moving images, and they should add to the atmosphere at Carrow Road." And just to think, this was the club we were supposedly modelling ourselves on. To hell with the poor form, just get two new scoreboards to improve the atmosphere. Heaven help us.

Snippets from elsewhere. Stoke City have done a deal to buy the Windy City. It was a joint venture but this week they've agreed a £6 millon deal with Stoke-on-Trent Regeneration Ltd and the City Council to take sole ownership. Meanwhile at Cardiff, Tessa Jowett has helped them to keep the standing areas for a further year at Ninian Park ahead of the move to the new stadium.

Oliver Kahn & Sepp Maier - Andy Rhodes will work with them
Finally, a piece of news from Ipswich that should benefit their goalkeepers next season and beyond. Goalkeeper coach Andy Rhodes will spend a week in July working with Bayern Munich's goalkeepers and coach. That will include current first team goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and goalkeeping coach Sepp Maier the former German international. It seems like a cracking idea to me.

Ipswich by the way will be the first Championship club to report back for pre-season training. With most clubs returning early in July, Jim Magilton has decided to bring his players back earlier than that and they will resume tomorrow, yes tomorrow.

Magilton said: "We are trying it for the first time and will monitor the progress of the players' fitness. I'm sure there will be a few moans and groans from the players and if I'd still been a player here I probably would have been one of the ones moaning."

It's five weeks since we played Coventry, it's five weeks until we play our first pre-season game at Accrington. The new season is getting ever nearer with the number of transfers expected to pick up very soon.