finished bottom amidst yet more financial worries and acrimony, falling into the relegation zone in early October and, despite a late improvement, never leaving it. Their placing at the foot of the table was due to a 10-point deduction they suffered after going into voluntary administration after their relegation was all but confirmed on the penultimate weekend. The club came close to being expelled from the Football League during the summer after being unable to agree a deal with their creditors, but they were allowed to remain for the following season, albeit with a 15-point deduction. Regardless, it meant they would spend next season competing outside of the top two divisions for the first time in their history. Luton, who would have finished bottom but for Leeds's deduction, were relegated after being forced to sell many of their top players due to mounting financial problems. They had spent the first half of the season safely in mid-table, but a disastrous run of form after the turn of the year saw them relegated back to League One after just two seasons. Southend lasted only a single season in the Championship after their two successive promotions; their season was essentially the opposite of Luton's, winning just three games until the turn of the year before an improvement in form gave them some hope. Colchester fared best of the newly promoted clubs, comfortably finishing in 10th, largely on the back of their strong home form at the division's smallest stadium, Layer Road. Leading goalscorer: Jamie Cureton (Colchester United) – 23 Football League One With club physiotherapist Nigel Adkins promoted to the manager's role, Scunthorpe United topped the league as champions, having been in the bottom two divisions since the early 1960s. Prolific striker Billy Sharp was the also the division's leading marksman with 30 goals. Gary Johnson helped Bristol City achieve automatic-promotion after nearly a decade of near-misses and 2 play-off defeats, ending their eight-year exile from the Championship. Blackpool won the play-offs, ending nearly three decades in the bottom two divisions. Brentford, who lost their manager Martin Allen just before the start of the season, finished bottom, having a dismal run of 21 games without a win. Rotherham won their first few games, wiping out their ten-point deduction early in the season; they ended up finishing thirteen points adrift however, and were relegated. Having started the decade in the Premier League, Bradford