And this year is no different.
The quality of football in the Championship may not be to the standard of the Premier League, but it is more than decent and pulls in great crowds for a lower tier.
You just don't get that in other countries.
Lower league games in places like Spain and Italy are played in front of the proverbial man and his dog, but in England the passion of the fans trickles down the leagues, even into non-league.
And Championship fans are certainly getting value for money this year, with a whole clutch of teams vying for the second automatic promotion slot.
Queens Park Rangers seem to have it sewn up at the top.
They have been supreme all season and deserve to go up as champions.
Of course, a potential points deduction could yet push them back into the pack, but their exciting play this season warrants a place in the Premier League.
This could be Neil Warnock's last chance in the Premier League. He has scores to settle from his time there with Sheffield United. QPR are surely promotion certainties.
As for the others, it's anyone's guess as to who will join the R's in the Premier League.
Everyone from Portsmouth (in 13th) upwards will feel they have a realistic chance of at least a play-off place.
Norwich are currently the team in the driving seat, sitting nine points behind QPR in second.
They have done tremendously well under the guidance of Paul Lambert, who looks destined for a long and glittering career in management.
He learned his trade at Livingston, Wycombe and Colchester before joining Norwich in 2009, who he led to promotion from League One just last season.
Grant Holt leads the line well, Wes Hoolahan is a proven goalscorer from midfield and Henri Lansbury has done excellently since joining on loan from Arsenal, so they look well set for the rest of the season.
Like a lot of their Championship rivals, they are very well supported, filling out Carrow Road every week.
Most football fans enjoyed seeing them in the Premier League in 2004/05, with Delia Smith's on-pitch rant a particular highlight, and it would be nice to see them return to the top-flight with their colour and enthusiasm.
However, successive promotions are very difficult to achieve, and the worry for Norwich fans must be that they will run out of steam.
Swansea, in third, are just one point behind the Canaries.
Not many people predicted them to be so high up the table this term, following the departure of manager Paulo Sousa to Leicester, and so Brendan Rodgers and his side have done a brilliant job in pushing the club close to the Premier League.
Rodgers had to rebuild his reputation at the Liberty Stadium after a rocky spell at Reading, and has done so brilliantly.
Sinclair, who worked with Rodgers when he was Chelsea's reserve team manager, has scored 22 goals so far this season and is finally living up to his reputation.
The goals of Sinclair will be crucial in the Swans' run-in - if he continues to score consistently, they will be there or thereabouts. But even a play-off place would be an achievement for them after their disappointment of missing out last season.
Swansea's great rivals, Cardiff, are three points further back in fourth and the feeling is they must gain promotion this season to realise their potential.
They have fallen just short for a number of years now, and failure to reach the top-flight this year could spell the end of Dave Jones' spell there.
He has done a terrific job, though, consistently finishing in the top 10, reaching an FA Cup final and last year's play-off final, but they need to take that extra step now.
They have some Premier League-class players, like Craig Bellamy, Peter Whittingham and Jay Bothroyd, who should be playing Premier League football next season regardless of whether Cardiff gain promotion.
The sky is the limit for any Welsh side who reach the Premier League, and the Bluebirds must make sure they get there before their great rivals or risk being left behind.
Two points further back are Leeds, looking for back-to-back promotions like Norwich.
They are a cavalier team, scoring plenty but weak at the back.
Luciano Becchio has 17 goals this season, and is ably assisted by talents such as Jonny Howson, Sanchez Watt and Max Gradel, but the team concede almost as many as they score and must tighten up at the back if they are to go up.
It has been a long road to recovery for them since relegation from the Premier League in 2003/04, but it looks like this could be their year.
It's been even longer out of the top-flight for Nottingham Forest, who were relegated in 1998/99.
They are one point further back, but have struggled lately after looking well-set for promotion.
Billy Davies insists his side are not good enough for the Premier League yet, but he is fooling nobody.
Experienced heads like Robert Earnshaw, talents like Lewis McGugan and a top goalkeeper in Lee Camp are more than ready to test themselves at the highest level, and they should be backing themselves for a real push at automatic promotion.
They are seven points off Norwich, but a decent run to the end of the season should put them right in the picture.
Famous teams like Leeds and Forest deserve a place in the Premier League for their history and great fanbase, these are the sort of clubs the Premier League really needs.
They would both guarantee sell-outs every week and would more than add to the 'product'.
Reading in 7th, three points behind Forest, all the way to Portsmouth in 13th, six points behind Forest, all have a chance of a play-off place with a late surge similar to Blackpool's last year.
Howe, in his early-thirties, looks destined for a future in the top-flight, and it is not out of the question he could be there with Burnley next season.
There is a similar story at Hull (10th) and Portsmouth (13th), who have recovered from relegation and shocking starts under Nigel Pearson and Steve Cotterill respectively.
Both are outsiders for a play-off place, but their top-flight experience may leapfrog them into contention.
Sven Goran Eriksson's Leicester are still hovering, they look like the team to watch in 11th.
The likes of Yakubu, Andy King and Darius Vassell, coupled with the likes of Kyle Naughton and Sol Bamba, could fire them to the play-offs. If they get there, they would be very hard to beat.
A final mention should be given to Millwall, currently six points off a play-off place in 12th.
Similarly to Norwich and Leeds, they are looking for back-to-back promotions under Kenny Jackett.
This shows how strong League One is, and offers hope to the likes of Brighton, Southampton and Huddersfield should they win promotion this year.
More teams could come out of the woodwork to challenge, although it looks likely all from 14th downwards should concentrate on preserving their Championship status rather than gunning for promotion.
QPR are surely already there, and I think Nottingham Forest will be the late runners to clinch an automatic place.
Their experience from last year's promotion race should stand them in good stead as this season draws to a close.
Leeds, Norwich, Swansea and Cardiff should take play-off places, and it really is a lottery from there.
Any of those would be welcome additions to the Premier League but Yorkshire needs a Premier League club and Leeds would be perfect in that sense. Their fans deserve top-flight football as a reward for sticking with their team through their dark period in League One.
A trip to Wembley to seal promotion would be the perfect end for their period in the doldrums and it would be great to see them back in the Premier League.
Whatever happens, there are sure to be twists and turns along the way. This is the Championship, after all.
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