Scottish Championship is the land that time forgot for broadcasters after Rangers

[pete 2,499]

Our man reckons the Dundee United vs Hibs clash showed exactly why Scotland's second tier should still be shown on our screens despite the Ibrox side's return tot he top.

 

 

It was like bumping into a couple of old school pals you haven’t seen for years. It was

awkward at first but it didn’t take long to get comfortable again in their company.

 

Hiya Hibs. Nice to see you again Dundee United . Let’s not leave it so long next time.

 

Not that we’ll have much choice.

 

It was a rare treat to get a glimpse of the Championship on Friday night TV.

 

The most competitive league in the country might as well be the dark side of the moon these days.

 

It’s the land that time forgot as far as our broadcasters are concerned.

Broadcasters have given the Championship a miss since Rangers were promoted

 

And it’s a shame because it’s shaping up to be another cracking campaign.

 

But no one outside fans of the clubs in the division will have a clue what it’s like.

 

We all know why. As soon as Rangers finally clawed their way out of the second tier, it’s been given the rubber ear.

 

Of course the Ibrox side were a story. And we know they have a viewing audience that doesn’t change whether they’re playing Montrose or Motherwell.

 

But the Championship now is like the embarrassing relative who never gets invited to any weddings.

 

No Rangers doesn’t mean no interest. At least give us a peek every weekend.

Dundee United's Tony Andreu celebrates after rolling home the penalty to put the home side in front (Photo: SNS Group)

 

Friday was only the second live game screened this season – with the reverse fixture in October the other. It’s not like anyone expects a live match from the Championship each week – just the

highlights would do for starters.

 

The top division is all but done and dusted before Rudolph and his buddies have pitched up for their annual shift.

 

Celtic have the title in the bag and the top five is pretty much set in stone.

 

The rest will be fighting for the last top-six place while trying to avoid

relegation and the play-offs.

 

Haud me back.

 

The Championship is where the genuine title race is happening.

Neil Lennon's side aren't getting enough exposure

 

Hibs and Dundee United look like they are going to go at it all season – but no one will get to see much of it. Maybe the telly folk thought Neil Lennon’s men would simply romp it with perhaps Falkirk in the mix.

 

But Dundee United? That looked like a total rebuild for Ray McKinnon.

 

There was a heck of a mess for him to tidy up but the Tayside gaffer has grabbed a big broom and started swinging.

 

Joining Hibs at the top before the end of November is a sensational turnaround.

 

Visiting Tannadice or United’s training ground last season, you didn’t know if you should take a notepad and pen or a plate of biscuits and a hug.

 

The players looked haunted, the gaffer looked stir crazy.

10,000 plus watched United edge Hibs at Tannadice (Photo: SNS Group)

 

Yet under McKinnon the whole place is a far happier camp. Look at the crowd the other night – more than 10,000 at Tannadice for a Friday night game a few weeks before Christmas.

 

When these two last met at Tannadice in the league there was barely 7000 – and that was in the top flight.

 

It’s a similar tale at Easter Road. Losing on Friday was a bump but Hibs are still the side to beat for the league flag.

Lennon’s men have been going great guns and Easter Road is packed out.

 

These two sides are in the top five in the country for average attendances.

 

Surely if there was one thing we’ve learned from the last few mental years it’s that life exists outside the Premiership.

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Packed grounds, terrific atmospheres and a thriller of a race. Sounds like

something worth sticking on the box.

 

Plenty of neutral folk feel the same.

 

Punters want to see games with results that matter. It shouldn’t have to be one league or the other.

 

Friday was no classic but watching Hibs frantically shelling the ball forward for five minutes of stoppage time was tense, compelling viewing.

 

The Championship is where the drama will be unfolding this term. It would be galling if the evolution wasn’t televised.

 

it is all about the Rangers.

[JFK-1 1,693]

Where does that come from?

 

As soon as Rangers finally clawed their way out of the second tier, it’s been given the rubber ear.

 

Makes it sound as if we were down there doing a Hibz on an extended stay.

[Gribz 850]

Make the top flight 16 or 18 teams and another 4 or 6 clubs will get more TV exposure.

[JFK-1 1,693]

Make the top flight 16 or 18 teams and another 4 or 6 clubs will get more TV exposure.

 

And more blue pounds to be spread around. The top 3 or 4 in the current championship could hold their own in the top league. Would also like to see an automatic top two from the championship being promoted with the play offs being continued to give a third the chance against third bottom in the SPL. An old argument was that many games late in the season become meaningless but that wouldn't happen if the bottom half of the league are all scrapping it out to avoid that bottom 3.

 

But then most of the current setup don't want the blue pounds to be spread so widely. They want as much of it as possible for themselves and damn the overall state of the game.

[calscot 0]

As all the teams were happy to vote for only have one or two home games to an OF side a few years ago (or an averages of 1.45 games against Celtic) then surely there is no case to be made for needing more than a guaranteed two games - one against each of the OF?

 

So the only teams affected by a 16-18 team league would be Rangers and Celtic, with the latter seemingly happy not to play us at all. We've got used to not playing Celtic much, and after the horrendous scenes that their fans create, I think some of us are already a bit sick of it, and no longer looking forward to 5 or 6 games a season, an average of about 3 should be fine.

 

So, personally I'm warming to a larger, non split league.

 

Maybe we could start with a 16 team league and an Atlantic cup to fill the fixture list and replace the missing games against Celtic, Heats and Aberdeen?

 

An extreme way to stop the meaningless games would be to relegate 4 and put the next bottom 2 into a relegation playoff, with the 5th and 6th in the 2nd tier. So relegating 4 or 5 a season, which would give pretty much all the second tier teams a very good chance to taste the high life every few seasons.

 

A play-off between 3rd and 4th for a European place might spice up the top half.

 

The SPFL is moribund as it is, we really need to try something new or slowly die.

[calscot 0]

BTW that would also reduce some of the difference in money that the OF earn due to their larger stadium that they don't otherwise fill.

[boabie 230]

Maybe some of those Hibs or arab fans should put their hands into their pockets and actually go pay to watch their team in action ?

Plenty of them seem to want cup final tickets every 10 years or so they appear in a final.