Why all the hate for the Scottish Championship?

[Moorie]

33 minutes ago, Richey Edwards said:

The Scottish Championship is by far the most prestigious and most watched of all Scottish leagues. The number of worldwide TV viewers for this season dwarves the Scottish Premiership.

I remember hearing when Hibs went down to the 1st division in the late 90s their crowds were up over what It was when they were in the top league. 
just goes to show what a difference being in a league that’s competitive to a two horse race and the horses hoovering everything up 

[ellichtie]

It’s definitely the most competitive league in Scotland. Having watched us for most of my life in the 3rd and 4th tier the quality is definitely a decent step up from that level.

I think the major problem comes from having to play the same teams 4 times a season. We’re in our 4th season in a row now and I know exactly what to expect when we play teams that have been in the league for the same amount of time as us - Raith, Morton, Caley, Ayr etc. Making the leagues bigger could definitely improve this, and could get rid of the staleness of going to the same grounds twice a season - even 3 if you get a Champ team in a cup. For example I’ll be at Firhill for the 3rd time this year in a couple weeks.

Edited April 17, 2023 by ellichtie

[Derry Alli]

Personally, I call it dugshite because there are a plethora (a vast majority, I'd argue) are full time professional footballers who cannot trap a ball, control a simple pass or lift their head and find an open man 10 yards away and instead decide to hoof it.

Those are basic attributes and anyone calling themself a professional at anything should have those mastered. More and more players are entering the fold and because they can run around a lot they're being given handsome wages and a number.

I wouldn't be happy to pay a painter and he walked in and threw a tub of paint onto a wall so I'm sure as f**k I won't be praising 'footballers' who are too lazy or scared to master their - supposedly mandatory - skillset once a week.

[Scary Bear]

32 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

Most of the clubs in this division can write off the next season depending on who gets relegated.  When clubs like Hearts, United, County come down for example, you don't have much of a hope.

Falkirk got royally fucked over. They had a team that finished second in a league with Rangers and Hibs. And fifth in a league with Hearts, Rangers and Hibs. QoS finished fourth that year, and they haven’t fared well either since.

[craigkillie]

4 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

Falkirk got royally fucked over. They had a team that finished second in a league with Rangers and Hibs. And fifth in a league with Hearts, Rangers and Hibs. QoS finished fourth that year, and they haven’t fared well either since.

 

They only had to beat a pretty poor Kilmarnock team to get promoted though, and instead they got battered 4-0.

[SanStarko]

40 minutes ago, Spikethedee said:

there hasn't been one team that I've seen play great football for any longer than about a 20 minute spell, including the Dees.

 

That's part of what makes it so great.  Watching your team play like crap for 70 minutes, passing the ball straight out of play, miss hitting simple balls and looking like half the team have never played football before.  Then suddenly out of nowhere there'll be a 5 minute spell where they play like prime Barcelona, and you're like wtf just happened, and then they go straight back to being utter shit again.

[Thereisalight..]

I like it, well compared to the seaside league it's like utopia. Usually a very competitive league and it's nice in the last few seasons one team hasnt run away with it. Could be doing with less fixture upheaval, we've had too many midweek or Fri night games imo this season. Fitba should be Sat at 3pm or nothing.

Next season looks like it could be blockbuster. Dunfermline and possibly Falkirk and maybe a team from the Prem other than tin pot Ross County 

[Scary Bear]

24 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

 

They only had to beat a pretty poor Kilmarnock team to get promoted though, and instead they got battered 4-0.

Aye, but if Hearts, Hibs and Rangers hadn’t been in the league they’d have had a better chance of winning it. That was the point I was agreeing with.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Scary Bear

[flyingscot]

18 minutes ago, ellichtie said:

It’s definitely the most competitive league in Scotland. Having watched us for most of my life in the 3rd and 4th tier the quality is definitely a decent step up from that level.

I think the major problem comes from having to play the same teams 4 times a season. We’re in our 4th season in a row now and I know exactly what to expect when we play teams that have been in the league for the same amount of time as us - Raith, Morton, Caley, Ayr etc. Making the leagues bigger could definitely improve this, and could get rid of the staleness of going to the same grounds twice a season - even 3 if you get a Champ team in a cup. For example I’ll be at Firhill for the 3rd time this year in a couple weeks.

I don't mind the 4 times a year too much depending on the teams actually. That said, having watched Gus Macpherson's St Mirren and Billy Reid's Clyde sides play four 0-0 draws one season it was a bit much. 

As a Saints fan, I actually can't remember the last time we had a 'average' year in the Championship. We've either been battling relegation or going for promotion. Probably one of the mid-90s ones. 

[Trogdor]

"This is the worst Championship ever."

Some people say this ad nauseam its more habit than factual.

[TheScarf]

50 minutes ago, Derry Alli said:

Personally, I call it dugshite because there are a plethora (a vast majority, I'd argue) are full time professional footballers who cannot trap a ball, control a simple pass or lift their head and find an open man 10 yards away and instead decide to hoof it.

Those are basic attributes and anyone calling themself a professional at anything should have those mastered. More and more players are entering the fold and because they can run around a lot they're being given handsome wages and a number.

I wouldn't be happy to pay a painter and he walked in and threw a tub of paint onto a wall so I'm sure as f**k I won't be praising 'footballers' who are too lazy or scared to master their - supposedly mandatory - skillset once a week.

Yeah, that’s pretty much how I see it too. The standard of footballer now than from 10 or so years ago at the same level, is laughable

[Broken Algorithms]

36 minutes ago, Thereisalight.. said:

I like it, well compared to the seaside league it's like utopia.

You're not wrong about this. We've had three stints in the seaside league since 2000. The first we got out with a relatively low points total under Antonio Calderón. The second and third were absolute slogs. It's not to do a disservice to the teams or their supporters as you can only pish with the cock you've got,  but there's something truly grim about when you're playing a team like Peterhead in mid Decrmber, they bring half a mini bus of fans, then take 3 points up the road.  We got very fortunate to get out that mire last time. Everyone thinks it'll be fun new away days until you're losing at Balmoor with 10 men. 

[johnnydun]

The utter horse shite on display is what makes it competitive.

The funny thing about that is, the top 6 in the Championship could compete with the bottom 6 of the Premiership. Just look at some of the cup results this season.

I am all for a 16 team top league, some of the teams in the Premiership are just as shite as us.

[vikingTON]

2 hours ago, Walter said:

The people who go on about the quality of this league being shite are the same ones who spend half there lives watching billionaires' teams full of millionaire players on sky, BT etc and then compare Scottish football with it. Why anyone would give a flying f**k whether Arsenal beat Man City or Liverpool beat Chelsea is absolutely beyond me. 

They're really not, but thanks for that birthday caird pish non-sequitur. 

45 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

"This is the worst Championship ever."

Some people say this ad nauseam its more habit than factual.

Well no, anybody who has actually been following the division for any period of time knows that it is factually correct as well. 

The Hamilton team from 2007/08 or Saint Johnstone team from the following season for example were far better outfits than the total gang Dundee or Queen's Park outfits 'fighting' for a title this season. Never mind the insane standard of the division in the mid-90s. Kilmarnock were utterly mediocre champions last season too and so it's no surprise to see them sliding towards a potential yo-yo back down again. 

The current league is competitive and games can quite often be entertaining but the standard is still objectively garbage. 

Edited April 17, 2023 by vikingTON

[vikingTON]

That all being said, there has been a quite clear improvement in the overall quality since the January transfer window - and it's probably not as horseshit as it was during the pandemic. Club finances and prize money seen to be allowing for more stability and less total ringer outfits stinking the league out. 

[AyrAtlanta]

Going to Cappielow, Firhill, Starks and New Douglas Park twice a season can only be classed as fun and enjoyable for so long. I dream of a time when Ayr are a yo-yo 1st and 2nd tier team. 

[vikingTON]

Just now, johnnydun said:

The funny thing about that is, the top 6 in the Championship could compete with the bottom 6 of the Premiership. Just look at some of the cup results this season.

No they couldn't, in the same way that League Two or Junior outfits winning a few cup games does not mean they could compete in the Championship over 36 games. 

[Chippyminton]

1 hour ago, Bring Your Own Socks said:

Comfortably numb they are.

Great to see that there's someone in there.

 

[johnnydun]

Just now, virginton said:

No they couldn't, in the same way that League Two or Junior outfits winning a few cup games does not mean they could compete in the Championship over 36 games. 

ICT beat Kilmarnock and Livingston x2.

Raith beat Motherwell.

Hamilton beat Ross County.

Morton beat Hibs.

Partick beat Kilmarnock.

Arbroath beat St Mirren.

It has been a regular occurrence when Premiership teams have faced Championship teams this season.

[SandyCromarty]

It's a good competitive league, part time Arbroath last year surprised us, but it suffers when a bigger budget team gets relegated and spends big to get back up, it really needs to expand to at least a 12 team set up to give it a better edge, playing four times a year does incur some malaise when fans know what to expect.