Hello Championship, My Old Friend

I've always thought the Championship is a bit like school. You dread the idea of going, but once you're there, it's actually quite fun. For the last 5 seasons (and counting), my club have bounced from the pits of the Premier League, to the upper reaches of the Championship, and back again. Whenever Sky reels out its ludicrously over-dramatic 'Survival Sunday' graphics, they are invariably plastered with clips of fans and players alike weeping at the thought of playing Scunthorpe or Barnsley away on a cold Tuesday night. But as ever with football, once the dust settles, everything seems far better.

For me, the Championship is a return to football how it should be: two games a week, where anybody can beat anybody. Before Saturday's home game with Sunderland, Birmingham had not played a Premier League home game since the 26th September- virtually a month's gap between the two. In contrast, West Bromwich Albion had played three home games in that time. For what the Championship lacks in quality, it more than makes up for it in excitement and the regularity at which games come round. At a quick glance down my club's fixture list, I think there are approximately nine matches which we have little to no chance of winning. This may be down to my pessimism, but for a league which calls itself 'the best in the world', something has to be wrong. In contrast, the Championship saw only a few days ago, Scunthorpe beat Newcastle United. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule- for example, when Burnley beat Manchester United. However, the excitement of the Championship is clear to see when one looks at the league table- four points currently separate the top ten teams.

Although rugby league's playoff system is much maligned, it does make for fantastically exciting matches at the end of the year. Although 16 points separated Catalan Dragons in 8th from top team Leeds Rhinos, one off-day from Leeds combined with a superhuman performance from the Dragons would've resulted in triumph for the team eighth-best for such a large portion of the season. Is this fair? Possibly not. Is it exciting? Most definitely! In the Football League Championship, from the last eight seasons, the team finishing 3rd has only been promoted three times. Not a massive disadvantage, it would seem, finishing 3rd. On the other hand, enough of a disadvantage to keep the playoff system, in my view, the most palpitating and thrilling few weeks of the football season.

If I have one criticism of the Championship, it is that it fails to prepare teams enough for the step-up. Admittedly, nothing can prepare you for facing Rooney and Drogba & co, but not since 2002 has every single promoted team remained in the division. It would be far too churlish and ignorant of me to suggest that too many Championship teams simply kick and rush, but perhaps the money given to promoted clubs should either be increased, or certainly spent far more wisely. I will almost certainly be proved wrong when Wolves, Birmingham and Burnley all beat the drop now, but to me, at least two of the teams look like Championship sides with a few flowery adornments. Clubs making the leap need to spend money on quality to stay in the Premier League, and the difference between a side required to gain promotion and a side required to stay up is enormous- and expanding.

It doesn't stop the Championship being bloody good fun, and extremely interesting, however!