Scottish Championship: Introduction
The Scottish Championship is the second-highest division of professional football in Scotland, operating below the Scottish Premiership. It was established in 2013 as part of a broader restructuring of Scottish football, replacing the old Scottish First Division. It is also administered by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the body that oversees the top four divisions of Scottish football.
The following clubs currently play in the Scottish Championship:
Airdrieonians Ayr United Dunfermline Athletic Falkirk Greenock Morton Hamilton Academical Livingstone Partick Thistle Queen Of The South Raith Rovers
Here’s our detailed overview of the league:
Scottish Championship: League Structure
- Number of Teams: 10 teams compete in the Scottish Championship.
- Season Format: The league runs from August to May. Furthermore, each team plays 36 matches in total, playing every other team four times (twice home and twice away).
- Points System: Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and no points for a loss. The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned the champion.
Promotion and Relegation
- Promotion to Scottish Premiership:
- The team finishing 1st in the Championship is automatically wins promotion to the Scottish Premiership for the following season.
- Teams finishing 2nd to 4th enter a promotion playoff. This involves a series of knockout matches between the Championship teams and the 11th-placed team in the Premiership. The winner of this playoff gains promotion to the Premiership (or the 11th-placed team remains in the top tier).
- Relegation to Scottish League One:
- The team finishing 10th (last) suffers relegation to the Scottish League One.
- The team finishing 9th enters a relegation playoff with teams from League One. The winner of this playoff secures a spot in the Championship for the following season, while the loser suffers relegation.
Scottish Championship: Playoffs
- Promotion Playoff: The playoff involves the teams finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the Championship, and the 11th-placed team in the Premiership. The format is as follows:
- 3rd vs. 4th (two-legged tie)
- Winner plays 2nd (two-legged tie)
- The winner of that tie plays the Premiership’s 11th-placed team in another two-legged tie. The winner of this final tie plays in the Premiership the next season.
- Relegation Playoff: Similar to the promotion playoff, this involves the 9th-placed Championship team and teams from League One.
Key Teams
The Scottish Championship often features a mix of historic clubs that have played in the Premiership and ambitious teams seeking promotion. Notable clubs that have played in the Championship in recent years include:
Indeed, these clubs often have larger fan bases and more financial power, making the league competitive.
Scottish Championship: Financial Overview
- The Scottish Championship, while less lucrative than the Premiership, still attracts attention due to the importance of promotion and the presence of large, historic clubs that have fallen out of the top tier.
- Revenue comes from a combination of matchday attendance, television deals (with broadcasters like BBC Scotland and Sky Sports), and commercial sponsorships.
Television and Media
- BBC Scotland has rights to broadcast Championship matches, typically showing a live game every weekend.
- BBC Alba (the Gaelic-language channel) also broadcasts highlights and occasional live matches.
- Sky Sports occasionally features Championship games, particularly the promotion playoffs.
Scottish Championship: Historical Background
- The Championship evolved from the old Scottish First Division, which had been the second tier of Scottish football from its creation in 1975 until 2013. The restructuring in 2013 saw the creation of the SPFL, merging the Scottish Premier League (SPL) and the Scottish Football League (SFL).
Notable Facts
- The Championship has seen several dramatic promotion races and playoffs, with clubs like Rangers, Hearts, and Hibernian passing through during their respective rebuilding periods.
- The league is famous for its unpredictability and competitive nature, with clubs frequently exchanging places between the Premiership and the Championship.
Recent Winners
- 2022–23 Season: Dundee FC won the Championship, earning automatic promotion to the Premiership.
- 2021–22 Season: Kilmarnock won the league and returned to the top flight.
In Conclusion
The Scottish Championship provides a competitive platform for clubs aspiring to reach the Premiership and is often a proving ground for both young players and managers.
Boast About Your Favourite Football Team
Finally, as you can see, we encourage football fans everywhere to join in and promote their favourite football team. Therefore, make the Football Fan Base your home and tell us about your team today.
Indeed, the Scottish Championship gives us some memorable matches and we want to know about them. Therefore, join in at the Football Fan Base and help get your team into the spotlight. Don’t forget that we also have a Scottish Championship Forum in which to do this!
