I was just reflecting on this season we have had in the Championship. What a fantastic league it is. To have 24 teams that are, compared to in other leagues, of very similar standard, where any team can beat any team on any given day. We have beaten most of the top 8 atleast once, but have also lost to alot of the relegation fighters at least once. It makes the various battles for promotion/relegation/playoffs so much more exciting! For example in the premier league (not as much this year, granted), its almost like there are 3 different mini leagues going on and everyone pretty much already knows roughly where they will finish. The football is honest, there is very little diving and theatrics, tackles are more 'robust'. Players and supporters in the Championship are so much more passionate, as half the fans arent glory hunters, and their clubs actually mean so much to them. The players are more passionate and not as robotic and money obsessed as they are in the premier league. Sharp has now been booked twice for over celebration! You see how the players react to the fans when they score/at the end of games! Hammond and Lallana look like little kids when we score, and they feel like they did it for us fans. I remember in the premier league at the end of the games youd get Oakley (or whoever it was) trotting round applauding the crowd by himself and the rest just sodding off down the tunnel. We dont get (as many of) the egos and bad characters that ruin the beautiful game in the premier league. I cant think of many Suarez's, Balotelli's, diving Ashley Youngs, referee swarming Man Utds etc. There are not many players in our league who believe they are too big for it or too big for their club. The quality of this years Championship has been fantastic, and what an exciting end to the season it is/ is going to be for pretty much all the teams! Im not jumping the gun, because we are not up yet. But i will miss the Championship if we go up (not too much though ). Its been a great ride.
Just one point from your piece. You are right that every player is pleased to be here...you don't get the feeling that they are looking for a better offer coming along. They love it.
You are absolutely right about the players celebrating like little kids. If you look at one of the pictures against pompey when sharp gets his second, Jos has the face of a kid who has just been told he can buy anything from the sweet shop.
If we could add the competition, the passion and the enthusiasm of the Championship to the quality of the Premier League, then what a First Division that would be. If [See..? Not counting the chickens] Saints go up, I'll miss the Championship a lot, and I'll miss the 8 extra games too. Mind you, weren't we leading after 38 played..?
