The Championship is back… where the soul of Scottish football lives

The words of the great philosopher Homer J. Simpson immediately come to mind when I consider who will win the Championship this year.

“I never make predictions,” and I never will.

When it comes to contemplating the strange and splendid chaos that is Scotland’s second tier, this self-defeating maxim seems like a particularly appropriate code to follow.

And it all begins on Friday night when Arbroath hosts Ayr United in front of Sportscene cameras.

Enjoy the madness and hope the Gayfield wind machine is activated for even more flavor, instead of predictions and sane football chat.

Dick Campbell’s days are long gone, but the embers of that fiery, titanic title feud against Kilmarnock from season 2021 to season 2022 still sparkle admirably on the Angus coast.

Colin Hamilton and David Gold, two of his dependable lieutenants from those days, are now effectively combining for player-management. Before the game against Ayr, the club will display the League One flag in honor of a winning side.

A clearly sceptical Scott Brown left the play-offs at the end of last season, casting doubt on his own future.

However, Brown led his team to four wins out of four in the Premier Sports Cup group stage, including a 4-0 victory over Arbroath at Somerset Park, with the dark clouds scurrying off into the distance.

Add in the addition of new signings like Dom Thomas, Kevin Holt, and Shaun Want, who all recently returned from overseas and were Larne team players who competed in Europe.

Off the field, the club is also making good progress. Could their year come to an end?

St Johnstone will host them for their final game of the season. After a 16-year absence from the top flight, the Perth side are among the favorites to win the division.

They have remained loyal to Simo Valakari, who is firmly committed to his attack-minded approach. It was a success for Falkirk last season and has clearly been for the Saints in the League Cup so far, with four victories coming together and Elgin City being wiped out 8-0.

There appears to be promise here when you add in a fascinating mashup of decent performers from the previous season, including Sam Stanton, Reece McAlear, and Adama Sidebeh, who have since proven themselves in the Championship, and a proven pairing of Adama Sidebeh. Stevie Mallan’s signing also appeals to observers.

Some bookmakers predict that Ross County, the other relegated Premiership side, will win.

Owner Roy McGregor has taken John Robertson off of Sportsound on the weekends to give his experience to manager Don Cowie, and it seems rigueur to appoint BBC Scotland pundits.

With Gary Mackay-Steven, Ross Docherty, Nicky Clark, and Declan Gallagher, the Staggies have also added experience and quality. They should immediately stamp some identity into the side because they are all familiar with this area from the beginning.

Some claim to be the Pars’ Championship dark horses, three victories in the League Cup, and a defeat at Hearts, where they won praise and showed positive signs.

They travel to Greenock Morton, another club that has hired a veteran manager, to kick off their season. Billy Davies, a former Motherwell, Derby, and Nottingham Forest boss, has joined Dougie Imrie as their technical head coach.

Three wins in the League Cup’s group and a win over Aberdeen in the second round are positive.

The summer’s best piece of business for Raith Rovers was keeping star winger Dylan Easton. Before he can become one of the stars in this division, he has already demonstrated that if he can keep back spasm problems at bay.

In a League Cup campaign that Kirkcaldy won, he already has five goals in four games.

And who should Airdrieonians be, exactly? The Diamonds had a chance to win the play-offs due to Hamilton Academical’s points deduction, which saw them fall into League One.

Given that Rhys McCabe’s side won numerous awards in their first second-tier campaign, there is still room for improvement this time. Nothing will have improved since the League Cup victory over Premiership Dundee, which ended in 1-0.

And lastly Queen’s Park… This season seems to be all about transition, with Willie Haughey, a wealthy philanthropist, ending his financial support of the club next summer. It’s difficult to see them attempting to emulate the 2023 promotion push given the current circumstances.

Of course, football is only a small portion of the Championship’s story, with the allure of those rickety stands that evokes memories of a bygone era, and the passion and color that pour from those stands in frequently wondrous and wacky ways onto our television screens on Friday nights.