BT lead the way into the new season

The new season is just around the corner. The Old Firm meet again in the top level of Scottish football after four glorious years of football Armageddon. Aberdeen and Heart of Midlothian renew rivalries after tempestuous clashes last season. St Johnstone will be St Johnstone. And Hibernian will attempt to escape the second tier for the third year running with an impressive, albeit divisive, manager in another competitive Championship.

There are so many potentials, so many possibilities, so many things to look forward to. Yet, one rivalry looms largest. A rivalry that is becoming increasingly compelling. Sometimes petty, often cringeworthy, on occasion belligerent, always interesting. Chris Sutton v Michael Stewart.

Sutton v Stewart festered throughout last season and it came to the surface in BT’s excellent SPFL review show. But that wasn’t the climax of the feud, that was merely notification that things were about to get spicy. Confirmation came in the shape of the League Cup group stage ties played in the past few weeks, with the healthy addition of Stephen Craigan onto Team Stewart. At the time of writing no one has joined Team Sutton. It would be highly unlikely that anyone would want to join Team Sutton and even less likely that Sutton would want anyone on Team Sutton, not even his brother.

Who could have thought St Johnstone v Falkirk in the group stage of the Betfred League Cup on a summer afternoon could prove so entertaining. With a helping hand from Bobby Madden, a chain of events were set off culminating in television which the head honchos at HBO would have marvelled at.

With the useful addition of a second co-commentator, something which BT have been using with their English coverage, Craigan, Stewart and the irrepressible Derek Rae wandered into a lovely exchange as the game approached half-time. Rae told us that we would be getting Sutton’s views on the three penalties awarded to St Johnstone at half-time.

Craigan chortled, warning us Sutton’s views could be anything. More penalties, red cards, yellow cards, Bobby Madden sent off!

Rae responded, “He doesn’t go with any one manifesto. Politically flexible.”

“The Sutton Manifesto,” claimed Stewart.

Yes, the Sutton Manifesto. What a wonderful doctrine on football, people and life in general that would be. He’s not even a divisive figure. He is a figure of incredulousness. He provokes rage and dislike from viewers. But I have grown to like him. Not because of his views and opinions. Actually, it is BECAUSE of his views and opinions. I seldom find myself agreeing with him, but you just don’t know what he is going to say or what opinion he is going to express on certain decisions and issues which is so intoxicating.

He’s not contrarian in terms of going against the grain for the sake of rubbing people up the wrong way. And nor does he follow the general consensus. Certainly not that. Sutton simply says what he is thinking. He is contrarian in that at times his opinions can differ on similar situations. He does not have as good a grasp of the rules as the likes of Stewart and Craigan. Or perhaps he does. He just doesn’t agree with the rules.

He commentates and projects just like he played. No nonsense and uncompromising.

As the trio argued, debated and fumed in the post-analysis I was left transfixed. At one point I expected Stewart to start demonstrating the difference between a push and a pull ON Sutton. By the end Stewart and Sutton couldn’t even bring themselves to even look at each other. Hypnotic. Darrell Currie was loving every single second of it. His face was akin to Jimmy Bullard’s when he tried talking to an irate Duncan Ferguson, and as he led the outro he was like a school kid trying to do a talk but at the same time doing his damndest not to look over at his friends and burst into fits of hysterics.

Basically, this has been a long-winded way to praise BT Sport’s coverage of Scottish football and the expectation that it will continue and improve this season. It is the standard bearer ahead of the BBC and high above the diminishing Sky Sports.

BT have a clear passion for the game, with crisp and in-depth coverage of each game, whether it is Hamilton v St Johnstone or Hearts v Celtic. They complement that passion with an abundance of knowledge. The aforementioned trio are always worth listening to, while the reputable Rae is perhaps the most erudite commentator operating in world football at this present time.

The addition of a three man commentary team should be positive. There was the risk that using the same two would become monotonous, although Rae was kept on his toes by Sutton. If they can add to the rotation it would add even greater depth to their already impressive coverage.

The one aspect of their coverage which is underrated is presenter Currie. He is overshadowed, as all good presenters should be, by his guests. He is constantly improving in the role and becoming a key protagonist. You look at him and think he would be a soft touch but he’s not one to shirk difficult questions, provoking answers out of guests and stirring the pot, as he does wonderfully with Sutton.

All of this generates good TV with BT providing a wide range of high quality guests. They use what is available to them as much as they can and they are emboldened by the likes of Stewart and Sutton who don’t sit on the fence. Stewart is thought-provoking as an analyst, while you only have to listen to Sutton’s views on Efe Ambrose and Celtic under the tutelage of Ronny Deila.

If BT are the consistent league leaders who are always a step or three ahead, BBC are the inconsistent underlings who just can’t quite maintain the quality to close the gap. However, they have the chance to make inroads this season as the new four-year-deal with the SPFL commences.

It is certainly one of the more intriguing prospects for the season ahead, just what is Sportscene going to be like? They should be commended for trying to mix things up last season. Some things worked, others didn’t. Connie McLaughlin’s ‘game of the week’ was a disaster. Few highlights, shot from weird angles. And who can forget the Halloween edition where Partick Thistle v Hearts featured? Horrifying.

The introduction of the low-budget tactics screen was a positive addition, even if there were some teething problems (Stuart McCall). However, Michael Stewart, Pat Nevin and Steven Thompson were insightful and professional with the ‘equipment’. Nevin’s evisceration of Dundee’s defence was sublime, prompting tears and snotters from a disgruntled Paul Hartley. It was exactly the type of analysis Scottish football had been crying out for.

Few criticisms can be laid at the door of the likeable Jonathan Sutherland. He is adept at building a rapport with a vast conveyor-belt of guests. Somme excellent, some forgettable, some abhorrent. The BBC need to utilise the qualities of Thompson, Nevin and Stewart more. All provide an authority which the show lacks when none are present. Where Sportscene falls down – number of cameras, camera angle, highlight length excluded – is their inclination to bring current players on the show. Most are either ‘rabbit caught in the headlights’ or reticent to provide any valuable insight into the inner workings of professional football.

One area of BBC’s coverage which can not be faulted is the hours of content they do provide via Sportsound which can be equally enlightening and frustrating. With the likes of Pat ‘racist word for a nickname’ Bonner, Willie Miller and Billy Brown there is an outdated feel. Like going round to your Gran’s and there is that carpet which is dour, archaic and out of touch with the modern world.

Yet they do have an array of guests which keeps their coverage fresh – it is imperative considering podcasts are released almost daily. The presence of journalists prevents it turning into a ‘banter-fest’ among the ‘jobs for the boys’ crew. The likes of Richard Wilson and Kenny Millar are well connected, knowledgeable and open-minded to give balance on such concepts as ‘marginal gains’, sports science and Scotland’s youth set-up. Often they are far more informative than Craig Paterson, Derek Ferguson etc who have a tendency to fall into the ‘in the pub after a few pints’ mode.

As for Sky Sports, they deserve few words such is their standing in terms of coverage of Scottish football. They are an irrelevance and they treat Scottish football in much the same way. They provoke little emotion other than indifference, until they confuse the two Dundee clubs’ badges. Again. And again. And again. But I am sure come the first Old Firm meeting on the channel there’ll be bells, whistles and all sorts.

With plenty of action set to unfold over the next 10 months on the pitch it would easy to be distracted from what’s happening off it. While most, understandably, can’t wait for the season to get started, goals to be scored, mistakes to be made and meltdowns to occur, I will be making sure BT has my full attention. With Currie, Craigan, Rae, Stewart and Sutton in tow fireworks will occur, and all BBC and Sky can do is look on in envy.

Written by Joel Sked