Hibs: Calderwood calls for thrill of play-offs

COLIN CALDERWOOD has added his voice to the growing calls for SPL play-offs despite Hibs flirting dangerously close to the danger zone.

The Easter Road boss firmly believes a greater threat to clubs' top-flight security would not only add greater excitement to the season's finale but attract bigger crowds and television interest, thus creating further money for the game.

And while some may query Calderwood's assertion given his own side looked as if they could themselves become embroiled in a relegation dogfight at one stage, the former Scotland defender insisted that experience only added weight to his argument.

Although the title race went to the final day of the season and Hamilton's demise wasn't decided until the second-last match, many other games were rendered meaningless.

However, Calderwood agrees with those who claim a play-off system, such as that used in the three divisions of the Scottish Football League, is overdue.

He said: "The way forward for me in Scottish football would be the introduction of play-offs, the greater danger and the greater amount of teams with the threat of going down because it would bring more crowds out, it would bring revenue, television – all that sort of thing.

"In our moment of danger in the season it brought us good support so I think we should not be so worried about it. I think it would be a good thing, there has to be an opportunity for two to come up and the opportunity for two to go down the way it works for the rest of the leagues.

"You cannot have it one way for the top league and different for the others."

Given Hibs' experiences this season Calderwood's viewpoint may seem strange but, he insisted, the greater good of Scottish football was the over-riding concern, arguing that most clubs outwith the Old Firm could find themselves in such a situation at some time or another.

He said: "It would be better for Scottish football. We have to generate supporters in. Success brings them in, so does the threat of real failure.

"Anyone could get in to this situation. I don't know what the record is but I would imagine just about every team has been in the bottom six at some time apart from maybe the top two."

And, he claimed, the fact he'd been through troubled times helped strengthen his argument adding: "There would be hard, nerve-racking games but they would be something that captures the imagination."