IF memory serves the great and beloved Scotsport was shown on a Sunday afternoon between darts quiz Bullseye and stuntman showpiece The Fall Guy.

The perfect timeslot and faultless format. It was STV at its very best.

One match received the main coverage, another was given a few minutes, there was a spell when we got to see all the goals from all the games, and then it was onto whichever English match they had the rights to. All done with the impeccable Arthur Monford in charge.

Saturday night, of course, was Archie MacPherson and Sportscene, which is still going strong(ish) in its 41st year, while it's only rival was forced into retirement in 2007.

But Sportscene has been struggling. It hasn’t been good enough for a long time, it has not served Scottish football well and it's been bewildering scheduled at such a time, 10.30pm on a Sunday night, when most schoolkids were in their beds while the rest of us were too tired given it was the fag-end of the weekend.

And even those who tuned in more often than not have been left disappointed by the badly shot clips, short length of time given to certain teams, the analysis, guests and commentary. Apart from that...

“I don't watch it, it's why I wouldn't have any of my players going on it – and I wouldn’t go on it myself. It's the worst programme I've seen,” said Paul Hartley, the Dundee manager, only a few months ago when he had a pop at pundit Pat Nevin and managed to take down the entire show at the same time.

Yesterday, when it was announced that the BBC had agreed a new four-year deal with the SPFL, it came with a pledge of more money, more cameras at games and that Sportscene would from next season have “enhanced match coverage.” It is most certainly an opportunity for BBC Scotland’s sport’s department to rip up the present formula and start again.

A deal worth £10.6million over four years might be pocket change compared to what the English clubs receive, but it is not a bad contract at all as it happens. Now the Beeb make the product look the part.

It was comforting to hear Sportscene will have an earlier kick-off time on a Sunday - please make it early evening - and that there will be more cameras at matches so hopefully the appalling angles, which previously meant goals were obscured, are a thing of the past.

Non-live Premiership games had two cameras beforehand; next season 70 per cent will have four or five and by the 2017/18 campaign this will go for every fixture.

Sky and BT Sport will still show live games but terrestrial television remains the platform where most of us catch up with what has been happening in the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership and beyond.

This is an ideal time to ring some changes.

An earlier and longer Sportscene is a must. No more a minute or so on some games not involving the Old Firm. Every team must be given as much coverage as possible, complete with a discussion slightly more in-depth than someone remarking that the losing manager would not have been happy at the result.

For example, two or three matches, the two biggest games and one other which happened to be actually pretty good, should have extensive highlights, with five minutes for the rest.

There also has to be a major rethink on guests, pundits and those doing the co-commentary for the live match.

Craig Paterson is a lovely man but at the recent Hibernian-Dundee United William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final, when asked his opinion on a marginal offside decision, he said; “Oh, it’s a close one.”

Yeah, we could see that. It would be far better for the former pro to actually make a call. Same goes for penalties and bookings. Please stop with “it could have gone either way” or “I have seen them given.” Actually give us an opinion. The BBC studios are, with too few exceptions, full of fence-sitters.

Match of the Day has changed for the better. The Gary Neville/Jamie Carragher partnership gave them a kick and, to be fair, they responded. Who knew that Alan Shearer had a personality?

People like opinion. Legends of Scottish telly past such as Alex Cameron, Ian Archer and. the most polarising of them all, Gerry McNee at least told you what they thought, unlike so many who get dragged on today.

McNee may not have been everyone’s cup of tea but would you rather have him spouting off at will or some recently retired player saying absolutely nothing?

Scottish football is actually on the up. The Premiership next season should be fascinating, as will the Championship once again. We have good players, there are entertaining games and so therefore our leagues deserve a proper flagship programme which is entertaining, informative and accessible.

And it would be nice if early on a Sunday evening, when the whole family gathered around to watch the footie highlights, it was presented by someone who might once have paid into a game. Just a thought.