Scottish Premier League meets to discuss reconstruction

[ian1964 10,761]

The Scottish Premier League is meeting on Wednesday to discuss plans to revitalise football in Scotland.

 

Representatives from all 12 clubs are gathering at Hampden, with league reconstruction top of the agenda.

 

Talks have been ongoing for weeks between concerned chairman, who privately admit that drastic action is needed to give the top flight a boost.

 

If the majority get their way, the new-look SPL will welcome two new teams and become a division of 14.

 

The favoured new set-up will also include relegation play-offs with a two-up, two-down system.

 

BBC Scotland has gained access to detailed analysis undertaken by the clubs, who have been looking for the best way to fix what many see as a broken product.

 

All options have been considered, from a top flight of ten, all the way through to a league of 24.

 

Lists of pros and cons have been collated next to each option and a 14-team league is regarded as the favoured option.

 

The plan is for each team to play each other once home and away (26 fixtures) before splitting into two sections, either six/eight or eight/six.

 

Teams would then play other teams in their section once more home and away.

 

It means those in the post-split section of six would play 36 matches and those in the group of eight would play 40 games.

 

The SPL see the main benefit of this format as the balancing up the games after the split, since there has been controversy in recent seasons surrounding the disparity of teams facing more away games than others.

Many fans favour a larger division still, but several chairmen are fearful of losing the financial benefits of playing the Old Firm clubs twice at home.

They also believe that anything bigger than a 14-team division would dilute the appeal of the league to broadcasters, leading to reduction in much-needed media revenue.

 

So what are the chances of plans becoming a reality?

 

The SPL has discussed reconstruction in the past but inside sources suggest this time there is a genuine appetite for change.

 

And there will need to be if the plans are to be signed off.

 

If it goes to the vote then 11 of the 12 clubs will have to agree the same path forward.

 

No decision is expected on Wednesday but those pushing for change would like to see a new set-up take off from next season.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/9108392.stm

[Norris Cole 0]

A 16 team SPL makes far more sense than letting clubs like Dundee go to the wall.

[calscot 0]

Can't see why they can't do a 7-7 split. A match day rest for each team now and again probably wouldn't do much harm and all clubs would play 38 games - the same as now. It may not look so tidy but who really cares?

 

One more club also get's another two OF home games which could help keep them in business.

 

One thing I think clubs need to do to help them further is reassess their OF segregation policies and ticket prices to allow far more tickets to be sold to away fans. It seems strange that they end up with their stadia 2/3 full with an unfulfilled demand there for away end tickets.

 

It may not be the best for their chances of nicking points but income needs to be the priority in the age of austerity.

 

A switch to summer football would also probably help to boost the dwindling attendances - as well as plenty of other stuff we've proposed on here.

[craig 5,199]

The only thing with a 7-7 split is the timing of the rest day - you just know that every single team will complain that it comes too early/late/in the middle for them.

[Gribz 919]

Minimum 14 team league, but personally 16 would be better.

 

Have the split after everyone has played each other twice, then play the teams in your half twice so everyone gets equal home and away games.

 

Summer football.

 

Move the league cup back to its original slot in the first few months of the season.

 

Perhaps create a relegation from the bottom division to the regional leagues like the Conference in England.

 

Gid rid of 3 governing bodies to run the game. 2 at most.

 

Get some proper ex Pro's in to assist in decision making from Grass roots to National stadium (although it seems Joe Public has as good knowledge on changes compared to the clowns currently running it).

 

As usual it needs 11 out of the 12 to change things and a few of them are likely to hold it back. They should have some balls and just go for change for once...if it doesnt work out then revert back to what it was and then then at least everyone can say we tried.

[bluedan 93]

I think a 14 team league is more realistic purely because the SPL clubs probebly wont vote for 16 due to the little tv money there is being cut even more. In an ideal world if money wasn't an issue then i think a 16 team league with a winter break would fair better.

 

But lets hope they come to a solution and don't just sit around the table mulling over the idea. We need something to freashen up the game in Scotland ASAP. My mate says he wouldn't waste his time watching SPL football and he's WELSH. That says it all really :-)

[ian1964 10,761]

The wind of change swept through Hampden yesterday as all 12 top-flight clubs met for a crunch summit to discuss plans for radical league reconstruction.

 

But Record Sport can reveal that an agreement is so far off it's almost certain to be stalled for at least another year.

 

Top of the agenda was a proposal to increase the SPL to a 14-team league from the start of next season but that option is already struggling to win over enough support.

 

Other structures were mooted, including cutting the top division to 10 teams or extending it to 16 or 18.

 

And to further complicate the issue Motherwell last night demanded a winter shutdown and the introduction of summer football. A club statement said: "Our No.1 priority would be the introduction of a substantial winter break and a spring/ early summer start to the football calendar.

 

"We also support innovations around the timing of games throughout the week to secure maximum attendance, new audiences and commercial advantage."

 

But the 14-team plan - that would see the reintroduction of relegation play-offs and the two up two down system - is still widely regarded as the favoured blueprint even although it would involve keeping the mid-season split.

 

In fact, the new league would be even more complex than the current set-up. All clubs would play each other home and away before being divided into a top six and bottom eight after 26 games.

 

Sides in the same section would face each other another twice - meaning the top six would play a total of 36 matches while the bottom eight would play 40 before the play-offs could begin.

 

One source involved in yesterday's talks said: "There was much debate and several ideas but, although we are a long way off reaching any agreement, it is encouraging there is a mood for change."

[pete 2,499]

Summer Leage? We would need to play our Glasgow Fair games at Blackpool's ground.