Would an SPL2 be created just for Rangers?

[ian1964 10,780]

Posted by John Gow

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/rangers/id/2052?cc=5739

 

When the Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League talk about league reconstruction in Scottish football, they often mention how their proposals will be for the benefit of the game as a whole. There is no doubt that there is more than an element of truth to this, but although altruism is found in individuals, it's rarely found in companies and Scottish football is no land of saints.

 

It's more realistic to assume that their ideas for the future will be designed primarily to ensure their own organisation, or more precisely the group of clubs within that organisation, keep or gain as much influence and money as they can.

 

We can see this in the SFL plans. A bigger top division, more playoffs, a new League Cup format and a 'fairer' distribution of payments can be interpreted as more SFL clubs in a top division with better mobility and easier access to it, more chances of SFL clubs playing the larger clubs in the cup and more money to the smaller clubs at the bottom.

 

Now that we can see what the SFL really want, what about the SPL?

 

Firstly, let's briefly touch on an SPL without Rangers. While officially the SPL has no problems without the Gers in the league, the organisation does have financial difficulties. During the summer, when the fans made it clear they would go as far as to boycott their own club if Rangers were voted back into the SPL, the top division came up with a plan to put them in SFL1, rather than SFL3.

 

This ensured the non-Rangers support could get what they want, but the Gers' cash-cow would bounce straight back up. Previously signed financial deals assuming the Ibrox club would be in the league meant that the SPL could cope without Rangers for a year, but events got away from them and the SFL put the Light Blues in SFL3. Instead of just one year without Rangers, it had become three years at least, and it is in this context I would argue the two SPL league reconstruction plans need to be viewed.

 

Their first idea is that the SPL becomes a 16-team division but nothing else really changes. The influence and money stays, but adding a few bigger SFL clubs looks as if they did something. No one expects the SFL clubs to accept this, and behind the scenes, neither do the SPL. Stalemate works in the SPL's favour so if this was the only option on the agenda, we could be sure they would be happy to fight for the status quo -- yet it isn't.

 

The second is an SPL 1 and 2 of 12 clubs each (with a complicated fixture list we need not go into now) which means the SPL body would double in size to consist of 24 clubs. If we put on our realism glasses again, it would be fair to ask why would 12 clubs, who probably can't be budged from being the top division if they sit on their hands, willingly invite another 12 clubs to join their organization, thereby dramatically reducing their own influence?

 

In the current circumstances, I would suggest it might be designed to take Rangers back into the fold for next season, cut the time to the top division by a year, and ensure long-term financial deals are signed. This is only an opinion, but I think there is solid reasoning behind it.

 

Richard Wilson, who in my view is Scotland's top sports journalist, hinted in a recent article that this was on the minds of some within the SPL. He said:

 

"The SPL clubs will also draw up the criteria by which teams will be invited to join them and, while no special case will be made for Rangers, the likelihood is the Ibrox side would be considered among 'the full-time clubs that invest so much in community and youth, and those who aspire to be in the top league.'"

 

If even Peter Lawwell believes Celtic, who are easily the best run club in Scotland and have the most money, "will suffer in terms of commercial interest" without Rangers in the SPL, how are others coping?

 

Ironically, even though the SPL2 idea was announced well before the 'Big Tax Case' result, the positive result for Rangers has helped those within the Premier League to possibly couch financial necessity in the language of altruism. 'Rangers have paid for the actions of Craig Whyte and now it has been proven they have done nothing else wrong,' they might say, 'so why should they be punished further?'

 

Of course, that still leaves the problem of the SPL commission and the resistance from Charles Green and the Rangers support against the SPL itself. The former can always be quietly binned or come out with a 'slap on the wrist' punishment, while suggestions from others that "the now-toxic SPL brand" will be changed is a possible sign of how aware the SPL is of the Gers' unwillingness to deal with the SPL in its current format.

 

Of course, Rangers being invited into an SPL2 is purely hypothetical at present, and there are many obstacles from both sides to its happening. If nothing else, the club and fans seem very happy in the SFL organisation, and it's doubtful they would go against that.

 

However, if it's true the SPL need Rangers on board for the long-term financial contracts, then the current terrible relationship would need to be fixed. An SPL2 invite with all the trimmings might be their way of doing just that.

[gisabeer 409]

this is the spl looking after them selves, dangling the greed is good lets fuck the others over again carrot in front of a few others. But as long as we refuse to sign a tv deal with them then they are fucked.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

it looks like it yes.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

The support would never sanction a return to the SPL1 or a SPL2, The club might without Green as CEO. But again the support would be very unhappy with such an arrangement. Speaking for myself the SPL and it's clubs who voted us out, can go and take an almighty f@ck to themselves, I will never set foot in any of their grounds ever again.

[GovanAllan 0]

They can bugger off we will come back in our own sweet time and if they fail before that, well karma's a bitch.

[simplythebest 0]

No thanks.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

for all his talk green would probably take it in a heartbeat. he would probably be right to do so.

[Guest DietofWorms]

The way I see it there's no real rush.

Division 3 are happy with with their lot this season and if we do get promoted up the leagues the bulk of the teams in divisions 2 then 1 will profit both financially and sportingly from having us in those leagues.

The only real panic is from the SPL....so fuck them.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

the main advantage would be europe and spl one year sooner

[Blue Moon 1,411]

It's a no from me. I hoped at the beginning we would not be put into SFL3 but there has been too much water under the bridge since then.

 

I would not be happy playing in any division with the initials SPL.