The new Scottish Professional Football League survives hitch

By Chris McLaughlinSenior Football Reporter, BBC Scotland

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments478

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan, flanked by SPL counterpart Neil Doncaster (left) and the SFL's David Longmuir

The Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League have agreed to merge after a marathon meeting.

The league structure will remain a top flight of 12 and three lower divisions of 10. There will be play-offs between the top and second tier league.

In addition, the Scottish Professional Football League will introduce a revised financial distribution model.

Talks at Hampden took around 15 hours, with a number of adjournments as lawyers mulled over financial details.

The formation of a new Scottish Professional Football League had looked in doubt when the SFL board requested more facts about the SPFL's finances.

But the SFL appears to have been satisfied with the response when the meeting reconvened in the evening.

More money will flow into the second tier, enabling clubs to run a full-time operation should they wish to.

The SPFL's board comprises three members from the top-tier clubs, two from the second tier and one person representing the bottom 20 clubs.

They are: Eric Riley (Celtic), Stephen Thompson (Dundee United), Duncan Fraser (Aberdeen); Les Gray (Hamilton), Mike Mulraney (Alloa); and Bill Darroch (Stenhousemuir).

SPL clubs had already unanimously agreed on a package of measures that would deliver a merged league body for the new campaign and play-offs between the top league and the second tier.

There had been dissenting voices from Second and Third Division clubs but 23 of the 29 clubs voting backed the plan for restructuring.

A minimum of 22 votes was required, while Third Division champions Rangers did not get a say as they remain associate members having joined last summer.

Earlier plans for a 12-12-18 divisional set-up were jettisoned in April after the model failed to get the 11-1 majority backing required from the 12 SPL clubs.

Ahead of the meeting, Annan chairman Henry McClelland had said: "Today is one of significant history in the game. Everyone's saying it's for the good of the game that we move forward. We'll judge that in a few years' time, I think.

"We're going to be putting small clubs, like Annan Athletic, into financial difficulty because of this merger."

And after the meeting was adjourned, McClelland explained that he had asked for more financial information.

"We've asked for clarity on the clubs in the Second and Third Division as to what our worst-case scenario is; the best case and probably the most likely," he said before the gathering reconvened.

"That's normal in the due diligence process."

On leaving the meeting at midnight, Hibernian chairman Rod Petrie said: "All the clubs can go forward in a positive vein now.

"From the supporters' point of view, they probably don't see an awful lot of change but from the management of the game it'll streamline the way things are done and hopefully we can all get behind some new initiatives to help things on the pitch."

Stirling Albion operations director Stuart Brown said he was satisfied that there was a solution that suited all 42 clubs.

"There were some due diligence matters that had to be addressed," he said.

"The SFL board is happy that this has now all been successfully concluded and our board was happy to sign up."

Rangers chief executive Craig Mather said the "best bit of the day" was that his club now had full membership and voting rights, following its associate membership status with the SFL.

"I'm very happy," he said. "It's been interesting but we've got there. We've always been active. We continue the road and will be humble."

Dundee chief executive Scot Gardiner, pointing to the benefits of play-offs and one governing body, called it "a momentous day".

"A lot of hard work has gone into it. We are obviously delighted," he said.

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478 comments

  • Any reconstruction MUST include the immediate removal of Regan & Doncaster - without that there will be no change in Scottish football.

  • How can a country that has given rise to inventors, innovators, pioneers as well as producing a disproportionate amount of successful footballing managers have so much trouble finding the right people to manage it's own footballing association? Okay, ex-players might not be the best option but surely among our captains of industry there's at least one who can relate their expertise to footbal?l

  • @23 not actually true...pretty sure I've read several times Scotland actually has one of the highest number of supporters per head regularly going to watch football

  • @454 teds season tickets have dipped alarmingly, this season is crucial as far as a cup win at least is concerned, and not ramsdens ! if there is no glory the glory hunters will vanish like sh*te off a shovel

  • I really don't understand why the SFL want to get into bed with the SPL. I'd rather see them go their own way and ask the SFA to allow their clubs represent Scotland in European competition. How could the SFA say no to an organisation with 30 members, a setup with playoffs etc when the other option would be a closed league of 12.

  • #454.barry ferguson - The spl was great this year, no bigotry, no death threats, most clubs gates went up. I wonder which team and which set of supporters were missing. The old firm and their supporters are the problem.

  • @DExter - Steven Fletcher, Scott Brown, James Morrison and Jordan Rhodes are all good enough to play for England.
    @440 - Rangers were never voted out of the SPL.
    The media tell you to think that.
    Think for yourself.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/9376102/Rangers-newco-application-rejected-by-Scottish-Premier-League-clubs.html

  • celtic have player assets they can trade to address the undoubted shortfall, which will be a major prob if they don't make CL groups or at least eufa league, but rangers must attract full houses and max season book sales. cant see it, the glory hunters will get bored with watching them play against dross

  • @ Dexter Wansel

    Its true there are no Scots at the English CL clubs now

    but there are Scotland players playing key roles at many PL clubs, from 8th down

    its not Dalglish and Bremner, or even Lambert and McAllister, but it is improving and i am cautiously optimistic about the direction we're going in

  • Problem with Scottish players moving to England is they're used to the tiki-taka style of the SPL, get to England and they spend 90% of the time straining upwards trying to see the ball as it is hoofed over their head. They just can't cope.
    I mean Charlie Adam is regarded as a brilliant player in England. You have no idea how funny that is to us Scots.

  • 438. There are a number of Scots players in the EPL, although I was replying to the point about the lower English leagues. On the point about arrogance, the Scots are no match for the English.

  • @433 its impossible

  • @423
    Yeah you are right. The SPL need the financial acumen of GFC. Maybe all the clubs should just run up huge debts and when the going gets tough just whine about how everybody done you down. Then later just take all the bits of your history you proud of and forget the rest. The SPFL needs nothing from snowdropping chancers, take yourself to Engurland cause you have no place in Scottish football

  • So will this create a new generation of exciting skillful players, if you're old enough you might remember them. Or is it the same old dross in a new format, it pains me to admit we're 2nd rate at best, even the imports. Sucessful English clubs used to be filled with Scots players, now we buy them back because they're not good enough to get a game. This fix is about money, not football or quality.

  • 409. Why don't you campaign for England and Wales to be independent from Scotland? Make your own move to get what you want - don't leave it to others.

  • 405. I do and so do thousands of others. Why do you ask?

  • @392 [ Henry Tudor ] -

    "I like to be accurate, the Scotch will appreciate that."

    I think it's you that's been appreciating the scotch, ya roaster. ; )

  • 388. All these clubs will continue to exist, whether at senior or junior level. The more clubs there are the more opportunities there are for people to play. At the lower levels football is a social activity for a community - long may they continue. There are hundreds of clubs in England or Scotland who have never won anything but so what? Let them continue to exist and enjoy their football.

  • AS someone who's old enough to remember pre-SPL, the game was dying on it's feet until change came, so I don't see how going back to bigger leagues will be a change for the better, just more boring nothing games!!

  • As an Englishman I am embarrassed by my fellow countrymen coming on here to just slag off Scottish football, and Scotsmen doing the same should be even more embarrassed. I watched some cracking matches on the box last season - Dundee derbies, Highland derbies, a few shock Celtic defeats, some great individual skills - Harkins, Mackay Steven, Forrest etc and gates are good for small population.

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