| SPL in big shake-up | |||
| SPL reconstruction is back at the top of football’s agenda after it emerged moves are afoot for a 14-team top flight in a year’s time, |
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| Over the next few weeks, the matter is set to be formally raised by the Premier League hierarchy, with the intention of having a new set-up in place for season 2011/12.
A number of alternatives will be looked at, but the one being back by chief executive Neil Doncaster is the 14-club option. It would involve a six - eight split after the teams had faced each other twice and would see the top clubs completing 36 fixtures and the rest 40. The bottom team would be relegated automatically and it will also be proposed that second bottom should face second top in the First Division in a play-off. Today, Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson revealed there had been informal discussions on the subject, but, so far, no concrete proposals had been put to the 12 member clubs. “It is something people have been talking about when we’ve met before games, but, so far, there has been no plan put to clubs and, until there is, we can’t have detailed discussion,” he said. “What I would say is, if change is going to be discussed, time has to be taken to look at a whole range of subjects and it cannot just be a matter of saying lets add on two teams and stop there. “There are other issues that need to be addressed and the sensible thing to do is to look at everything.” He is very much in favour of time being taken to consider all options, but there remains a slim chance that, for city neighbours Dundee, second might be somewhere after all. It’s understood several clubs are fearful of falling gates if there is no automatic relegation next term — at most there would probably be a play-off — and will push for the changes to be made in time for the 2010/11 campaign. Logistically, that might not be possible, but it is a scenario that will be looked at. If it happened, it would see Dundee back and negate backer Calum Melville’s mantra for this season that “second is nowhere”. That’s where his team finished and, accordingly, the Dens men are preparing for another season in the second tier of Scottish football. Whatever happens in the coming weeks, they accept if that’s where they are playing, they will have no-one but themselves to blame. That SPL hierarchy are, however, keen to have them back in a year or even sooner is not in any doubt. No-one is pretending their return would have the impact of the presence of the Old Firm or even Hearts, Hibs or Aberdeen. Under the more professional leadership of Doncaster, though, every penny of potential income is being examined. It’s accepted Dundee would add to the top flight and derbies against Dundee United would provide another attractive fixture for the television companies. And, any club with the potential to carry a travelling support that runs into four figures on a regular basis would be welcome. The prospect of playing host to newly-promoted Inverness Caley and Hamilton Accies, who took just 29 paying fans with them last time they visited Tannadice, has already seen concerns raised in the privacy of several boardroom across the country. It’s also understood there is real concern that, if Kilmarnock, who could be bottom of the table after tomorrow’s bottom-six games, were to be relegated, they could be lost as a potential topflight outfit for the next 10 to 15 years. They have insisted they would survive going down, but have admitted it would lead to serious repercussions. |