By Andrew Warshaw
November 16 – Scotland’s 30 Football League clubs have voted unanimously on a total overhaul from 2014-2015 designed make the domestic season more dynamic and competitive.
The clubs have approved a three-tier 16-10-16 blueprint which Scottish Football League (SFL) chief executive David Longmuir (pictured top) believes will breathe new life into the game but which first has to be approved by the other main stakeholders, not least the Scottish Premier League (SPL), currently comprising 12 clubs.
Under the plan, which involves promotion and relegation playoffs similar to systems employed in several continental European leagues, the top flight would be called the Premier Division, the second the Championship and the third the First Division.
“The key to this is that we are trying to put Scottish football back on a growth curve as opposed to managing decline,” said Longmuir.
“It’s a first stab; it’s not a panacea to change the world of Scottish football.
“I want a league structure which promotes young Scottish talent without risk of financial failure.
“The structure itself is based on a 16-team top league, a ten-team middle league and a 16-team bottom league, with promotion and relegation, two-up, two-down throughout the leagues and play-off positions as well.
“It encourages the flow of clubs between the divisions.
“It encourages change, it encourages refreshment and vibrancy of clubs changing their positions.”
Longmuir’s merger plan will require agreement from the SPL and the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and although it is highly unlikely to receive enough support from the top flight, he argues it would benefit everyone.
“It involves a governance model which also would provide a balanced governance of the game,” he insisted.
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