By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 9 – Scottish football looks set to enter a new era after agreement was reached between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League for a total overhaul of the professional league structure.
Under the breakthrough plan, which provides a pyramid structure and a more equitable distribution model, Scotland will have three divisions of 12, 12 and 18 with the Scottish Premier League, in its current guise, disbanded.
The landmark blueprint was proposed after lengthy talks between SPL officials and those of the Scottish Football Association and Scottish Football League. It replaces a 16-10-16 proposal discussed in November.
The new top division will simply be called the Premiership, the second tier the Championship and the third tier the National League.
Crucially, the 24 clubs in the top two tiers would split into three groups of eight after 22 matches of the season – and would then play a further 14 matches. The top eight teams would play for the league title and European places, the middle eight contesting promotion and relegation in and out of the Premiership and the bottom eight to decide who drops into the National League.
It may sound complicated but it is a system that has been tried in several countries of similar stature to Scottish domestic football, notably Switzerland and Austria.Will the SFL and SPL maintain their separate structures under the new organisation or will there be a new merged body?
Insideworldfootball understands that the intention is for a single merged league going forwards. While the SFA has been facilitating the process of reaching agreement, it will not be involved in running the newly merged league and the commercial functions of the league will remain entirely separate. The proposal marks a big commitment to Scottish football from the SPL whose clubs will always be giving up a bigger share of revenues, irrespective of whatever those revenues are.
Currently the agreement is ‘in principle’ until all 42 clubs have a new rule book to vote on.
“It is a new dawn for Scottish football,” said SFA chief executive Stewart Regan. “I think we have made the most progress I have seen in my time in Scottish football and it’s a real breakthrough today. It’s an opportunity to change the game for the better.
” Fitting in with the 12-12-18 set-up is agreement on some really key issues for the game – a more equitable sharing of finance for all 42 clubs, a governance structure which ensures parity for what are currently the SPL and SFL going forward and also a series of sporting changes.
“They include the introduction of play-offs and a pyramid for Scottish football – that is, the opening up of what is currently the bottom of the Third Division of the SFL. They are some massive steps forward for the game. There is a lot of work still to be done and the clubs need to be taken through the detail. A plan will be worked out collectively before the end of the month and presented to clubs for their views.”
The plans, which could be implemented as early as next season, are likely to be put to the vote later this month. They would require an 11-1 vote from SPL clubs and a 75 per cent majority from the rest.
SFL chief executive David Longmuir described the deal as “pillars of progress, pillars of success, the foundations which are going to stand the game in good stead.”
“We have to bring clubs with us on this journey. Through clubs fully understanding what it is going to deliver for the game, it will far outweigh any issues we have over the numbers game.”
Despite the proposals effectively bringing an end to the SPL as an independent body, SPL boss Neil Doncaster was at pains to look at the bigger picture.
“What today represents, among other things, is a huge redistribution of wealth down the leagues,” he said. “The bigger clubs are giving up a lot of money, particularly the gap between the top 12 and the second 12 that exists at the moment and effectively insuring a trickle down of wealth for the whole game.”
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