May 29 – Scotland’s 42 senior clubs are in discussions about a temporary revamp that envisages three enlarged divisions of 14 clubs each for the next two years to replace the current 12-10-10-10 version.
The idea has come from Hearts chairman Ann Budge whose team has just been relegated from the Scottish Premiership.
Budge’s suggestion is designed to try and save lower-league teams from financial collapse because of Covid-19.
In a document sent to the SPFL, Budge said: “This is not about permanent reconstruction. It is about finding a path to deal with the emergency situation, which is likely to impact all member clubs for the next two seasons.”
As it stands, Hearts, Scotland’s third largest club, will go down to the Championship following the decision to end the season prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the Edinburgh club and Inverness Caledonian Thistle would make up any expanded Premiership.
The proposed move away from the current 12-12-12-10 structure would solve what the plan describes as the “much debated unfairness and unjustness of relegating clubs as a result of the early termination of season 2019/20”.
Budge is suggesting a change to the financial distribution model which would need the backing of 11 of the 12 top-flight teams and claims her plan offers flexibility amid clubs’ battle for survival.
The document states: “Hearts not being in the Premier League at this time would seriously limit our ability to help Scottish football. In short, the Premiership needs Hearts more than the Championship does. This paper is not about restructuring. It is about survival.”
But some clubs believe the plan is simply an attempt to keep Hearts in the top flight with Cowdenbeath chair Donald Findlay describing it as “self-seeking” and a “non-starter”.
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