Reconstruction - Take back the Power

[Gribz 743]

The below is message to the SFL to not give in to the SPL over reconstruction. The is quick first draft and happy to have comments and (constructive) criticism.

 

Take back the power. Open invitation to….

 

Taking from the Cartoon The Bug’s life: “You let one ant stand up to us… then they all might stand up. Those puny little ants outnumber us 100 to 1, and if they ever figure that out, there goes our way of life! It’s not about food; it’s about keeping those ants in line.

 

The SFL don’t quite outnumber the SPL 100 to 1 but my point is the SFL certainly has the numbers!

 

Since the Scottish game split to a 3 way governing body in 1998 the standards have taking a downward spiral at a fast pace in which seems to be a bottomless bit. Despite a couple of UEFA Cup final appearances by Rangers and Celtic and a few good Champions League performances, the standard of play has dropped and the national side has not qualified for an International tournament. We are no longer producing players who can walk across the English border and be big names in the top flight.

 

Current debate is whether to restructure the current set up to 12-12-18 which includes a complicated, farcical and failed system of a mid season split of the top 2 divisions going into leagues of 8. This is after a national survey paid by the tax payer which resulted in the majority of public wanting a larger 16 or 18 or even 20 team Premier League and then regional divisions below the 2nd flight.

 

The people in charge of this idea – The SPL and SFA!! The same people responsible for the demise in the game from top to bottom.

 

The 3rd governing body who ran the game so well until 1998 – The SFL - have taken a very timid approach to the proposal and I am not sure why. I feel the SFL are in a much stronger position than they think they are. While the majority of SFL clubs are part time and far from boasting Man City-Esk financial status, only Dunfermline are in financial trouble. All of the other clubs operate within their means. In the current top flight it is well documented a number of the SPL clubs are in the worst financial position in their history. So like a wounded animal with its back to the door the SPL is throwing the kitchen sink for a quick deal to save face and ass.

 

Recently two of the better ran SPL clubs - Ross County and St Mirren – are rumored to have announced they are NOT in favour of the new proposed system. This of course has led to quick reaction from the SPL.

 

The very timid approach by the SFL is a strange one. For the last 15 years the SFL have lived in the shadow of the big bullying brother SPL. Yet last summer all their Christmases came at once as the largest show in town was all of a sudden their newest member. It is the biggest trump card of all time! Now the SFL have not only grown to the size of their big brother but they have shot passed them by 6 inches! The tables have turned.

 

I have been a bit impressed by football on display in div 3 this season, some of the teams get the ball down on the deck and play with attacking formations. Just looking back to last season and beyond, watching Rangers v anyone but Celtic was becoming boring. So the SFL seem to be doing something right. During the last few decades a few new teams like Ross County and Gretna took the SFL by storm and cruised up to the top levels, even Inverness are reasonably young as a team and are in good shape. Ok Gretna wasn’t a success story but they could have been! Additionally various clubs in Division 1 in the SFL have previous top flight experience and are on potential par with a number of SPL clubs.

 

So why don’t the SFL use its trump card and have its own reconstruction! Invitations to Ross County and St Mirren could be starters to fit into a new system of 16-14. With the troubles the SPL have got without Rangers and a TV deal, the SFL could have a strong hold on the future of the game. There would be a massive case to UEFA and FIFA versus the SPL and SFA about who represents Scotland in Euro Competition. With the SPL in such a chaotic mess there is the chance it wouldn’t have a league to offer its other members in the next 12 months so the invitations could be extended out to other clubs. It could be a situation like Darts when the PDC was established after its break away from the BDO, the PDC has gained huge success and by far the most competitive level of Darts.

 

At the very least the SFL has to obtain stronger dialogue during debates of reconstruction. It can’t be down to the SPL and SFA and longer. The saying “Change is now or never” by a certain chairman is quite possibly the last pitch, it should be met by the biggest swing of the bat and put right out of bounds!

[der Berliner 3,247]

Good stuff all around. Not sure about the 16-14 proposal, I'd leave this out as it will probably spark a debate that deflects from the real issue, i.e. the power of the SFL.

 

As it looks, St. Mirren won't defo not back the reconstruction proposal.

[Lizzie78 0]

they also need to demand to see the sky contract that has to have something to do with the now or never recon talk. If the spl need this recon to survive then if nothing else it gives the sfl more power on exactly what changes they want/are needed to improve our game and money distribution

[GovanAllan 0]

After a very studied consideration of the Structure, Articles of Association, Rules and Shareholders Agreement, the Board of St Mirren Football Club have decided that they will be unable to support the motion at next Monday’s Meeting of SPL Clubs regarding this proposal for League Reconstruction.

 

This view has been taken after careful thought regarding this proposal including engagement with fans and the views of our coaching staff.

 

The principles of a new league structure, single league body and all through distribution model are part of many aspects of this we fully support, however the proposal as presented does not, in our view, move the game forward.

 

The concept of playing 22 games prior to breaking into three leagues of eight, including the middle eight losing their points gained in the first series of games, is not a system we see as taking the game forward in the long term. You will be aware that other countries have tried this system and have since rejected such a set up.

 

We also feel that this system is not fair to fans who buy into their club by way of a season ticket, who are then unsure of what they are purchasing. It is also against the basic wishes of the fans for larger leagues as highlighted in all recent fan surveys.

In the proposed rules the voting structure is remaining, in all items that are of importance, an 11-1 vote. In our opinion, this is fundamentally wrong in any structure and is the principle reason why Scottish League Football has not been able to restructure prior to this time, a view St Mirren have held for some time.

 

The restriction on any change for three years is also very much against our view. When engaging with any new rule book there will always be oversight and anomalies that need to be revised on an annual basis.

 

An area St Mirren are very uncomfortable with is the lock down on various financial rules. The credibility of Scottish Football has been tarnished badly in recent times by financial mismanagement and the time has come for strong financial rules to be in place.

 

Another concern to us is the hard line taken by some in certain areas, like season start date, home-grown talent, under-21 rules. This is not an exhaustive list, however we do think these items require negotiation for the betterment of Scottish Football in general.

 

We also do not accept that this is a take it or leave it situation. We do wish to keep working towards one organisation, an all through distribution model and getting closer to our supporters’ wishes of a larger league, while being fully aware of the commercial and financial pressures of operating a football club.

 

On behalf of the Board of Directors of St Mirren Football Club

 

Looks like the worm has turned.