SPL agree to reconstruction package

[DUDE 0]

The SFL board and lower-league clubs will have to react favourably to the plan, although failure to do so could spark the threatened breakaway. The clubs would also need to approve the plan by a 22-7 majority, with Rangers excluded from voting because they are still associate members.

 

Change appeared to be stifled when the new split system was rejected by St Mirren and Ross County. The financial redistribution plan was based on creating extra revenue from the so-called middle-eight.

 

And Doncaster claimed the SPL clubs should be applauded for opening themselves up to the increased possibility of relegation.

 

"There's a real desire for change but it's not quite as simple as just play-offs," he said.

 

"There is obviously working within a single merged league, which is what supporters tell us they want, but also redistribution down the leagues to favour the second tier so that full-time professional football remains sustainable at that level.

 

"The SPL clubs were today very sympathetic to the plight the First Division clubs find themselves in financially.

 

"There is a genuine desire to ensure there's a proper promotion and relegation between the divisions. The SPL has the smallest proportion of clubs relegated anywhere in Europe.

 

"So there is a need to ensure there is refreshment and clubs have been bold today. They have agreed they are prepared to take on the greater risk of relegation within a merged league.

 

"There would need to be a continued system of parachute payments, but also by redistributing money into the First Division, then it's a less painful landing if you are relegated.

 

"Play-offs certainly give you more to sell - more broadcast rights, more sponsorship rights, and of course there's more people coming through the gates. That should mean a net gain for everyone."

 

The SPL's sponsorship deal with Clydesdale Bank expires in the summer and, with the brand having suffered amid the Rangers crisis and failure to instigate reconstruction, a merged body is seen as a more attractive prospect to potential backers.

 

Doncaster said: "What this does mean is that we can work together, assuming there is agreement, in ensuring suitable sponsorship arrangements exist across the whole league."

 

Although First Division clubs have been determined to force change, the SFL board and some lower-league clubs have been more cautious. But Doncaster is sure they can introduce the new model before next season.

 

"We need to work quickly, there's a lot of work to be done," he said. "But if everyone is agreeable, there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn't take place in time for the summer."

 

Fixtures are due out in five weeks but, given the 12-10-10-10 structure would remain, Doncaster admitted the merger could even be ratified after that.

 

"Theoretically, yes," he said. "Obviously it's desirable to have it achieved as soon as possible, and if everyone is agreeable that it is the right way forward then it can happen."

 

This sounds like a really nice idea, not too convinced this is going to be the case though. Probably quite the opposite.The question for the need to push this through so quickly and why it's supposed to be in place as early as 13/ 14 remains.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

The SFL can survive with two leagues only, why would they give up their position for less money than their lower league members are getting atm? any money for so called redistribution is already their money anyway and most of it will be relcated to the 1ST DIVISION CLUBS. iT'S A GOOD DEAL FOR THE SPL AND 1ST DIVISION CLUBS BUT A BAD DEAL FOR THE LOWER LEAGUE TEAMS.

[ian1964 10,457]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/...small.21023629

 

 

If anything, cats might have been easier to control than the leaders of the 12 clubs who reached consensus yesterday after talks on league reform which began when Methuselah was still at school.

 

If anything demonstrated how difficult it is for them to agree on anything, it was the obvious pleasure they took from unanimously supporting changes which will make such a limited difference to supporters' actual experience next season. The assorted alterations agreed in principle yesterday were positive, welcome and overdue, but if this was cherry-picking the fruit is small. If this was the end of the latest phase of discussions on "league reconstruction" they have concluded with no change to the size of the top division, its end-of-season split, or teams playing each other four times in a season. There was a breakthrough yesterday, some steps in the right direction, but no-one could have felt an irresistible urge to pop any champagne corks.

 

"It's been like going shopping with your daughters, it takes forever and a time to get shoes," said Ralph Topping, the SPL chairman after around five hours of talks at Hampden resulted in consensus. "We've been in and out the shoe shop a number of times. We've gone in today and managed to get the right colour of shoes, the right size of shoe and everybody is quite happy."

 

The SPL's problem is that it has 12 equal shareholders, but there are enormous differences in the wealth, priorities and economies of scale within those dozen clubs. Celtic and Ross County, for example, have everything in common and nothing. The web of self-interest and anxiety which informs the SPL chairmen's decision-making amounts to a handbrake being put on any attempt to implement even cosmetic, never mind radical, change.

 

Topping's full-time job is as chief executive of William Hill plc. There, deals can sail through. "I've dealt with some very complex transactions in the last six months. We bought a partner out for £450m and we bought a business in Australia for £450m. That was done in a the blink of an eye compared with some of the things happening here. This is a difficult organisation to point in the same direction. Normally we would go straight to a boardroom vote for ratification, but we're dealing with football and that can be slow and ponderous at times."

 

That was putting it mildly. Glaciers move faster. So where is Scottish football after yesterday? If the agreement in principle is ratified by the SPL and the Scottish Football League – and surely it must be? – both will cease to exist to be replaced by something likely called the Scottish Professional Football League. The SPL will end as an entity after 15 years and the Scottish League after 123. That streamlining is overdue. A rule book and articles of association have been drawn up over recent weeks. An 11-1 voting requirement for issues affecting top flight clubs will be retained.

 

The play-offs will provide end-of-season stimulus for the bottom of the SPL and top of the First Division, helping to maintain competitiveness even in those years when one club becomes detached. That, too, is long overdue, although it will have little effect for most of the top division clubs. From the end of the 2014-15 season the team which finishes bottom of the fourth tier will face a play-off with a non-league team as a pyramid structure begins.

The most significant change is the financial distribution model which will transform the income of the First Division clubs, eroding the discrepancy between them and those in the SPL. This should remove the infamous "financial armageddon" experienced by any relegated club. Instead of the First Division champions receiving around £70,000 they'd get around £380,000. The prize money for all of the top eight in the SPL would be reduced so that it could be shared through the second tier. With a single body, the annual £2m payment from the SPL to the SFL would go into the main pot and so would the SFL's £1m television income for Rangers games.

 

Positions have changed repeatedly during this wearisome saga, consensus has been achieved and lost. We were told there could no cherry-picking of the "good" parts without the extra television money which could be raised by splitting two top tiers of 12 into three mini-leagues of eight. It turns out they could do it after all. The country's sheer exasperation with it all must have helped bang heads together yesterday. "It would be stupid for us to look back and say 'the SPL didn't work' and not look at some of the positives which came out of being in the SPL," said Topping. "We've had some success in Europe, with Celtic and Rangers getting to finals since the SPL has been around. We've had the famous 'helicopter Sundays'."

 

In fact, the SPL will have few mourners and a rebirth will dilute its toxicity. Its clubs reached a consensus yesterday which was not driven by a compulsion to look after No.1. After 15 years, there is a first time for everything.

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[craig 5,199]

The only thing the financial distribution model does is.... instead of creating a massive disparity between the SPL and SFL1, it creates a massive disparity between SFL1 and SFL2 - other than ourselves of course, any team being promoted from SFL2 into SFL1 will find themselves immediately financially hamstrung due to SFL1 teams having greater financial resource.

 

Also interesting is that the SFL1 champions would get 1 million quid.... we, on the other hand, whilst contributing a KNOWN 1 million to the TV deal (but I suspect it is higher as we ARE the only show in town), will receive peanuts - and that is simply more proof that we are indeed subsidising Scottish football.

 

This is nonsense, in my opinion. Very little changes.

[bluebear54 0]

I think fair redistribution is a good thing.

However Craig has a very valid point in that there needs to be an even fairer system than that being proposed. It's a simple matter to make the increments less between SPL2 and 3 clubs and SPL1.

With regards to governance, I'm sure that this will end up being a nastier and dumber version of the SPL. I don't see the smaller clubs surviving.

Then there's the question of how Rangers fans will view it. How will it appear to them with so many having SKY subscriptions but the Club getting a pittance compared to - say - Raith Rovers - who might manage 50 subscribers. How would that affect away ticket sales in the future?

By far the best move here would be for Scottish football to get Rangers fans on board again. Anything else, and the game will slowly die from its own venom.

[Zappa 0]

It's hard to know whether to laugh or cry at the shower of idiots running our game.

[RANGERRAB 3,306]

Whatever happens one thing is for sure - Rangers will subsidise it. This has to stop. We need to get SKY to veto these proposals with its financial distribution which is basically our money. The subsidy junkies of scottish football must be stopped

[bluebear54 0]

It's hard to know whether to laugh or cry at the shower of idiots running our game.

 

If we supported another team, this shower of idiots wouldn't be tolerated. There would be screaming from the rooftops.

[RANGERRAB 3,306]

I think fair redistribution is a good thing.

However Craig has a very valid point in that there needs to be an even fairer system than that being proposed. It's a simple matter to make the increments less between SPL2 and 3 clubs and SPL1.

With regards to governance, I'm sure that this will end up being a nastier and dumber version of the SPL. I don't see the smaller clubs surviving.

Then there's the question of how Rangers fans will view it. How will it appear to them with so many having SKY subscriptions but the Club getting a pittance compared to - say - Raith Rovers - who might manage 50 subscribers. How would that affect away ticket sales in the future?

By far the best move here would be for Scottish football to get Rangers fans on board again. Anything else, and the game will slowly die from its own venom.

 

Absolutely no chance of Scottish football getting Rangers fans on board again. Scottish football is made up of hate-filled anti-Rangers zealots who only want us for the money we bring to Scottish football. They also want us playing in the lowest division possible. I want revenge on these people as it's the only language these cretins understand. For starters let's do all we can to destroy the SKY deal. Request SKY not to include us for starters and advise them there'll be no access to Ibrox. See how that goes down.

[Darthter 542]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/...small.21023629The prize money for all of the top eight in the SPL would be reduced so that it could be shared through the second tier. With a single body, the annual £2m payment from the SPL to the SFL would go into the main pot and so would the SFL's £1m television income for Rangers games.[/b]

 

In essence there is no extra cash being generated by the new structure.....they are just using the same cash that the SFL gets anyway, but weighting it in favour of SFL1 teams....