No need to delay, expansion plans for SPL are overdue

Published on Sunday 14 March 2010 23:30

It is refreshing to hear the SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster calling for an extended Scottish Premier League.

Scotland has a relatively small population and it is a nonsense that large clubs like Dundee, Dunfermline Athletic and Partick Thistle are floundering around in the First Division. All three clubs have a good all-seated stadium, excellent facilities, undersoil heating and potentially large crowds.

The immediate extension of the league to at least 16 teams would mean an end to the current ridiculous split, a reduction in the turnover of up and coming managers (Eddie May being the latest victim), the excitement of play-offs, an end to the increasing familiarity of the teams, who play each other as often as six times in one season, a 30-match league season which would facilitate a winter break, and arguably enhance our European prospects. It would also produce enhanced financial benefits for our clubs in recession, and youth development would benefit.

I am biased, in that I have been a Pars fan for 45 years. I am very concerned to see Dunfermline Athletic almost 12 million in debt and posting a loss of 825,000 to 31 May 2009, despite a commendable 10 per cent increase in turnover to 2.6 million.

Dunfermline in the SPL play to average gates of 7,000. Dundee play to in excess of 10,000. Yet we have some SPL matches now playing to 4,000 or less, and that is a bad advert for our game when televised nationally and one needs to entice sponsors.

Jim Jefferies has long been an advocate of a bigger league. Craig Brown, Walter Smith and others are offering their support. The overwhelming majority of fans support this proposal.

Do we really need to delay? The present set-up is unsustainable.

JOHN LLOYD

Dalgety Bay West

Hibs goal machine Gordon's heart lay at Easter Road

I enjoyed reading the many articles and letters paying tribute to the late Alan Gordon published in The Scotsman.

I attended my first ever Hibs game in September 1972 and Alan became an instant hero of mine as he scored twice in a famous 6-1 win over Sporting Lisbon.

That was the first of many goals I had the pleasure to witness him scoring in the green and white of Hibs, and while those Hearts supporters whose letters you published may disagree, Alan found his spiritual home at Easter Road. It was there that he could more often than not be found watching his football after he retired and he frequently acknowledged Eddie Turnbull's wonderful side of the early 1970s as the finest he was lucky enough to play in.

Thanks for the memories Alan.

KEN BURT

Duddingston Road West

Edinburgh