‘There will be reconstruction’ if Falkirk win title

Peter Houston believes a new league structure would be rushed through. Picture: Ian Georgeson

And Falkirk manager Houston believes that if they could beat both of their rivals to the one automatic promotion slot, the revamp Bairns chairman Doug Henderson has called for will be firmly on the agenda.

Houston said: “Do you think if Rangers and Hibs don’t go up this season there might be league reconstruction? Or if Falkirk went up as champions? I know what I think would happen. There would be league reconstruction. Scottish football is in a scenario now where we need big clubs back in the top league.

“We played in a cup final last year. We are arguably a bigger club than Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who we played – not on the pitch, maybe, but we have over 3,000 season ticket holders. I would suggest that’s more than Inverness, Ross County, Hamilton Accies or St Johnstone; maybe even Partick Thistle. But they are all in the top league and Rangers and Hibs and ourselves are not.

“We are talking about our national game. We want it to be as strong as it possibly can be. We want the national team back at major international tournaments. I don’t know if creating bigger leagues would do that but, being honest, we want our big clubs back in the top division now. The Premiership 12 are there for a reason, because they did the business on the park. But I think there will be league reconstruction because there is an acceptance that we need our big clubs back in the Premiership. If Falkirk went up as champions I think they would do it – I hope it can happen like that.”