Pressley accuses SPL chief of ‘hiding behind TV deal’

STEVEN Pressley has accused SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster of failing to address the real problems within the Scottish game after announcing a five-year extension to the current broadcast rights agreement worth around £80 million.

Pressley has also urged fellow sceptics within the game, from club managers to the SFA, to unite in rebellion against a move which he believes threatens the future of the game in Scotland.

Doncaster announced the new TV deal with broadcasters Sky and ESPN on Monday, lauding an agreement which will take effect from the beginning of the 2012/13 campaign and represent a financial improvment on the previous £65 million package.

It effectively quashes any suggestion of imminent top-flight expansion, with the retention of four Old Firm encounters every season believed to be imperative to the new contract, and there are fears that this marquee TV deal will do nothing to arrest the decline of attendance figures in the SPL.

It is a constant source of frustration for Falkirk manager Pressley, who has been an outspoken advocate of league expansion as the only way to get disillusioned fans back through the turnstiles.

With his former clubs Rangers, Hearts and Dundee United – as well as the likes of Kilmarnock, Dunfermline and a plethora of lower league clubs – all fighting a daily financial battle, Pressley believes it is foolish and dangerous to prioritise armchair supporters ahead of enticing fans back into the stadiums.

He said: “He [Neil Doncaster] is refusing to address the real issue, which is getting supporters through the turnstiles.

“It’s something I’m very passionate about, and he’s hiding behind the TV deal. The SFA, our governing body, can put pressure on the SPL if they really believe in the need for positive change in our game. That certainly won’t be coming from Neil Doncaster.

“Maybe people don’t agree with me. Maybe I’m a lone voice. But, what I would say is, we are at a pivotal moment in the future of Scottish football in terms of going forward and if people do want a bigger league then let’s hear them.

“The only poll I’ve seen is the one of supporters, and that concluded with a 88 per cent vote in favour of league expansion.”

Pressley has also admitted that he fears this renewed broadcast contract will effectively give Doncaster a mandate to put the idea of a two-tier top flight of 10 and 12 teams back on the table. The plan was widely unpopular among fans and never achieved the required 11 votes from SPL club bosses to bring about the change. Yet the Falkirk manager thinks it is only a matter of time before the SPL chief executive pushes the idea once more – a move which, if successful, Pressley believes with be a “death knell” for Scottish football.

He continued: “The writing’s on the wall. Neil Doncaster has announced an increase in the TV revenue, and I think shortly after that there will be the news that we’re moving towards 12 and a ten-team top divisions.

“I’ve said it before, if the SPL decides to split the leagues into ten and 12 teams then it will be the death knell for Scottish football, and I’ll stick by that.”