Scottish Premiership could increase or decrease in size as four options emerge for league reconstruction

Plans to increase or decrease the size of the Scottish Premiership are being considered by the Scottish Professional Football League as part of league reconstruction proposals.

The SPFL's working group, made up of representatives from clubs across all four divisions, has drawn up four different options that include maintaining the current 12-team structure, reducing the number of clubs to 10 or expanding the top flight to a 14 or 16-team league.

Meetings are being planned to establish the best way forward, although any change would require a significant majority vote from the SPFL’s member clubs.

An SPFL spokesperson said: “The SPFL’s competitions working group will be meeting shortly to discuss several different options for league reconstruction.”

The SPFL are considering four options for league reconstruction involving the Scottish Premiership. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Reconstruction talks have been partly driven by an increased strain on the fixture schedule, with extra European matches leaving fewer available dates in the domestic calendar. Premiership sides currently play 38 league fixtures per season.

Any proposed change would require the backing of 11 out of 12 Premiership clubs plus 75 per cent of Premiership and Championship clubs combined, as well as 75 per cent of the 42 SPFL clubs combined in order to pass.

Scotland’s top flight has consisted of 12 teams since switching from 10 for the 2000-01 season.

There has long been a demand from many supporters to see the league increased in number in order to add variety and cut down on the number of times teams face each other in a season.

However, there is also concern among those responsible for sourcing TV and sponsorship deals that increasing the number of teams in the league would dilute the overall quality and reduce the number of showpiece fixtures between the bigger clubs.

One report has claimed that the return to a 10-team Premiership, with a drop in the number of fixtures from 38 to 36, has emerged as the preferred format rather than the increase to 14 or 16 clubs favoured by the majority of fans.

According to the Herald, a ten-team second tier would be followed by a third division of at least 16 teams.

The report also claims that the SPFL have received a discussion document proposing that the current fifth tier of the pyramid – the Highland League and Lowland League – should be replaced with a new tier of three regionalised leagues, based on the north, the east and the west.