SPL promotion play-offs on the cards for next season

A PLAY-OFF system between the Scottish Premier League and the First Division could be in place for the end of next season if proposals for league reconstruction are agreed by the country’s 42 senior clubs.

The proposals, drafted by the Scottish Football Association, have been circulated to those clubs. If adopted, they would mean one unified body for the senior game, to be called the Scottish Professional Football Leagues. Inspired in large part by the review carried out by former First Minister Henry McLeish, the proposals envisage a top flight of 12 as at present, from which the bottom club would be relegated automatically.

The team coming second bottom would be involved in play-offs against the clubs which finish second, third and fourth in the second tier.

Similar play-offs would take place for promotion to the second and third flights, and there would also be two new divisions – Highland and Lowland Super Leagues – below that level. Clubs currently involved in the Highland, East of Scotland and South of Scotland Leagues would be asked at the end of next season if they wished to apply for membership of the new, higher divisions. Junior clubs, which participate in separate leagues, would also be invited to enter the new structure at the base of the pyramid.

In a bid to encourage current SPL clubs to accept the greater risk of relegation, it is proposed to increase the parachute payments for those teams demoted to the second flight, which may be rebranded as the Championship. Clubs would receive more money in both the first and second seasons after going down.

The draft document also envisages changes to the system for distributing revenue among member clubs. As at present, however, the lion’s share would go to those in the top flight.

The paper was drawn up by the SFA’s Professional Game Board which, together with the SPL and SFL, has tried to formulate workable changes. In a letter to the 42 senior clubs, SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said he hoped officials would respond positively to the paper. “I would ask that you give serious consideration to the paper’s suggested way forward, consider the wider implications of change, and feed back your constructive views, thoughts and alternatives,” he wrote.

Clubs have been asked to respond by 23 January – three days before the Professional Game Board plans to discuss a final paper.