Changes

[DornochCaley]

In a few weeks time, Lex Gold will stand down as Chairman of the SPL and a new guy will take charge. This could see the start of a new SPL format with maybe even the league being extended to 16 teams.

[martinskye]

In a few weeks time, Lex Gold will stand down as Chairman of the SPL and a new guy will take charge. This could see the start of a new SPL format with maybe even the league being extended to 16 teams.

Where did you get the info about the increase in league size?

[DornochCaley]

When i was listening to bbc radio scotland they said that there could be some "Serious changes" which i assume would mean changes in the model of the league and the most obvious thing to change is the size of the league as many belive its too small.

[martinskye]

When i was listening to bbc radio scotland they said that there could be some "Serious changes" which i assume would mean changes in the model of the league and the most obvious thing to change is the size of the league as many belive its too small.

I'm all for anything seeing us back into the SPL, just seems too good to be true....

[Scarlet Pimple]

Yes--provided IC T is ready for it the noo. Still blending the team etc.

[CaleyT]

I like the idea of 2 divisions - division one with 20 teams and the other 22 in div 2.

Play each other twice - plenty of variety and none of this over-familiarity and stagnation you get when playing the same few teams 4 times a season.

Might indirectly benefit the Scotland team too - the last time we were any good we had that sort of league set-up, though not quite so many teams

[Council Juice]

I'd like to see 2 leagues of 18.

From there 2 semi pro/amateur leagues (ie Northern League, and Southern) with the top 2 from each being promoted to the 2nd flight.

Once a team is relegated they would be allocated to the most suited league (ie the two most southernly to the South league and nothern to North)

The bottom 3 from the SPL would be relegated. The top two from the "Championship" promoted automatically with the next 4 going into a play off. Semi played home and away. Final at Hampden. Winner goes up.

Top 2 in SPL go for Champ league, Rest Europa league. With only the Scottish cup winners getting into Europe (nothing for runners up - if a team in a league placing already qualifying for Europe wins cup, the next best place team in league gets it)

[Kingsmills]

The fact that the SPL will have a new Chief Executive is not going to lead to league reconstruction. It will be a matter for the 12 member teams who are not going to vote for their much smaller than anticipated cake being shared more ways.

[Council Juice]

Fair point that. Doubt any change to league structure would be made before the deal with Sky/ESPN runs out due to the share reasoning

[Alex MacLeod]

I believe, what we need is three top leagues of 16, 16 and 12 plus 3 feeder leagues. East Scotland, West Scotland and North Scotland. Scrap the SPL and SFL and have the SFA as the controlling body for all Scottish football. Bottom team in each of the top two leagues goes down. Top team in leagues 2 and 3 go up. 15 and 14 places from league 1 play off against 2nd and 3rd from league 2 for spot in top league. Same format for next two leagues. Bottom of league 3 play off with winners from each feeder league for place in league 3.

Nothing like that will ever happen though due to one or two very greedy people.

[Kingsmills]

I believe, what we need is three top leagues of 16, 16 and 12 plus 3 feeder leagues. East Scotland, West Scotland and North Scotland. Scrap the SPL and SFL and have the SFA as the controlling body for all Scottish football. Bottom team in each of the top two leagues goes down. Top team in leagues 2 and 3 go up. 15 and 14 places from league 1 play off against 2nd and 3rd from league 2 for spot in top league. Same format for next two leagues. Bottom of league 3 play off with winners from each feeder league for place in league 3.

Nothing like that will ever happen though due to one or two very greedy people.

I agree except that I fear that the greedy people number much more than one or two.

[caleyboy]

I believe, what we need is three top leagues of 16, 16 and 12 plus 3 feeder leagues. East Scotland, West Scotland and North Scotland. Scrap the SPL and SFL and have the SFA as the controlling body for all Scottish football. Bottom team in each of the top two leagues goes down. Top team in leagues 2 and 3 go up. 15 and 14 places from league 1 play off against 2nd and 3rd from league 2 for spot in top league. Same format for next two leagues. Bottom of league 3 play off with winners from each feeder league for place in league 3.

Nothing like that will ever happen though due to one or two very greedy people.

I agree that change is needed but turkeys do not vote for Christmas.

[DornochJAGGIE]

I would like the set-up to be like England, where all the leagues are joined together. For examle if a team from the third division gets relegated then they go into the highland league or the juniors depending which region they are.

[Harry Chibber]

I've been campaigning for a 16 team SPL for years now but can't see it happening

[Scarlet Pimple]

'Tis the only way to go.

I advocate a return to the A Divsion, B Division and the C Division. That way everybody learns their ABC's and everything will settle down nicely with Full Backs, Centre Forwards. Centre Half's , rRght and Left Wing Halfs,Inside Rights and Inside Lefts and Inside knowledge will be more easdily disseminated amongst the fans. There will also be no strikers just Centre Forwards. That way we will not have to put up with lone strikers, especially at Rangers where loan arrangers are a dime a dozen, non-existent formulations of 2 4 4 ,or whatever , which nobody over the age of 70 can possibly understand; no substitutes, thus doing away with the farce of the last sub coming on with one minute to go and, not yet having found his sea (sorry grass ) legs , thusly proceeds to let in the final goal for the opposition leading to unseemly riots ete , etc.

The list of improvements is endless but personally speaking I always just went to a match to see goals and since nowadays these appear to be few and far between what is the point of gradual change over the past 40 years if it simply results in that time old adage beeing sung as the modern refrain..."Same old , Same old".

Yes , my dears, a return to the good old days at Telford Street and Cathkin Park would be a blessed relief for an older sojer before he finally croaks . Meantime I merely reminisce...... :P

[The Mantis]

As was said above, turkeys won't vote for xmas. Maybe the most likely change is SPL 2.

I've lived through an 18 team league and I'd love it to come back, or at least 16, but I can't see the middle sized clubs ever agreeing to give up their 4 games v the OF. Shame as the game is slowly dying in this country.

Can't compare it with England either. Population is too sparse - clubs can bankrupt themselves with travelling to play in front of a few hundred. Just look at the early rounds of the Scottish to see that.

The first time I went to a baseball match over the pond I saw what would happen here 10 years later. A top layer of mega clubs in the Champions league, getting richer and richer on the TV money and selling the jerseys worldwide, then just below, all the others, skint.

Edited September 17, 2009 by The Mantis