16 Team Spl

[Harry Chibber]

Admin feel free to move this in a bit but I'd appreciate if you could leave it a couple of days..

First and foremost thanks to all who jotted their email address on the petition I set up half way through last season.  I managed to hit over 200 signatures the other day and decided to pass this on to the SPL.  Although receiving the response I expected I was pleased that someone has taken the time to give some sort of reply....

My original email:

Dear Sirs,

I don't know how much good it will do but we need a different structure

to the SPL.  I care passionately about my league as it represents my

club and more importantly my country.  It is almost embarrassing when we

watch our next door neighbours spend millions upon millions, and that's

the teams at the bottom of the EPL.  We need to make an extreme change

that will interest some real sponsors with some major investment. Increasing

the league structure has to be top of the list as it generates more competition

and diversity.  For example the leagues currently successful around the world,

England, Spain, Italy etc. all have a larger number of teams in their top

domestic league.  16 teamleague is an improvement but it also gives the SPL

it's identity with an obscure number of teams.  I doubt this email will do much

use but truely it is the only option left before the standards drop further and further

behind the rest of the world.

Yours faithfully

Petition]

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reply:

Gary,

Thanks for your e-mail. I note your comments.

League structure is something that is discussed on a regular basis but

the 16-team top flight is not something that has found favour. No system

is perfect but we believe the current set-up provides an exciting and

competitive environment.

You may also be interested to know that we are founding and active

members of the European Professional Football Leagues, a group of the

top leagues in Europe.  Within this group we are highly respected and

have indeed received several enquiries recently about the structure of

out league for other nations looking to our model as a template.

You should also be aware that when the SPL was formed, we were ranked

26th in UEFA's country rankings, based on our clubs' performances in

Europe.  Today we stand at 11th.

It may also be of note that recently we have completed the largest ever

televisions deal with Setanta Sports and have finalised a four year

title sponsorship deal with Clydesdale Bank.  For a nation of only 5

million people, we punch above our weight commercially.

Kind regards

David Ogilvie

Operations Administrator

Scottish Premier League

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I think my dis-satisfaction for the current league format could have been more detailed when i set up the petition but I was drunk and wanted a rant.  If I had started to re-write the thing I would have lost all the original signatures.. you see!!

... anyway thanks again to all who signed it.  It may not have done much good but still shows that Scottish fans care about their league.