St Mirren chairman calls for SPL overhaul

St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour insists the Bank of Scotland Premier League is in need of a complete revamp to avoid further embarrassment in future.

Scottish football’s elite league has descended into farce for the second year running after last week's decision to deny Bell’s First Division champions Inverness entry to the top flight.

The Highland side’s Caledonian Stadium does not meet the current 10,000-seater criteria and they failed to win the backing of the eight SPL clubs required for their ground-share plan with Aberdeen to go ahead.

Last week’s ruling meant Partick Thistle, who finished bottom, thought they had escaped relegation – like Motherwell last year – only to find out the issue will be re-examined at another meeting on June 22.

St Mirren stumped up their own cash to upgrade their Love Street home to meet the 10,000-seat rule when they won promotion in 2000 and Gilmour has watched the events of the last seven days in disbelief.

He insists the only way forward is for Scottish football to be ruled by a single body again and for the top flight to be expanded beyond 12 teams.

Gilmour said: “There need to be changes. The 12-team structure is simply not working and the only thing holding it all together is the finances, but there is a large percentage of SPL clubs in trouble financially.

“It would be a pleasant change to see us return to one governing body for Scottish football and for bigger leagues to be introduced.”