SFA will not bail out SPL clubs

The Scottish Football Association would be unable to offer financial assistance to any Clydesdale Bank Premier League clubs should Setanta Sports fail to fulfil its television deal, chief executive Gordon Smith admits.

There are fears for the future of some SPL clubs if Setanta fails to secure enough financial backing to continue.

The broadcaster failed to pay a £3m (€3.5m) instalment to the league on time earlier this month, resulting in the SPL board releasing cash to the clubs from their own reserves.

But the SFA would be unable to follow suit if the TV firm fails to honour their £13.5m (€15.85m) contract for next season.

“We haven’t even considered it but I would doubt we would be in a position because we have our own budgets to try and meet,” Smith said.

“We do give money to the clubs at the end of the year but we are not in the position to fund that level of shortfall.

“We have our own broadcasting deal which we had to make to take the game forward and this is an SPL problem, although we do see it as a problem for the game in general.”

Setanta had previously asked the SPL to renegotiate the £125m (€147m) four-year contract due to begin at the start of the 2010-11 season.

Smith added: “I am obviously concerned about it because it is a major factor in the game these days, the deals that come in from broadcasters.

“I really do want to see this deal settled, whether it’s Setanta who actually are still in there or whether there is an alternative for the SPL to get their money.

“But it’s crucial to get this money, it’s vital that clubs at the highest level have this level of funding.

“We have six teams in Europe this year, so you can imagine that these teams will all be competing in Europe without any budget and a lot of them can’t make any spending at the moment until they know the situation.

“So I have my fingers crossed for them and I hope it works out to the benefit of the Scottish game.”