Snow delays SPL reform meeting

The arctic weather which has decimated the fixture card has delayed discussions with leading clubs over wide-ranging reforms of the Scottish game, which were scheduled for today.

Proposals for a two-tier Scottish Premier League, with 10 teams in each division, and changes to the calendar were set to be put to all 12 Clydesdale Bank Premier League clubs today.

But the SPL yesterday postponed the scheduled general meeting until January 4.

Although persuading 12 clubs to vote for a 10-team league could yet prove difficult, the ethos of the plans are understood to focus on reducing the gap in revenues that exists between clubs in the SPL and Irn-Bru First Division.

The clubs are willing to listen to the proposals, but there are hurdles to be overcome.

Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston told BBC Scotland: “I think a 10-team league could work, but there are all sorts of permutations that could work better.

“Most of the managers in the SPL have come out and said that they would prefer a bigger league rather than a smaller league.

“There are also the issue of play-offs; you can have play-offs up and down the leagues as the Dutch have shown.

“There’s all manners of ways of getting the right number of fixtures and having arrangements with play-offs that make it attractive to TV companies and for commercial reasons.

“So a 10-team league might be the right answer or it might not, so I’m keeping an open mind on it.

“There are pros and cons. I think everybody is aware that there have to be compromises and there isn’t a perfect solution that is going to suit everybody.”