Saints won’t rule out future reconstruction talks

St Johnstone will not be shutting the door on future league reconstruction discussions.

Talks on re-shaping the structure of the SPFL did not receive the required backing when top-tier clubs held a virtual meeting last Friday.

Saints opted against a set-up change for now but the Perth club’s board believe that reconstruction should not be taken off the table moving forward.

McDiarmid Park hierarchy noted it was“unrealistic to overcome the many intricacies and complexities”in pushing through current proposals in such a short space of time.

But, in a statement, the Saints board said:“Firstly, we’d like to state categorically that as a club we‘re not against reconstruction.

“In fact, our chairman Steve Brown has been a vocal supporter of league construction for a number of years. And, in that time, he has spoken to numerous clubs throughout the divisions.

“He has also raised the topic of league reconstruction at Premiership meetings.

“Although clubs were open to the idea, it was never taken forward to a formal discussion.

“St Johnstone Football Club was heavily involved in the last league reconstruction discussions.

“The process began in November 2012, and by April 2013, the Premiership clubs thought they were in a position to clear the formidable 11-1 voting hurdle.

“Unfortunately, it did not obtain the necessary support required. It was more than apparent prior to our discussions last Friday that the majority of clubs both in the Premiership and elsewhere wanted a permanent solution.

“With this in mind, we were of the opinion that it was unrealistic to overcome the many intricacies and complexities involved in pushing through any reconstruction proposals in such a short space of time.

“We were concerned that there was a potential risk to the broadcast deal which is the only realistic source of income for all 42 clubs for the foreseeable future.

“In our opinion, it would be negligent and reckless to do something with the knowledge that it could likely have a detrimental effect to income sources.

“Lastly, we are keen to stress that the issue of league reconstruction should not be taken off the table and we remain open to future discussions.”