IT’S SHOWTIME

SPFL begin talks over biggest-ever TV deal

SPFL chiefs will today fly to London to kick-off talks with BT Sport aimed at securing the ‘best TV deal’ the league has ever had.

Chairman Ralph Topping and chief executive Neil Doncaster will lead a delegation including chairmen and chief executives from Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hamilton, Ross County, Partick Thistle and other Premiership clubs for informal talks in the capital.

And Sportsmail understands the get-together is the opening salvo in a plan to negotiate the Premiership’s biggest-ever broadcast deal, with the existing agreement due to end in 2020.

The current contract was last extended in September 2015 but, despite still having nearly three years to run, Hamilton chairman Les Gray told BBC Sportsound last night: ‘I am down in London tomorrow with all the chairmen and Ralph and Neil to discuss with BT the next deal. We are going to meet Sky Sports soon for similar talks. And there is a real positive feeling just now

about getting the best deal we have ever had.’ Gray defended Doncaster after claims from former St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour that the chief executive has now lost credibility with fans and that Celtic’s Peter Lawwell effectively runs Scottish football. ‘If you look back at the Rangers saga, the chairman of a Premier League club — I won’t embarrass them by naming them — said: “Let’s get this all sorted first of all then we will sort him (Doncaster)”,’ claimed Gilmour. ‘I think we have to get to a situation where we bring someone in with credibility. ‘Do you think he has credibility with our support? He has no credibility with supporters.’ Gilmour added: ‘Are you trying to tell me Peter (Lawwell) is not pulling the strings? ‘That’s no criticism. His role is to be chief executive of Celtic and, in terms of his key primary role, Peter does a fantastic job.’