Take chance to reform leagues
Annan chief Philip Jones has backed a radical league shake-up that would see two sides promoted to senior football and the creation of a 14-team Premiership.
Athletic’s chairman reckons the coronavirus shutdown offers an opportunity for reconstruction.
Jones wants Kelty Hearts and Brora promoted to the senior leagues
meaning no teams would suf fer relegation this term and the top two in each division would step up.
As a result, 44 sides would compete in Scotland’s senior leagues next season.
All Scottish matches were postponed indefinitely on Friday in response to the global pandemic.
SFA and SPFL officials have yet to declare how they will deal with the consequences, including who are judged league winners and if any clubs will be relegated.
But Jones said: “This is a great chance to reorganise the leagues.
“If they stopped the leagues now you couldn’t have relegations – it wouldn’t be fair.
“It’s a pain in the backside playing every team four times a season. It makes League One and Two stale.
“I’d go even further and let four new teams in. There are Lowland and Highland League teams who can compete and everyone would find their level eventually.
“The relegation and promotion battles would still be there. Reconstruction would liven it up a bit.
“Teams such as Bonnyrigg, Kelty and Highland League teams are all aspiring to join the professional leagues and I feel they would add some excitement.
“Our supporters would love nothing more than to see some fresh competition in the league. And it would bring more fans into the Scottish senior game – some of these teams have healthy crowds.”
But the Annan chief insists any new team joining the senior leagues would have to come up to scratch and own their own grounds.
As a community club who make full use of their facilities, the Galabankies are angered when teams of a similar calibre simply hire match-ready venues to host their home matches.
Jones said: “Teams should be set up to stay up. Teams entering the league should have their own ground. Hiring grounds is something that annoys us at Annan, it’s an unfair advantage.”
Jones admits the Black and Golds could face a battle to keep the lights on with no income for weeks or months during the coronavirus match lockdown.
He said: “We had sold out hospitality and were expecting good crowds for our two home games in March.
“We’ve been clattered. Our players are part-time but we still need to find tens of thousands of pounds a month to pay everybody.
“I can see it becoming a backs-to-thewall time for us, along with other clubs of our stature.
“This is fraught with danger for teams like us and will cause significant hardship in the Scottish game.”