Tangerines should be one of the top 16

The 2019-20 season is over and Dundee United should be part of a 16-team Premiership next season, according to St Mirren chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick, writes Marc Deanie.

The Buddies legend has urged the SPFL and SFA to make a decision on the conclusion to a campaign left in turmoil by the coronavirus outbreak.

The Hampden hierarchy had hoped Uefa would intervene but European football bosses appeared to wash their hands of domestic issues last weekend.

Fitzpatrick – who wants league reconstruction before the action returns – told the Glasgow Times: “This season is done.

“People don’t like it, but it’s done, so why not make the decision?

“I can understand how difficult it must be for the SPFL and the SFA, so I’m not criticising anybody, but I really think we need some clarity now.

“I know there is going to be consequences with those decisions, but I hope within the next week or so things are clearer.

“I know that everybody is saying we will play the games, but it’s impossible I think if you are listening properly to what is going on.

“There’s been 30 games played, so I’m not in favour of making the season null and void – that would be criminal.

“But I think this is maybe an opportunity to try out something different.

“I’d like to see a 16-team Premiership, but even if it was just Dundee United and Inverness who came up, we do away with relegation and give Celtic the title, that would work for me.

“Rangers have been incredible in terms of where they came from to where they are now, but I think if we’re being honest you couldn’t see them catching Celtic.

“It’s more difficult I think to put teams down, so why not bring the two teams up?

“I would go further and make it 16 teams. I think a real revamp of Scottish football is needed, and why not take the opportunity to have a look at it?

“When you see what the likes of Barry Hearn did with darts and snooker, we need to have that creative thinking too to come up with a product that the big TV companies are going to pay top dollar for.

“This is our chance to do something special with the game, to try things.

“This is a hopefully a once in a lifetime event, who would have thought a virus would stop football completely all around the world in our lifetime?

“It’s a horrible thing to happen, and there are no words to express the impact it is having on people’s lives, and how much we wish this didn’t happen.

“All we can do is try to look at the positive side coming out of it, and what opportunities are there to really revamp things.

“We have to come together and think of the greater good, not just our own selfinterest. I think that is what this whole situation is teaching us in general.”