Time to play through the summer, says Craigan

Stephen Craigan, the Motherwell youth coach and BT Sport analyst, has joined calls for summer football in Scotland to improve the nation’s standing in European football.

He says the SPFL should follow the Scandinavian and Baltic models and play from February/march to October/november.

Recent European results have been awful. Leaving aside Rangers’ humiliation in Luxembourg, St Johnstone have gone out to Trakai of Lithuania this year after being eliminated by Alashkert of Armenia last season.

Hearts were knocked out by Maltese side Birkirkara last year, Motherwell lost to Stjarnan of Iceland in 2014 and Hibs were crushed 9-0 on aggregate in 2013 by Malmo.

Craigan said: “I’d like to think if our season was 17 games old and we played against a team that had two pre-season friendlies we would overcome them.

“Starting a little bit earlier has to give us a chance.

“They changed the season in the Republic of Ireland and Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk got through to the group stages.

“Most clubs in Scotland are bigger than Dundalk and Shamrock yet they have never managed it.

“I have no idea why there is a resistance. We have tried everything else. Something has to change.”

Craigan says the SPFL has to at least consider the idea.

He said: “Somewhere along the line I think it will but it’s going to take a brave person to make that call and a brave decision by clubs to go with it, just to go against the grain.

“People say it rains in June and July. For me a poor June and July is better than a good December and January.

“The SPFL have to look into it – although I would like to think they have done that already. Send people out to the likes of Denmark and Sweden to see how they make it work.”

● Stephen Craigan was speaking ahead of the Betfred Cup group stages, live on BT Sport 1.