Doncaster: This is the last chance for change
● Feedback to SPFL board indicates enough interest to revive 14-10-10-10 plan
Neil Doncaster says the latest plans for reconstruction are the last chance to change the league structure before next season.
Clubs have been asked for their opinions on a permanent 14-10-10-10 model after previous reconstruction attempts failed to garner enough support.
Doncaster, the SPFL chief executive, believes there is enough sympathy for the three clubs who face being relegated without playing a full season – Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer – plus support for a permanent change to justify the continued debate.
Doncaster said: “We’ve been consulting with our clubs regarding possible reconstruction.
“Now that 41 out of 42 clubs have responded, it is clear that there is enough support for a permanent 14-10-10-10 structure to merit a second consultation stage and we have written to clubs asking for an indicative vote on whether that is something they would vote in favour of if it was included in a detailed formal resolution.
“We are understandably keen to get clarity one way or another at the start of next week, as the timescales are extremely tight and we are faced with the additional complexities of resuming the season, caused by Covid-19.”
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster says sympathy for the plight of Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer has influenced the 11th-hour bid to implement league reconstruction in time for next season.
Doncaster has confirmed the SPFL board believe there is adequate backing among the current 42 member clubs to advance a proposal for a permanent 14-10-10-10 divisional set-up.
The governing body has now asked clubs to provide an indicative vote on the change by 10am next Monday, with the possibility of a specially sanctioned EGM for a formal resolution taking place seven days later.
If the structure is approved, it would address many of the inequities caused by the earlier decision of the SPFL to curtail the 2019-20 season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hearts would avoid relegation to the Championship, which they have threatened to challenge in court, and retain their place in an extended 14-team Premiership, which would also include Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who were second in the Championship when football was suspended in March.
Partick Thistle would be reprieved from their relegation to League 1, imposed despite the fact they were only two points behind Queen of the South at the bottom of the Championship table with a game in hand.
Falkirk, who were only a point behind Raith Rovers when the Kirkcaldy club were declared League 1 champions, would join them in the Championship.
Stranraer would be spared their relegation from League 1 and would be joined in the third tier not only by last season’s declared League 2 champions Cove Rangers but also second-placed edinburgh city.
In the expanded 44-club SPFL, meanwhile, Highland and Lowland League champions Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts would both be admitted to League 2. Both clubs had expressed their anger at being denied the normal play-off tilt at promotion.
After agreeing that reconstruction proposals submitted by both Hearts and Rangers had no prospect of success, the SPFL board decided that the feedback they received merited a last-ditch attempt for 14-10-10-10.
“We’ve been consulting with our clubs regarding possible reconstruction in recent weeks and asked all 42 clubs to give their views,” said Doncaster.
“Now that 41 out of 42 clubs have responded, it is clear that there is enough support for a permanent 14-10-10-10 structure to merit a second consultation stage and we have written to clubs asking for an indicative ‘vote’ on whether that is something they would vote in favour of if it was included in a detailed formal resolution.
“It’s important to underline that this is not a binding vote and is intended only to steer the board on whether to put forward a formal resolution for voting on, or not.
“Understandably, the consultation exercise confirmed there is sympathy for those clubs relegated at the end of Season 2019-20, but also that there is no reasonable prospect of clubs approving a temporary reconstruction solution.
“However, the board has judged there is sufficient support for a permanent change to merit this second stage of consultation.”
The proposal will need the backing of 11 of the 12 Premiership clubs in the first instance, then at least 17 of 22 clubs from the Premiership and Championship combined and a total of at least 32 of the 42 clubs from all four divisions overall.
“As ever, it will be up to the clubs to decide whether or not to support this proposal and we will be guided by the democratic outcome of the process,” said Doncaster.
“We are understandably keen to get clarity one way or another at the start of next week, as the timescales are extremely tight and we are faced with the additional complexities of resuming the season, caused by Covid-19.”
The move to a 14-team Premiership is understood to have the backing of Sky Sports, whose new five-year TV deal for the top flight begins from the start of the 2020-21 season. The retention of the Edinburgh derby is regarded as a bonus by the broadcaster.
Details on the potential new Premiership format have not been confirmed, but a top six-bottom eight split after the 14 clubs have played each other twice is likely.