The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Doncaster defends motif
NEIL DONCASTER hopes the rebranding of the First Division as the Scottish Championship can help reflect the “elevated” status of the second tier.
The new Scottish Professional Football League chief executive yesterday revealed that the four divisions would be termed the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Championship, Scottish League One and Scottish League Two, replicating the names of the English leagues.
The lion logo of the SPFL, which was formed when the two league bodies merged, is also very similar to the Barclays Premier League insignia.
Amid accusations of a lack of imagination in the branding, Doncaster insisted the motif reflected the passion and drama of the Scottish game and feels the change of name for the second tier will send a message about its importance.
Doncaster, a former Football League director, said: “People are certainly familiar with what it represents. When the names changed in England, we saw the Championship elevated in terms of stature within the game and our sincere hope is that will also be the case here.
“So many of the changes we have created - the redistribution of £ 1.5 million from the top flight to the second tier, the introduction of play-offs that will k eep the Scottish Championship alive right to the end — so much of the benefit is about Championship clubs and ensuring full-time professional football is viable at that level.”
The SPFL remains without a main sponsor ahead of the season opener between Partick Thistle and Dundee United a week on Friday, but Doncaster believes it is now in a stronger position to attract a k ey business partner.
“We’ve only been in existence for three week s, we now have clarity and certainty about the structure people will be investing in and we now have the branding and names of the different tiers of Scottish football,” he said. “Let’s see where that gets us. “I’m confident, particularly with the benefit of at least four years of clarity with broadcasting contracts, that puts us in a very good place for conversations with partners and sponsors.”
Meanwhile, former Ibrox boss Graeme Souness insists only a fool would think Scottish football has not suffered as a result of Rangers’ absence from the top flight.
The Light Blues dropped down to the Third Division this time last year after the newco club were denied entry to the Scottish Premier League following liquidation.
At the rebranding launch event at Hampden yesterday, he said: “Rangers, by anyone’s standards, are a big, big football club.
“I’ve got a totally biased opinion about them but it would be a fool who thought that the game hadn’t suffered by Rangers being demoted.
“The interest, the cash they generate, the interest there would be from sponsors with them being around — I think the game has suffered and I think you would be a fool to deny that.”
He added: “They find themselves where they are and they have to deal with that and they will deal with that.
“Ally [McCoist] did a great job last year and will do a great job again this year.
“They have to take their medicine and get on with it and deal with it.
“They find themselves in this league and you can only beat the teams that you’re playing each week.
“They did that last year and I expect them to do it again this year.”