Proposal for 14-team top flight with 8-6 divide
● Convoluted plan could save Hearts
leaked document which outlines how a 14-team Scottish Premiership could be created along with a major reshuffle of the rest of the leagues has emerged amid the ongoing debate about how to finish the 2019-20 season.
The blue print, ent it led“spfl Reorganisation: Accommodating the premature end of season 19-20 and creating a manageable structure for the future of Scottish football”, contains a detailed step-bystep explanation of how the divisions will be shaken up – but is not thought to be an official SPFL document.
The Scotsman understands that the proposal may have been drawn up by one of the 42 member clubs.
Increasing the top flight to 14 clubs would mean no relegation and a potential lifeline for Hearts who are currently four points adrift at the bottom of the table.
It is also proposed that the top league splits into a top eight and bottom six after all teams have played each other twice.
Any alterations to the existing league set-up would need overwhelming support from members, requiring at least 11 Premiership clubs to back the move along with a majority of teams down the divisions.
There will be four tiers in the new structure but with the bottom division split into two on regional grounds. The suggested set-up would comprise: Premiership 1, Premiership 2, Championship and League 1 North and League 1 South.
Under the terms of the proposal, the top tier would start with 14 teams who play 26 matches i.e. clubs facing each other home and away before a mid-season break at the end of January.
The division then splits into the top eight teams – Premiera
“Anyalterationsto the existing league set-upwouldneed overwhelming support frommemberclubs”
ship 1 – who will play each other home and away resulting in a 40-game season.
The bottom six teams will then be joined by the top two teams in the Championship to create the Premiership 2. The eight teams will also play a further 14 games to complete a 40-game season for all clubs barring the two promoted Championship teams, who will play 36.
A league trophy will be presented to the champions.
The Championship will have 12 teams in the pre-split phase, who will play each other home and away after each club has played 22 games.
After the top two have joined Premiership 2 the remaining ten Championship clubs play a further two times with the
champions winning the league trophy and the tenthplaced team being relegated.
In terms of play-offs, the Championship winners would play the team finishing second bottom in Premiership 2, while the Championship runners-up will play the team finishing third bottom in Premiership 2. The winning teams from both ties will contest a play-off final.
The team finishing secondlast in the Championship (ninth) will play-off with the League 1 runner-up.
The remaining clubs will see significant change in the lower reaches of the SPFL, with the creation of League 1 North and League 1 South.
This has been suggested for economic reasons with the expectation that regionalising the divisions will reduce travel costs and create more derby matches.
There are four remaining spaces for clubs in the new League 1 structure. The SPFL has already indicated that one team each will be bumped up from the Highland League and Lowland League, with the remaining two slots going to Premiership “colt” teams, or a second member of the Highland League and Lowland League.
The teams in both League 1 divisions will play each other four times, resulting in a 36-game season. Play-offs will then be held to decide automatic promotion to the Championship.
The League 1 North winners will face the League 1 South runners-up, and the League 1 Northrunners-upwillfacethe League 1 South winners.
The two winners will then contest a play-off final, the victors being automatically promoted and the losing finalists playing the second-bottom Championship team.