Change coming for the SPL

[grizzlyg]

3 minutes ago, weeyin said:

I've seen Arbroath beat us more than once when we were supposedly the superior side.

Are you MJC....Are you MJ.................sorry folks 🤣🤣

[ropy]

1 hour ago, texanwellfan said:

Ok so the two lower leagues would play 3 times and then a split for 5 single games, same as the top league does now? 

Yes, that would be the thinking, but it’s only an option.  We would need to be confident of 18 strong teams and that the second league wasn’t too weak.

[joewarkfanclub]

The biggest problem with any change of league structure is the tv deal. Sky want 4 × The Rangers v Celtic games a season, end of.

We can advocate for bigger leagues and we all know it would help youth development and reduce the issues that come with familiarity, but if Sky say no, and no one else will pay, its dead in the water.

[Happy Dosser]

1 hour ago, weeyin said:

I've seen Arbroath beat us more than once when we were supposedly the superior side.

Yes, they have smoked us a couple of times in my experience........

Sorry, I'll leave the building.

[weeyin]

21 minutes ago, Happy Dosser said:

Yes, they have smoked us a couple of times in my experience........

Sorry, I'll leave the building.

[Happy Dosser]

13 minutes ago, weeyin said:

We’ll  both get into trouble from the site Puritans……..

[well_said]

1 hour ago, joewarkfanclub said:

The biggest problem with any change of league structure is the tv deal. Sky want 4 × The Rangers v Celtic games a season, end of.

We can advocate for bigger leagues and we all know it would help youth development and reduce the issues that come with familiarity, but if Sky say no, and no one else will pay, its dead in the water.

They can have 38 if they want . We dont need them.

[El Grew]

The genesis of the current top league set-up was season 1975/76 with a 10-club Premier Division where clubs played one another 4 times giving a 36 game league season. Prior to this, the top league (1st Division) had 18 clubs that played each other twice, giving a 34 game league season.

I’m pretty sure that under the 18-club 1st Division, the away club got a percentage share of the home club’s gate receipts, but under the 10-club Premier Division this was scrapped and the home club was allowed to retain all its gate receipts and I believe this is still true today. I don’t know if it make any difference or whether it would be acceptable, but maybe if this was re-introduced it would provide clubs outwith the OF with a bigger source of income.

[Kmcalpin]

9 minutes ago, El Grew said:

I’m pretty sure that under the 18-club 1st Division, the away club got a percentage share of the home club’s gate receipts, but under the 10-club Premier Division this was scrapped and the home club was allowed to retain all its gate receipts and I believe this is still true today. I don’t know if it make any difference or whether it would be acceptable, but maybe if this was re-introduced it would provide clubs outwith the OF with a bigger source of income.

Thats correct. The OF were prime movers in getting that arrangement binned. 

[David]

On 9/4/2026 at 4:12 PM, joewarkfanclub said:

The biggest problem with any change of league structure is the tv deal. Sky want 4 × The Rangers v Celtic games a season, end of.

There's also a few other aspects that those in favour of the status quo can point to I think, such as attendances being as high, or higher than they have been in years, the excitement of the split/playoffs seeming to have captured the imagination of fans, and the fact there's very little by way of "dead rubber" games at the end of a season. 

If we're being completely honest, there's probably less evidence that a larger league is the answer than there has been in quite a while I'd think.

[santheman]

Being no fan of having to watch us play the same teams 4 times a season my initial reaction is yes in theory a bigger league would hopefully lead to more variety and opportunities to visit grounds I haven't been to in years.

However the reality is I would have to accept that with the money being more widely distributed  the quality of player we would be able to afford to sign would surely diminish and we would become just another Ayr Utd Raith Rovers etc etc and create an even bigger gap to the OF.

Question is whether that's a price worth paying for the good of Scottish football as a whole.

I rather like where we are just now and I'm not sure I would support any major changes that would lessen our position  as I'm a selfish b*****d.

[thewelllfan]

2 hours ago, santheman said:

Being no fan of having to watch us play the same teams 4 times a season my initial reaction is yes in theory a bigger league would hopefully lead to more variety and opportunities to visit grounds I haven't been to in years.

However the reality is I would have to accept that with the money being more widely distributed  the quality of player we would be able to afford to sign would surely diminish and we would become just another Ayr Utd Raith Rovers etc etc and create an even bigger gap to the OF.

Question is whether that's a price worth paying for the good of Scottish football as a whole.

I rather like where we are just now and I'm not sure I would support any major changes that would lessen our position  as I'm a selfish b*****d.

I think this is why it would never happen because why would we risk where we are but you see with Norway, Sweden, Belgium. The standard of player in those countries is improving because they are getting more homegrown players playing in the top league. We stunt a lot of our potential talent in this country because they aren't being trusted at a young age due to the 'risk' of relegation. You've even seen it this year with us that because our young players went out and played really badly against Stenny they aren't good enough for the level. Now that may be the case but has Luca Ross, Mikey Booth, Olly Whyte even Matty Connolly to an extent been broadly okay when they have played in the league games for us I would say the answer to that is probably yes. Us and St Mirren are currently benefitting from it from even other clubs in our league being unable to give proper game time to their youth players with Lowry and Nsio who have been 2 standouts so far this season but couldn''t get a look in at Rangers. Wilson at Hearts was sent to Spurs because McIness didn't fancy him. I think if you open the league up more you'd realistically see it stay the same or maybe even slightly improve. If we're also desperate for a Split the Belgian League Format they had up to last season with a 16 team league is probably the most plausible but it does make it a 40 game season

[weeyin]

11 hours ago, David said:

If we're being completely honest, there's probably less evidence that a larger league is the answer than there has been in quite a while I'd think.

That's quite possibly because nobody has looked for it, asm the OF in particular, don't want to ask the question "what is the best way to make Scottish football more competitive and distribute income in a more equitable manner?"

[David]

2 hours ago, weeyin said:

That's quite possibly because nobody has looked for it, asm the OF in particular, don't want to ask the question "what is the best way to make Scottish football more competitive and distribute income in a more equitable manner?"

Why would the Old Firm, or any other club for that matter (including us), want to ask those questions? Does any business really want to distribute income more equitably?

[FirParkCornerExile]

It baffles me the amount of Blazers and fans who think changing the leagues changes anything.  All it would do is spread limited income even thinner. Not one league reconstruction in the last 50 years delivered any of the promised benefits 

• It didn't increase attendances
• It didn't result in more young players
• It didn't improve the quality. 
• It didn't make the games more exciting 
• It didn't remove the fear factor. 

Its actually a sad state of affairs that it is all anyone can come up with and they think its radical thinking. Probably explains why fuck all ever changes in the Scottish game. 

For me to be radical we should try and get more excitement and generate more money rather than shuffling who the teams are (off the top of my head)

• Move to summer football, stop trying to be a cheap version of the English Leagues. Secure better TV deals based on Summer Football
• If a game ends in a draw it goes to a penalty shoot out. If you lose the shoot out you get 1 point , if you win it you get 3 points. If you win in normal time you get 4 points. 
• Stop seeding in the League Cup.
• End the League Cup sections (Another thing that was done 50 years ago and was binned because it was boring and fans didn't turn out).
• Away tickets capped at £25 (most clubs home tickets can be obtained for less than that)
• Every teams games able to be streamed live on an SPFL TV reliable platform  (lets look at it realistically many folk already get it illegally anyway, so get the money to the clubs not the IPTV providers)
• Create one ticketing platform where fans can also buy away season tickets (Having to get a physical tickets that gets scanned  anyway at the grounds is a pain in the arse ) 
• Stop allocating a seat number on visiting fans tickets. Print "Sit Anywhere" on every ticket.
• All grounds to have QR codes at the gates so folk can buy at the gate on the day of the game. 
• Stop Sending offs (it generally ruins a game)  a 10 or 15 min sin bin to replace sending off.
• All referees wired to stadium speakers as they have in Rugby to explain VAR decisions . 
• All top League grounds to have Large TV Screens where the VAR pictures are replayed as the decisions are being reviewed  (as they do in international rugby)
• Strict limit of 2 mins on VAR reviews. If they cant decide in 2 mins its not clear and obvious and on field decision stands.
• Points deductions enforced if fans destroy away ground facilities.
• Points deductions   if fans enter the field of play. 
• End the Rangers / Celtic strangle hold on the voting structure

but ALL the authorities  will ever do is change the number of teams in a league cos we are "all bored watching us play the same teams". Not once in 50 years have I ever gone to a game thinking "aw fuck Hearts for the 4th time I wish it was Dunfermline"

Scottish football is so utterly pathetic because they couldn't have a radical thought if their life depended on it. 

[johnstone]

Am I the only one who thinks our league is entertaining. I love the SPL. It’s a bit mental, we have some great games and the atmosphere most of the time is good. 
 

Also as we have proved the best way to increase attendance is to improve the entertainment in the ground. Play good football and fans will come and watch, no matter the result, also playing good football tends to bring success. 
 

It’s not all doom and gloom to be honest. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

8 minutes ago, johnstone said:

Am I the only one who thinks our league is entertaining. I love the SPL. It’s a bit mental, we have some great games and the atmosphere most of the time is good. 
 

Also as we have proved the best way to increase attendance is to improve the entertainment in the ground. Play good football and fans will come and watch, no matter the result, also playing good football tends to bring success. 
 

It’s not all doom and gloom to be honest. 

No I'm with you.  I think its good and exciting ,  that's why i'm so against changing leagues cos it changes fuck all. However any product can be improved . Excitement, increase investment and keeping it affordable are what we should be looking at. However there are plenty things we could do to enhance an already decent product. 

[El Grew]

Having thought about this again, I think maybe we are all missing the point of this debate. The review that’s been carried out has got nothing to do with league re-construction etc. it’s been aimed at asking why we as a nation are so bad in the European and International football arenas.

[Kmcalpin]

42 minutes ago, El Grew said:

Having thought about this again, I think maybe we are all missing the point of this debate. The review that’s been carried out has got nothing to do with league re-construction etc. it’s been aimed at asking why we as a nation are so bad in the European and International football arenas.

Lets start with the SFA...

[Orinoco]

Could it be because our coaches are dinasours and play not to lose rather than play to win. 

Football is a simple game. Pass and move into space to receive the ball. As a kid i was tought that. Yet professional players seem incapable of doing that.

Another thing is that we keep hearing how our players conditioning is miles behind other countries. That surely an easy fix. Guys like Andy Murray, Chris Hoy show with dedication they can improve fitness, which improves performance.

Some players cant seem to play more than 60 mins per game and more than twice a week.  They are tired apparently. Sports science seems to have overseen a decline in players fitness. 

They also dont address the issue that all our best youth is hoovered up by English teams for a pittance. 

There is a danger that rather than focus on the basics, ie fitness and game education they are overthinking it and bringing in ill thought out rules that will make our teams even more uncompetitive in europe and widening the gaps between teams in this country. 

 

[Spiderpig]

35 minutes ago, El Grew said:

Having thought about this again, I think maybe we are all missing the point of this debate. The review that’s been carried out has got nothing to do with league re-construction etc. it’s been aimed at asking why we as a nation are so bad in the European and International football arenas.

Outdated coaching methods, outdated and poorly qualified coaches, a governing body thats not fit for purpose, a league structure thats set up to pander to two teams at the expense of the other 40, lack of talented players, academy players struggling to get game time, a governing body that thinks it can do no wrong,, useless crap referees, a compliant media only interested in two teams.

Thats a few reasons to be going on with.

[Kmcalpin]

Can we compete with big English clubs who pay out fortunes to lure young players to their academies? How do we crack that one?

[stv]

3 hours ago, Spiderpig said:

Outdated coaching methods, outdated and poorly qualified coaches, a governing body thats not fit for purpose, a league structure thats set up to pander to two teams at the expense of the other 40, lack of talented players, academy players struggling to get game time, a governing body that thinks it can do no wrong,, useless crap referees, a compliant media only interested in two teams.

Thats a few reasons to be going on with.

Perfect summary of Scottish Football. 

[mfc88]

There is an episode on the bbc scottish football podcast on this topic called "Why change is needed now to maximise the potential of Scotland's footballing talent". Think its just the sportsound pre-match radio from saturday cut down.

Its a decent listen if interested. Basically incentivising clubs to play academy players in the league and mandating it in the cups.

Whether is comes to anything is another matter. IMO the mandating of it in the cups seems OTT, but overall the arguments put forward for the initiative make total sense.

[thewelllfan]

1 hour ago, mfc88 said:

There is an episode on the bbc scottish football podcast on this topic called "Why change is needed now to maximise the potential of Scotland's footballing talent". Think its just the sportsound pre-match radio from saturday cut down.

Its a decent listen if interested. Basically incentivising clubs to play academy players in the league and mandating it in the cups.

Whether is comes to anything is another matter. IMO the mandating of it in the cups seems OTT, but overall the arguments put forward for the initiative make total sense.

They had a meeting about it with all the SPFL clubs on Friday and a lot of the top flight teams pushed back on it including ourselves if Open Goal is to be believed but the main issue you 'll then get in Scottish football is us and other top flight clubs will then further stump players developments for the sake of them playing maybe 5 games in our first team in the cups and the league games once Europe/Relegation is no longer a possibility rather than going out on loan and getting 30 games at senior level