22 Jan 2024 15:29:47
League reconstruction will not solve the problem of the Scottish game.
Lack of money.
Poor leadership.
Quality of product on offer.
It is only attractive to those within Scotland and those that support our clubs around the globe.

It has no chance of growing any bigger - the EPL has cornered this market and is the envy of every major league in Europe and beyond.
Where we do let ourselves down is not selling it to those fans around the world who have a vested interest.

And making it more viable to the clubs taking part in the SPFL who would rather sit with 10 men behind the ball, time waste from the first minute to try and hold on to their top flight status by any means necessary.
I would make the top flight 18 teams. No split.
More games means more scope for teams to play better football and bring through youth.

No more plastic pitches.
Home and away format where you only play each other twice.
3 teams relegated.
2 promoted through the top 2 positions in the league below and another through the play-off system - same as the English Championship.

I'd make prize money for where you finish in the league more proportionately spread. Especially since those that qualify for Europe will make more anyway.
Where I would satisfy Sky or A. N. Other broadcaster for the 4 Old Firm games they demand, I would have a mini International tournament where the top 4 from the previous season play each other in a country with a vested interest in our game - Australia, North America etc during the Winter Break.

Travel costs would be financed by the SPFL / SFA as a form of commercial opportunity to grow the game in markets where a large Scottish diaspora have made their home. With prize money on offer, the clubs would take it seriously. And with less games in the league ( 34 instead of 38 ) the Winter break could be extended.

And yes, the ill-fated abandoned trip to Australia is still fresh in our minds. But that parochial outlook will hold us back in the long term.
We won't see changes overnight but in the long run it might just mean a more competitive environment.

The football landscape will possibly change in the near future as money always drives things.
If we can get ahead of this and have a decent product on offer in the next 5 to 10 years we might just not get left behind.

1.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 15:48:54
Well thought out MPH balanced and reasonable, trying to grow a product and showcase too?.

2.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 16:04:56
Innovative and very positive. I like this.

3.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 16:34:55
I agree with most of the points you have made MPH……. what chance has our game got when the Women’s game in England is being touted for sponsorship totalling £1Billion in 10yrs and we get £125mil over 5 yrs. Also Paying that idiot Doncaster £400k per yr is not proportional to the work he does, I could have brokered a better deal than that and I know ZERO about brokering TV deals, and just who agreed his 24month notice period . Personally I would leave this league and go for the super league, what have we to loose. After all it’s not as if we haven’t ever won everything the Scottish game has to offer, it’s all about money now so why shouldn’t we just tell them to stick it and move onwards and upwards.

4.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 16:43:07
I’d vote for that MPH - very well reasoned.

5.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 16:44:33
excellent post MPH .

6.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 17:02:26
You should be on dragons den with that mph ??.

7.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 17:03:43
The Australia thing was due to it being a friendly if we got a super cup type game to play each year abroad a think people would go for it more mate.

8.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 17:10:22
It won’t solve all the problems but will solve one big boring problem playing teams 4 times a year. Forget sky it’s a pittance. I would rather only play them twice a season apart from getting them in cups.

9.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 17:38:16
Excellent post MPH. fling in a British cup to replace the league cup to generate sponsorship and keep sky happy with the loss of the 2 old form games. Our youth would flourish and be given more opportunities to play in first team.

10.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 17:54:24
Agree totally with most points, in particular the shared percentage of prize money in the leagues. Far too much is paid to the winners and 2nd place. As for trying to encourage and entice investment, well I would be looking to have my first Supercup competition in Saudi Arabia against their top teams. We seriously need to change The SPFL and SFA Hierarchy first, leagues are ran by balloons!

11.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 17:59:38
Excellent MPH. Trouble is the vested interests and old brigade. I know its a different debate but 30 years on i'm still annoyed that they rebuilt Hampden and have now bought the bloody thing when access and atmosphere are horrific.

12.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 18:25:41
MrPH, one of the best well written post I’ve ever read on here, very well done.

13.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 19:17:56
Advocat proposed this and it was knocked back by SFA.

14.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 19:45:00
Good post mph. Who was the brains behind rebranding the old English divisions?

15.) 22 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 21:06:17
Good post tattie ?.

16.) 23 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024 23:12:30
Agree with most of that. Something needs to change.

I’ve always believed a 16 team top tier is right, following the Belgian model. Play each team twice, top six split and play each other twice more which guarantees 4 OF games per season and 40 games per season.

I would then have 2 further leagues of 12 teams.

Would be interested in bringing in a rule to ensure all teams must have a certain number of homegrown players actually playing and force all to properly develop youth players.