Yesterday the SPL approved proposals to establish an SPL 2 from season 2008/09. Great you might think, but is it.
10 Scottish league clubs will be invited to enter as long as they have at least 3,000 seats and undersoil heating.
Ayr United currently do not match that criteria and so have the best part of two seasons to develop their ground.
This league construction will leave only 20 clubs outside the SPL set up. Currently, with 30 clubs the Scottish League does not have a sponsor - Bells having pulled out last season.
If these 30 with the larger clubs such as St Johnstone, Partick Thistle and Dundee cany bring in a sponsor what chance 20 clubs with just the likes of East Stirling, Arbroath and Stenhousemuir as a pull have.
The answer is probably None!.
I ask what happens to these 20 clubs (which may include my team Ayr United) when this change takes place.
It has l;ong been said that 42 clubs in Scotland is unsustainable and that amalgamations and closure may be required to bring the league to a more sustainable level of senior clubs.
This new SPL 2 may just be the excuse many have been waiting for to start this process.
These 20 clubs will neither have the money, nor any way of attracting the money to compete with SPL 1 and 2 and so a new era is definately near to hand.
Could these 20 be the start of a Conference type league in Scotland or could it be the end of the road for some of the most historic of Scottish clubs.
10 Scottish league clubs will be invited to enter as long as they have at least 3,000 seats and undersoil heating.
Ayr United currently do not match that criteria and so have the best part of two seasons to develop their ground.
This league construction will leave only 20 clubs outside the SPL set up. Currently, with 30 clubs the Scottish League does not have a sponsor - Bells having pulled out last season.
If these 30 with the larger clubs such as St Johnstone, Partick Thistle and Dundee cany bring in a sponsor what chance 20 clubs with just the likes of East Stirling, Arbroath and Stenhousemuir as a pull have.
The answer is probably None!.
I ask what happens to these 20 clubs (which may include my team Ayr United) when this change takes place.
It has l;ong been said that 42 clubs in Scotland is unsustainable and that amalgamations and closure may be required to bring the league to a more sustainable level of senior clubs.
This new SPL 2 may just be the excuse many have been waiting for to start this process.
These 20 clubs will neither have the money, nor any way of attracting the money to compete with SPL 1 and 2 and so a new era is definately near to hand.
Could these 20 be the start of a Conference type league in Scotland or could it be the end of the road for some of the most historic of Scottish clubs.
