SPL Reconstruction

First topic message reminder :

After recent discussions about the state of the SPL and Scottish Football in general, there is no denying that the Scottish game needs re-vamped as it did this time last year when the 12 member clubs could not agree on a satisfactory change in the set-up and therefor stuck with what's in place despite no-one actually liking the current system, I've decided to write what I believe would be a far more interesting and attractive league, it would also have to realistically fall into the guidelines set by SKY (4 Old Firm games a season) and it's a particular format I've not seen mentioned or discussed so quite possibly it's an idea that hasn't been explored.

Well there is a big problem with re-constructing the Scottish Premier League, SKY have it built into their contract that there must be four Old Firm games a season and the only way to guarantee that is to have four league games, now four games a season hinders many potential formats, although I've been working on one that I believe would not only freshen up the league but give most teams something to play and aim for until the end of the season

I believe we should have an 16 team league with 3 teams relegated, two bottom sides and a play off between two other teams

Every team would play each other twice, 15 home & 15 away, 30 games isn't nearly enough and also leaves the league short of two Old Firm games, so after 30 games the league would split into four mini sections of four which would see teams playing the other three teams in their particular section home and away to take the final tally of games to 36, the points would remain in tact but every section would have a consequence.

Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
Team 4
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Team 5
Team 6
Team 7
Team 8
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Team 9
Team 10
Team 11
Team 12
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Team 13
Team 14
Team 15
Team 16


With this format only clubs who would face each other four times throughout the league season are the clubs who after 30 games finish in their respective sections, teams 1st-4th would face each other a further two times as would 5th-8th, 9th-12th and 13th-16th, it also leaves the possibility for 6 massively important games during the final six weeks of the season, for example if the top four clubs where Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Dundee Utd the final 6 league weeks of the season could look something like this

Wk 31
Celtic vs Ranger
Dundee Utd vs Hearts

Wk 32
Hearts vs Celtic
Rangers vs Dundee Utd

Wk 33
Dundee Utd vs Celtic
Rangers vs Hearts

Wk 34
Celtic vs Hearts
Dundee Utd vs Rangers

Wk 35
Rangers vs Celtic
Hearts vs Dundee Utd

Wk 36
Celtic vs Dundee Utd
Hearts vs Rangers

This would be the same throughout the league within each mini section.

Teams 1, 2 and 3 in the first section would automatically qualify for Europe and the team who finish 4th would enter a European Play-Off

Teams in the second section fighting for that 5th spot for the European Play-Off

Teams in the third section fighting one another in an attempt to avoid finishing 12th which would enter them into the Relegation play-off

Teams in the fourth section would be fighting to finish 13th in order to 'win' their mini section and avoid relegation, the bottom two teams would go down with the 3rd bottom entering the Relegation Play-Off

So all in all we'd have a 36 game Scottish Premier League, which would then include European and Relegation Play-Off's, we'd also be guaranteed 3 promoted clubs each season which helps keep it fresh and the only clubs who play each other four times are the clubs in your section at the end of the season, this would also safe guard SKY's clause that their must be 4 Old Firm games

Champions
Team 1

European Play-Off
Team 4 vs Team 5

Automatic Relegation
Team 16 & Team 15

Relegation Play-Off
Team 12 vs Team 14

I hope that was easy enough to understand, what do others think of this type of Leafue Reconstruction?

For me this is still my preferred set-up for any revamp of the SPL

Starting from season 2013/14 we need to have three professional leagues instead of four with a pyramid system underneath the bottom tier.

• 16 Team SPFL

• 16 Team SFL1

• 10 Team SFL2

• North, East, South, West Pyramids

• European Play-Off's

• SPFL Play-Off's

• SFL1 Play-Off's

• SFL2 Play-Off's with Pyramid winners

• One Governing Body

• Better distribution of Finance

• 50/50 split in Non Season ticket gate money after expenses


4 automatically go up from first Division and 5th place team will enter a play-off with team who finishes bottom of SPL that will enable the SPL to expand to 16 teams

The rest of the division 6th-10th (and either SPL team 12 or SFL team 5) will remain in SFL1 and be joined by teams 1st-8th from SFL2 and the winners of SFL3 and the final spot for the new 16 team First Division will be decided in the Play-off's between 9th in SFL2 and 2nd, 3rd & 4th in SFL3

So the League set up will look like:

16 Team SPFL
16 Team SFL1
10 Team SFL2

SPFL:
Teams will face each other twice, Home & Away until every side reaches 30 games, after that the league splits into four sections, Top 4, Second4, Third4 and Bottom4, each team will play the other side in their section a further two times Home & Away for a total of 36 game season

Play-Off's:
The Final European place will be decided by a Home & Away Play-Off between team who finishes bottom of Top4 (4th) and team who finishes top of Second4 (5th)

Team who finishes Second bottom of the Bottom section (15th) and team who finished Runner Up in SFL1 will enter a One off SPFL Play-Off at Neutral venue

Team who finishes third Bottom of Bottom Section (14th) and team who finishes 3rd in SFL1 enter Home & Away SPFL Play-Off

Team who finishes Bottom of Third section (12th) and teams 4th, 5th and 6th in SFL1 would enter a SPFL Play-Off


SFL2
Team that finishes Top is Automatically Promoted and replaced in SFL2 with team that finishes bottom of SFL1

Team that finishes Runner Up of SFL2 and team that finished second Bottom of SFL1 enter a one off Play-Off at Neutral venue

Teams that finish 3rd, 4th and 5th enter SFL1 Play-Off's with loser of Play-off between team that finish bottom of third section (12th) and team that finishes 3d bottom of bottom section (14th)

Team that finishes bottom is relegated to the pyramid with all four winners of each section facing off in SFL2 Play-Off's

I'd love to see a 16 team SPL and this is how I think it could be viable for TV, Sponsors and most importantly fans

• Every club plays each other Home & Away to make up 30 fixtures before splitting into four sections dependant of League Positions

• Every Club will then play the other 3 teams in their section Home & Away

• The clubs that finish the 36 game scheduled in 4th and 5th place will then enter a two legged Play-Off for the final European place available

• There will be one definite Relegation spot and three separate teams placed in Play Off's, Team 15 and SFL1 Team2 will have a one off Play-Off at a Neutral venue, SPFL Team14 and SFL Team3 will have a Home & Away Play-Off, SPFL Team12 and SFL Teams 4,5 & 6 will enter Play-Off's

• The team who finishes top of the bottom section after the split will escape the Relegation Play-Off and the team which finishes last in the second bottom section will be entered into the Relegation Play Off's

• Every section would have a consequence which in turn would maintain interest for almost every club in the league for as long as possible

• SPL Promotion/Relegation Play-Off's would give SFL1 clubs a major boost and give them something to strive for knowing they only need to beat one team over two legs to win Promotion

• Every club would only play three teams 4 times a season with the exception of Team 4 & 5 who would play four clubs 4 times a season, everyone else would only face each other twice

*** EXAMPLE OF PROPOSED LEAGUE STRUCTURES ***

Team 1 Champions
Team 2 Runners Up
Team 3 Europa League Qualifier
Team 4 European Play-Off
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Team 5 European Play-Off
Team 6
Team 7
Team 8
----------------------------------------------
Team 9
Team 10
Team 11
Team 12 SPFL Play-Off SFL1 Teams 4, 5 & 6
---------------------------------------------
Team 13
Team 14 SPFL Home & Away Play-Off SFL1 Team 3
Team 15 SPFL Play-Off SFL1 Team 2
Team 16 Relegated


SFL1
Team 1 Champions - Automatic Promotion
Team 2 SPFL Play-Off with SPFL team 15
Team 3 SPFL Home & Away Play-Off vs Team 14
Team 4 SPFL Play-Off's
-----------------------------------------------
Team 5 SPFL Play-Off's
Team 6 SPFL Play-Off's
Team 7
Team 8
----------------------------------------------
Team 9
Team 10
Team 11
Team 12 Play-Off vs Team 14 (loser enters play-off with SFL2 team 3,4 5
---------------------------------------------
Team 13
Team 14 Play-Off vs Team 12 (loser enters play-off with SFL2 team 3,4 5)
Team 15 SFL1 Play-Off SFL2 Team 2
Team 16 Relegated to SFL2

SFL 2
Team 1 Champions - SFL1 Automatic Promotion
Team 2 SFL1 Play-Off with SFL1 Team 15
Team 3 SFL1 Play-Off's
Team 4 SFL1 Play-Off's
Team 5 SFL1 Play-Off's
Team 6
Team 7
Team 8
Team 9
Team 10 Relegated



European Play-Off
Team 4 vs Team 5

One-off SPFL Play-Off
SPFL Team 15 vs SFL1 Team 2

Two Leg SPFL Play-Off
SPFL Team 14 vs SFL1 Team 3

SPFL Play-Off's
Semi 1 - SPFL Team 12 vs SFL1 Team 6
Semi 2 - SFL1 Team 4 vs SFL1 Team 5
Final Winner 1 vs Winner 2

One-off SFL1 Play-Off
SFL1 Team 15 vs SFL2 Team 2

Two Leg SFL1 Play-Off
SFL1 Team 14 vs SFL2 Team 3

SFL1 Play-Off's
Semi1 SFL1 Team12/14 vs SFL2 Team6
Semi2 SFL2 Team 4 vs SFL2 Team 5
Final - Winner 1 vs Winner 2

SFL2 Play-Off's
Winner of North vs Winner of East
Winner of South vs Winner of West
Final - Winner 1 vs Winner 2