SPL scraps plans for January vote on restructure

Aberdeen fans at Easter Road make their feelings known

By Jim Spence

The Scottish Premier League has had to scrap plans for a vote to introduce a top division of 10 teams.

It intended to push the proposal through at a meeting of all 12 clubs at Hampden on 17 January but no formal resolution has been agreed.

"At the meeting we will be seeking approval for change in principle," said SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster.

Clubs could agree to a vote at short notice but one SPL chairman told BBC Scotland: "That won't happen."

Under SPL voting rules, a formal resolution needs to be put to clubs 14 days before meeting and that has not happened.

The chairman speaking to BBC Scotland added: "There has been no resolution, so there is nothing to vote on."

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The 14-day waiting period could be waived if all clubs give their consent.

However, the chairman continued: "If all clubs agree to short notice then it can be less. All have to agree to it and it won't happen."

The package of reform recommended by an SPL steering group also included a second tier of 10 teams, an earlier start to the season and the return of a winter break.

And Doncaster hopes that the changes will be introduced for the season after next.

All of the top flight clubs met at Hampden on 4 January to discuss the proposals, with SPL chairman Ralph Topping describing the talks as 'positive' and representatives of Aberdeen and St Johnstone suggesting there was a willingness to embrace the 10-10 set-up.

But, with four clubs - Dundee United, Hearts, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Kilmarnock now known to be against the changes and St Mirren saying their preference is for a 14-team top league, top flight chairmen are braced for further talks on possible reconstruction.