The SPFL’s plan to save Hearts from relegation seems doomed to failure.
On Wednesday Neil Doncaster believed that he had a consensus for reconstruction creating a 14 team top flight on the day that James Anderson’s £3m donation to the SPFL was confirmed.
Proposals for the new look top flight- including Hearts and Inverness Caley Thistle- were sent to the 42 member clubs on Wednesday with the intention of holding an EGM next week but it seems that there are already enough objections to sink the plan.
A 14 team league would involve a split after 26 fixtures which would deny more than half of the clubs a visit from one of the two Glasgow clubs beyond February which would make a big dent in corporate sponsorship and devalue the season ticket sold to fans in the summer.
While the gate money isn’t as significant as previously a club like Ross County can put together hospitality packages that are guaranteed to include visits from Aberdeen, Hibs and one of the Glasgow clubs through until spring.
Picking up on the issues the Daily Record reports:
The late push for 14-team Premiership is on the verge of finally being killed off for good.
Record Sportunderstands Ross County and a plethora of Championship clubs are refusing to shift in their opposition to an enlarged top flight – and are firmly against bringing in a new set up with the fixture list for next term due out in just 10 days.
The SPFL delivered their latest proposal this week and have asked clubs to give an indicative vote by Monday before going towards an official ballot vut the proposal is unlikely to even survive the weekend – leaving Hearts to face up to the reality they will start next season in the Championship.
The plan needs 11 out of 12 Premierships to be on board and 75 percent of the top two divisions and 32 of the 42 clubs overall to go through.
With Scot Gardiner and Inverness Caley Thistle due to benefit from the 14 team league there is virtually no goodwill from Championship clubs towards the proposal.
The clubs in seventh and eighth place at the split would be left with very little to play for over the remaining 14 matches.
