The group of SPL clubs unconvinced by the proposal for a 10-team top flight have gained a new member, with St Mirren expressing scepticism.
The Buddies have now joined Dundee United, Inverness Caley Thistle, Hearts and Kilmarnock in deciding that the league have failed to make the case.
Significantly, they are the first club represented in the SPL’s strategic review group, which is behind the blueprint for change, to publicly doubt the proposals which were discussed at Hampden on Tuesday.
After that gathering at the national stadium, SPL chairman Ralph Topping and chief executive Neil Doncaster claimed to be optimistic the plan to have an SPL 1 and 2 with 10 teams in each division would be ratified at the next meeting on January 17.
An 11-1 vote is required to push the proposal through.
Now, though, it appears five clubs are unimpressed by what is on the table.
In a statement, St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour said, “St Mirren have at this stage not changed their position from preferring a 14-team league set-up.
“However, we have to look at the other options. A 16-team option does not work, despite being promoted often by people in the media, who have no idea of the financial responsibilities of running a football club. In this option 15 home league games is not a financial equation for St Mirren that works.
“The two 10s is an option we have to consider as, the way it is being structured at the moment, dropping into the second 10 would not bring the 90% drop in commercial revenue from the premier league to first division that it currently does.
“While we as a club are structured in such a way that we can cope with this sort of drop in revenue the re-organisation, redeployment and redundancy of personnel makes it a very difficult process and does not make it easy to go for promotion the following season without moving the club, at enormous risk, into a serious debt position for at least a season while going for a single promotion place, and this is not something we are prepared to do.”
He added, “Currently the two-10s proposal would see much more of a step ladder in funding all the way from first place in the first 10 to last place in the second 10 and make it much easier to both sustain the club and plan properly for a bright future.
“For this reason it is sensible for the club to consider all proposals, although I emphasise again our preference, should we be able to find a financially stable model, is for a larger top league.”
St Mirren were one of six clubs represented in the strategic review group, along with Rangers, Celtic, Hibs, Motherwell and Aberdeen, and also featuring Topping and Doncaster.
Gilmour indicated there is unlikely to be a final decision taken at the next meeting on January 17.’Far from a ‘done deal”He said, “There has been no vote on this and it is far from a ‘done deal’ as indicated by some parts of the media.
“It will be some time before a final document is produced and a meeting asking for a vote on this document is called.
“The document is still a way from being the finished article and once this is completed the board of St Mirren FC will make their decision to vote for the best option on the table for St Mirren and Scottish football, as they have done over the last 14 years.”
Meanwhile, Rangers manager Walter Smith said he believes an 18-team league would be the ideal scenario, but admits the current financial state of the game means the introduction of two 10-team leagues is the most viable solution.
He said, “I just think it’s very difficult in Scotland to try and achieve the balance in terms of the number of teams who are going to be involved in the league.
“I would think two leagues of 10… would maybe give us the option to come into line with a lot of leagues in other countries.
“It is very difficult for a small country to substantiate a level of 18 first-class teams in the current financial market and I think that is the difficulty that people have in terms of making the decision.
“There is a solution that suits everyone if you have a whole load of extra finance coming in.
“I don’t think there is any doubt that an 18-club league would be what everyone would want, but it is trying to get 18 of a very good standard that will attract television money it is a very difficult environment that we find ourselves in at the moment.”
Former United player Smith noted his ex-club’s opposition to the plan, but pointed out they were one of the teams that thrived the last time the top-flight comprised 10 clubs.
“We had a 10-team league before and I don’t think Aberdeen or Dundee United would have complained about a 10-team league at the period of time when they had a level of success,” said Smith.
“I was at United at that time when they had the 10 teams. It’s not perfect, but I think it is better than what we’ve got at the present moment with the split.”
He added, “United and Aberdeen achieved a level of success during that period of time, and certainly that was when they were at their most competitive in recent seasons.
“It didn’t do them any harm at that stage.”