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Dundee United chairman Steven Thompson’s call to clubs on league reconstruction vote

Determined: 
Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson.
Determined: Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson.

Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson has urged St Mirren and Ross County to consider the greater good of the game ahead of the reconstruction vote.

The Buddies and Staggies have said they will say no to Scottish football’s great shake-up when the top flight clubs gather to cast their ballot at Hampden next Monday.

That would scupper the big idea in spectacular style and cause chaos in the corridors of power at the SPL, SFL and SFA.

Thompson admitted there are elements of the new plans that he disagrees with and the same goes, he argued, with every other Premier League team.

However he insisted that in order to take the game forward, County and Saints should put the welfare of Scottish football as a whole ahead of club self-interest.

Thompson said: “If I were thinking solely about Dundee United I wouldn’t vote for this. But it’s not just about us and the SPL. This package is the right way forward for everyone.

“What has made me change my mind about it? The clubs in the First Division are struggling. If you get relegated then it’s a disaster financially and we have to address that.

“The all-through distribution model is a huge thing, it means the money goes right through the leagues. The clubs in the First Division will get £350,000 instead of a fraction of that.

“We need to push money down the leagues for everyone’s benefit, not just what’s good for us as individual clubs.

“And getting one league body is a step in the right direction. People need to take their club hat off for a minute. It’s easy to shout about things you don’t like.

“There are things in the package I don’t like, like stadium criteria and so on. But I am prepared to overlook that for the sake of the game.

“It’s easy to pick out one or two things you don’t like and focus on them. But it’s all about the greater good.

“You can’t cherry pick, this is a package and we have to push forward with the whole thing. If you start taking one or two aspects of it then everyone will want to take the bits they like and leave the stuff they don’t.

“For every club that’s different so you’d never get agreement. It’s this or nothing, there’s no Plan B on this. There’s no SPL2, there’s no other votes going to happen.

“It’s this package on Monday or nothing.”

County in particular have stated the opposition of their fans to the proposals as a reason for their negative stance.

Thompson has met his own club’s supporters to discuss it but will still be in the yes camp next week.

“I sat down with the committees of ArabTRUST, the supporters’ federation and the Business Trust,” he said.

“Immediately I told them it wasn’t perfect, it’s not something everyone is 100% behind. But looking at the whole picture I feel this is the way we have to go.”