SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE:DISCUSSIONS WITH leading clubs over wide-ranging reforms of the Scottish game have been deferred until the New Year after the Scottish Premier League postponed today's scheduled general meeting.
Proposals for a two-tier SPL, with 10 teams in each division, and changes to the calendar were set to be put to all 12 Premier League clubs. However, the Arctic weather conditions which have decimated the fixture programme and disrupted travel across Scotland have caused the SPL to rearrange the meeting for January 4th. The radical plans would mean a 36-match league season and the removal of the split, which has caused numerous controversies due to the anomalies in fixtures.
One automatic promotion place would be supplemented by play-offs between the ninth-placed team in the top tier and three teams in the second tier.
Those changes are unlikely to come into force straight away but a July start date, coupled with a winter break, could be introduced next season ahead of reconstruction.
Meanwhile, SPL secretary Iain Blair has admitted he can not remember such a fixture backlog so early in the season after another four matches were postponed at the weekend.
Fifteen games have now been lost to the snowy and freezing conditions over the past four weekends with just one of those, Motherwell’s defeat by Hearts, subsequently going ahead.
Blair has not ruled out the prospect of the season being extended and he admitted there was already little room for manoeuvre in the calendar. “I certainly don’t remember quite so much congestion by this stage in the season previously. There is still some flexibility in the calendar in terms of getting matches played midweek.
“We can schedule matches up against the Champions League and the Europa League. It’s not something we like to do but that is a possibility.”
Only two matches – Kilmarnock’s victory over Hibernian and a draw between Inverness and Hearts – took place at the weekend following more snow across Scotland.
Late in the game at Rugby Park, Irish midfielder Liam Miller was sent off following a bizarre, long delay.
The Hibernian player clipped the heels of Dubliner Conor Sammon as the Killie striker ran into the box before confusion reigned over the outcome.
Referee Craig Thomson gave a free-kick despite claims the offence took place inside the box, maintaining his decision after talks with assistant Brian McGarry.
Killie looked set to take the free-kick before another delay ensued as Thomson spoke to fourth official Thomas Robertson, with the red card then shown to Miller.
