By Chris Mac
April 7 2005

First Division finally seeing sense or is it just a panic reaction to falling gate numbers. Or both, It does make sense and only playing each team twice will add a air of mystery and a wish to visit away grounds once a season.

FIRST DIVISION clubs fearing a cash crisis next season will hold urgent talks at the weekend to discuss setting up a 16-team league.

The move was sparked by concerns over the potentially disastrous loss of the division's two biggest outfits - Falkirk and Partick Thistle.

The Jags currently have the highest average gate but are leading candidates to drop into Division Two. Falkirk are very close behind in second place in terms of support but could secure their promotion to the top flight on Saturday.

Many of the division's clubs fear an outfit like Livingston will drop down from the SPL, while the favourites for promotion from Division Two are Brechin and Stranraer.

It is believed such an outcome, with the three having small travelling supports, could have a serious impact on the income of other sides and drastically reduce player budgets for next season.

One solution known to be favoured by many is a beefed-up 16-team league with well-supported outfits like Morton making the step up to join them.

A spokesman for one of the member clubs confirmed yesterday the meeting had been time-tabled for the weekend.

And a spokesperson for Clyde, who are hosting the meeting, said: 'It is fair to say most clubs in the division have been having chats with others to express their opinions on the current situation.

'I know there is a feeling it would be a good idea to get together to discuss the financial implications of the potential loss of two of the major clubs and what could be done in terms of generating money.'

Any move to have proposals for an enlarged league pushed to the top of the SFL's agenda for next season would need urgent action.

Any such motion would require management committee approval if it was to go before the agm at the end of May.

Extract from todays Daily Record.