By Graham Barnstaple
June 4 2011

It now looks as though the two camps in the SPL debate are as far apart as ever leaving the current 12 team League as the only way forward.

We have discovered this week there are 8 teams who would like to move to a bigger League, and currently considering 14 teams. The clubs are Motherwell, St. Mirren, ICT, Hearts, St. Johnstone, Dunfermline, Dundee United and Kilmarnock.

This group held a meeting this week and immediately after it stated the 10 team proposal was dead.

Then the original SPL steering group met yesterday, and this bizarrely includes two of the teams from the group above (Motherwell and St. Mirren).There meeting ended with claims they do not want a bigger League and therefore the 14 team League idea is dead!

Therefore next season we will have the 12 team set up, with the infamous split, once again. It will also set up another season of debate and discussion about change for the following season(s).

If there is a belief we need change in the SPL, you have to wonder why the people at the top can’t get their heads together and come up with the right idea.

There does appear to be a number of things fans would like to see which so far have been ignored. I would like to see some of the following adopted;

• Definitely a bigger League, it would be good to see a greater variety of teams rather than the same teams again and again.
• Relegation play offs – while these can skew who gets promoted, they do bring excitement, having attended play off games in Scotland and England this season there is no doubt this is the case.
• I would not be unhappy with a 14 team League with a split, again generating some form of excitement and discussion in mid season.

I do not want to see us with a 10 with play offs for relegation, I remember the last 10 team set up with one relegated. This saw about 60% - 70% of the teams fearful of relegation and led to safety first football which was dreadful to watch.

If change is required then the games power brokers need to ignore all self interest and look at what is best for our game and come up with a solution that will last for many years.

At the moment all this indecision is bound to affect the TV negotiations, sponsorship and more importantly whether fans decide to buy season tickets or attend games.