Thetownend.com

The Scottish Premier League has approved the creation of a second division, with invitations going out to 10 Scottish Football League clubs.
SPL chairman Lex Gold described the move as "seismic" and said the restructuring would be good for top-flight football in Scotland.

A meeting of the present 12 SPL clubs also approved the introduction of a cup tournament restricted to member clubs.

It is hoped to have the new arrangement up and running for season 2008-09.

The new two divisions will allow for promotion and relegation, with one club going up and one down each season.

Invitations will now be sent out to 10 clubs from the Scottish Football League.

Any club wishing to leave the SFL must serve two years notice, unless 20 of the 30 clubs that make up Divisions One, Two and Three support the change.

Those behind the proposal hope the development will generate new income streams, television deals and increase marketing opportunities.

At present, the three Scottish Football Leagues below the SPL are without a sponsor and do not have regular television coverage.

One First Division club owner told BBC Sport that a major international gaming company was lined up to sponsor both the current SPL and the new SPL Two.

And Livingston chairman Pearce Flynn told BBC Sportsound that, last May, nine First Division clubs had agreed to support the development of a new league under the SPL umbrella.

The club finishing tenth in the new second division would be replaced automatically by the top side in the surviving SFL league below.

And the ninth-placed team would face a play-off against a side missing out on automatic promotion.

Criteria, such as a minimum of 6,000 seats, for entry to the existing SPL will remain.

But the new second division will have a requirement for a 3,000 all-seater stadium and a pitch protection scheme.

Club will also be required to play in reserve and under-19 league, have an approved youth development programme, audited accounts to be lodged with league each year and "demonstrate current best practice in corporate governance".

Its not a proper league up there is it.

Scottish football is a complete joke.

Think before you speak fella's this isn't the Thisis forum!  So it may not have the cashof the English league but is it a joke compared to the Irish, Northern Irish and Welsh leagues???

Fair play to Aberdeen, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, Rangers who's fans turn up week after week.  Don't see that level of support in the other lowly populated countries.

Would be interesting to see a comparison of attendances from the poorly sponspored leagues of Europe, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium etc.

I didn't say anything about the fans, just the football.

I wasn't comparing them to Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Wales, Ireland, Belgium, Northern Ireland or Wales.

 :D

Good reply, I'll admit that.

Although I still fail to agree that it's a joke.

OK, OK, maybe I was being a bit over the top.
The Auld Firm games are quite interesting to watch, and it was quite refreshing to see Hearts finish above Rangers last season.

The team to look out for are Gretna!
They are flying up the leagues.....they will be in the Champions League in no time at this rate

Yeah, I kinda like the way Gretna have climbed through the leagues, as my old man's a borderer so it'll be good for SPL to come down to the borders but they are just a mini Chelsea, rich benefactor ploughing miney into them to get them up.

But I suppose that's what you've got to do nowadays!

yeh i don't like gretna that much. Partick thistle rule.

Gretna rule. They're very useful in accumulators

I think it is stupid in Scotland how they moan about English football (this may not be true but it is the impression i get) and now they intend to take 10 of our teams into the SCOTTISH league?!

I don't really understand how it would work and how it would affect the English Football League system but it seems like an idea that has come out with no consideration given to the English system

Eh? where does it say that?

It's a disgrace!

Read before you post:

ffs!! I quit.

Would prefer to see the SPL increased to 20 teams pleaying each other twice a season, but it will never happen as the smaller teams rely on the money coming in from playing the Grusome Twosome. :(

Good start to the SPL this year, like the fact Celtic and Rangers aren't winning every game.  

Hibs picking up their first win was good too!!

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Best thing I've read all week

10 english teams...if that did actually happen, im sure the invitation to Calne Town is on its way  :)