Ross County have proposed a short-term groundshare with Inverness should Victoria Park not be deemed suitable for SPL football on time.

The Dingwall club are currently 12 points clear at the top of the SFL First Division and have not suffered defeat in the league since the 13th of August last year.

However, SPL rule Section A2.5.4.2 states that clubs must provide individual covered seating for a minimum of 6,000 people by the 31st of March. Victoria Park currently has just 2,590 seats in the East and West stands.

Directors at the Staggies plan to upgrade the stadium over the summer to make it SPL compliant well before the kick-off of 2012/13 season. To allow this the SPL will be required to vote on whether to give special dispensation to Ross County, to allow them time for the renovations.

Chairman Roy MacGregor has also put in contingency plans should the SPL decide against extending their deadline, by proposing a ground-share with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

MacGregor told the Herald: "No-one at Dingwall is taking anything for granted. But we will apply for a groundshare with a dispensation that the SPL will come and have a look at the ground on July 1."

The SPL rules on stadium capacity have previously caused problems for teams in the First Division. In 1999/00 Falkirk finished in third position and were due to take part in a playoff with Dunfermline and bottom-placed SPL side Aberdeen. However, Brockville failed to meet the then requirements of a 10,000 all-seater stadium and both the Pars and the Dons played in the next season's SPL.

Falkirk were again denied promotion, this time as Champions in 2002/03, when their proposed groundshare with Airdrie United was denied, allowing bottom-placed Motherwell to remain in the SPL. In 2005/06 Inverness were granted special dispensation to allow a groundshare at Pittodrie while renovating their own Caledonian Stadium.