SPL clubs meet again to discuss new financial fair play proposals

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster says it's very important that people take time to make the right decisions. SNS Group

The Scottish Premier League will reconvene at Hampden to discuss new rules designed to ensure financial fair play by its member clubs.

Two meetings have already been held over the plans with clubs asking for more time to consider the plans.

Most notable among the proposed new rules are plans to set out penalties for "insolvency transfer events", where an insolvent club creates a new company and transfers its SPL share and membership to the new entity.

When clubs last met on May 7, the 11 SPL teams agreed to consider changing the rules on how a newco team could be admitted.

Currently it is up to the six man SPL board, consisting of Neil Doncaster, chief executive, chairman Ralph Topping, Eric Riley of Celtic, Motherwell’s Derek Weir, Dundee United’s Stephen Thompson and Steven Brown of St Johnstone, to decide on whether a newco club can come straight into the SPL.

Now they want that decision to be made by representatives of all the clubs.

The meeting will now attempt to decide on this matter, the sanctions to take against clubs in financial problems, and voting rights.

Under the proposals, league rules will also be changed to increase the penalty for a club that enters administration.

Rangers were deducted 10 points after appointing Duff and Phelps in February but under the proposed changes a club would be deducted 15 points or one third of the club's total points from the previous season.

As they remain in administration, Rangers would not be subject to the new points penalties for being subject to an insolvency event.

If they were still in administration at the start of the 2012/13 season, both the current and new rules stipulate they would start the season minus ten points.

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