The winds of change must blow: The SPL is in need of immediate rejuvenation.
Plans to rejuvenate interest in the Scottish Premier League couldn't have come at a better time. The powers that be seem to have finally come to the conclusion that many fans came to some years ago - the SPL needs to change to win back crowds.
Aberdeen's game against Hamilton at the weekend is the perfect example of why a change is so desperately required. Just over 2,000 hardy souls turned up to watch the game, with estimates being that our travelling support was anything between 250 and 500. This may not be the most exciting fixture in the list but it was far from meaningless, and for an SPL game to attract a smaller crowd than Ross County against Raith Rovers in the First Division is embarrassing.
That is not to suggest for a moment that there should be criticism of Aberdeen's travelling support. They are a dedicated band of supporters who travel further than any other set of fans on away days. They are a unit that moves in greater numbers than any other club outwith the Old Firm and a group that outnumbered Dundee United fans at their own ground in January.
Even with the most conservative of estimates, our supporters made up well over 10 per cent of the crowd at New Douglas Park. If that same statistic were true of even a handful of our rivals, then the Aberdeen accountants would be significantly happier after a Pittodrie matchday.
What is apparent is fans are becoming bored with facing the same sides with such frequency. The nature of the SPL means that with only one new team promoted each year, most sides will face four identical fixtures to those they had in the previous season and even more if they happen to draw each other in the cup competitions. Even though St Mirren have missed out on the top six in their last two seasons, they've still played Rangers nine times in that period. Familiarity may not breed contempt but it is certainly a boudoir for boredom.
Opting for a league expansion to 16, or even 18 teams will not cure this malaise instantly. People who have had their heads turned by televised football will not suddenly go to their local ground because Dunfermline or Partick Thistle have come to town. However, it would increase the frequency with which intriguing fixtures occur, all over Scotland.
If the top six in Division 1 were admitted to the SPL there would be considerable interest in the Dundee derby, Dunfermline versus Falkirk, our own games against Inverness Caley and Ross County, while giving the Borders back a well-run football club. The Old Firm and Edinburgh derbies would become much bigger occasions if they only happened twice a season and with that, TV audiences would surely increase. Having just one home game against each side turns the matches into events.
The opposition to this argument is that clubs would lose out financially because of a reduction in games against the Old Firm. Surely the prospect of a more regular, sustainable crowd, is preferable to a few bonus days per season? There is also a school of thought that suggests many of the First Division sides would be subject to heavy beatings because they are not fully equipped for the top flight.
I would counter that this is exactly what the SPL needs. While Aberdeen haven't exactly made a convincing argument for a prominent quality gap between SPL and the First Division in recent seasons, the prospect of facing a wider variety of abilities, both tactical and technical, is surely preferable to the current setup.
It seems foolish to think that much larger nations than Scotland - Italy, Portugal and Spain being three prominent examples - have fewer national leagues than we do. Scotland is a relatively small country that happens to have a far more ferocious appetite for football than most of its European neighbours.
By consolidating the current sides into two 18-team leagues and allowing well-run, ambitious and financially sound clubs the chance of promotion to the second tier, there would be a benefit to the standard of the game across the country and a chance for more people to see a more entertaining product.
The opportunity to take the blueprint for the SPL and start again should not be missed. We have an opportunity to create a progressive league template and stabilise the status of the Scottish league system. Perhaps there could be discussions about criteria for entry into the top-flight based on wage/turnover ratio, a feature already in place in France, so that competition is fair and our clubs don't face extinction.
Certainly, there would need to be revisions with regard to the size of stadia, while some clubs may need time, money and most of all patience to get their facilities to a decent standard. Would a Europa League play-off be feasible or attractive? Would we continue with the league split?
Scottish football may never be as glamorous as its cousins to the south and south-east but it can certainly be given more room to progress in the long term. All that’s needed is for those at the top to bite the bullet and take the chance on making new a tired product, for the sake of our game.
SPL fan articles - These are the views and opinions of genuine SPL fans. STV are always on the lookout for fans from SPL clubs to have their say. If you'd like to make your point, over and above commenting on this article, get in touch by writing to sport@stv.tv.
