Split vote disappoints the SFL clubs

Hamilton Academical FC chairman Les Gray signalled a potentially radical change to the structure of Scottish football after the Scottish Football League clubs failed to agree on merger plans with the Scottish Premier League at its annual general meeting at Hampden this week.

The Accies and the other nine First Division clubs will re-visit their application to join the SPL after only 16 of the 30 SFL clubs backed reconstruction plans put forward by the top flight.

The SFL has planned a formal vote on the matter on June 10 but Gray declared that “an irrelevance” after 13 clubs were against the plan.

Rangers do not get a vote as they are associate members having joined last summer.

After the AGM, the First Division clubs had a meeting among themselves and Gray emerged to indicate their next move.

He said: “The whole group is disappointed that the outcome of the meeting resulted in a 16-13 vote. The next step for us is to take a few days to mull over it and look at all the other alternatives – you know what they are.

“We will do what is right for our clubs. We are at the end of it now and we think there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“We were hoping for a 42-club solution. Obviously, we are greatly disappointed that it won’t happen but we will do what we have to do now to proceed and we in the First Division are unanimous in our views.”

Representatives from the 30 SFL clubs discussed proposals to merge the two league bodies and introduce play-offs between the top two divisions.

The SPL rejected amendments on wealth distribution and governance which the SFL clubs fully backed last week Gray concluded that there was little chance of convincing enough clubs to have a change of heart next month.

“It has been voted down, it is a failed vote,” he said.

“I think the 42-club solution is what we have all been trying to achieve and we are all tired of trying to get it over the line.

“It has not happened and it ain’t going to happen now.”