Premier League clubs are mulling a suggestion to increase the number of teams from 12 to 14 from next season as part of a new business concept for the championship.

Malta FA president Norman Darmanin Demajo put forward the proposal during a meeting with officials of Premier League clubs and representatives of the Division One Standing Committee last week.

Contacted by Times of Malta yesterday, Darmanin Demajo confirmed that he has proposed that Premier League clubs go up from 12 to 14 but stressed that this was part of a wide-ranging business model to enhance the profile of the top-tier championship and raise the income of the clubs.

“The proposed model provides for the introduction of fully transferable season tickets valid for all games, including the FA Trophy,” the MFA president said.

“We are also proposing a 14-team Premier League, over two rounds with no division of points, Friday games, a rise in matchday ticket prices that will go into a ‘pool’ to be shared equally between all clubs at the end of the season plus the retention of special prices for Kartanzjan holders and the Family Stand.”

While the majority of the club officials are understood to have responded favourably to the business model presented by Darmanin Demajo, the members of the Premier League Standing Committee are meeting tomorrow to further discuss the key proposals, especially those regarding the increase of Premier League teams.

Darmanin Demajo has taken it upon himself to draw up a new business model for the Premier League and his presentation at last week’s meeting, held at the Centenary Hall, was supported by calculations of the financial spin-offs for the clubs if the initiatives are implemented.

Greater solidarity with the smaller clubs is also at the heart of the Darmanin Demajo’s intended reforms.

“We are also looking to revise the sponsorship and television rights agreements to ensure a fairer distribution of revenue among the Premier League clubs,” the Malta FA president said. “The model is based on combined sales of 2,000 season tickets between all top-flight clubs, in which case the gate-money share per club will increase substantially compared to previous seasons.”

The venues will remain the same with the National Stadium hosting the weekend’s top games.

“The Malta FA is willing to invest up to one million euros to upgrade the pitch of the National Stadium and new hospitality facilities at the Millennium Stand which will provide a high standard of service and cater for a market that is presently not available at Ta’ Qali,” Darmanin Demajo added.

At the last Malta FA council meeting, Darmanin Demajo referred to the association’s efforts to implement a new business model for the Premier League.

The MFA president bemoaned the lack of feedback from the clubs at the time, saying that Valletta were the only top-flight members who had officially endorsed the proposal to introduce transferable season tickets.

During the same meeting, held on February 3, Darmanin Demajo made it clear that he didn’t agree with the current system of halving the teams’ points after the first two rounds of the Premier League.

“It seems that, publicly at least, most of the clubs don’t agree with this (division of points,” Darmanin Demajo was quoted as saying.

“If I had the veto to abolish it, I would do it because I don’t agree with this idea of halving the points after two rounds.”

The format of the Premier League has been the subject of debate since Darmanin Demajo replaced Joe Mifsud as president of the Malta FA in 2010.

Format changes

One of the first moves was to increase the number of clubs in the elite division from 10 to 12 before season 2011/12.

In 2014, the Malta FA council voted to ditch the long-standing, two-tier format of the Premier League, whereby teams were split into two sections, Championship and Relegation Pool, in favour of a straightforward three-round championship, but the points-halved system was retained.

Now, the Malta FA, spearheaded by Darmanin Demajo, who is widely expected to stand for a third term as president this summer, is looking to introduce a new business model to bolster its flagship competition.

While the bulk of the proposals make a lot of sense and are likely to yield significant benefits for the clubs, Darmanin Demajo’s idea to increase the number of teams to 14 is bound to trigger a hot debate not only at club and MFA level but also among local football followers.

The ideal number of teams in the top division of Maltese football has been a bone of contention for years, if not decades.

While cynics have long argued that the Premier League’s competitive level will only go up if the number of participating teams is reduced to eight, others contend that having more teams competing in the top flight gives clubs and players an incentive to raise their standards.

With Premier League clubs now allowed to field seven foreigners, there is a general consensus that this season’s championship is much more competitive and balanced and this perception was probably one of the factors that motivated the MFA head to propose an increase in the number of teams.

Key proposals

• Rise in the number of teams to 14
• Premier League over two rounds with no division of points
• Introduction of season tickets
• Fairer distribution of the TV rights and sponsorship revenue