Old Firm clubs are the elephant in the room when it comes to the reconstruction of Scottish football

There is 1 large occupation lasting betwixt Scottish shot and immoderate alteration to the league set-up. Actually determination are two. Celtic and Rangers.

Since league reconstruction successful the mid-1970s, determination person been 4 league meetings betwixt Celtic and Rangers each season. 

Four monolithic games for broadcasters Sky to physique their Scottish shot TV assemblage around. Four games to regularisation them all.

Any program for league reconstruction has to creation astir the sacrosanct rule that these 2 warring tribes volition look disconnected 4 times, doubly astatine Celtic Park and doubly astatine Ibrox.

An SPFL gathering volition beryllium held aboriginal this period with league reconstruction backmost connected the agenda. Reconstruction talks person been partially driven by an accrued strain connected the fixture schedule, with other European matches leaving less disposable dates successful the home calendar. 

Premiership sides presently play 38 league fixtures per season.

There are presently 4 options up for discussion: retaining the existent 12-team format with a divided oregon switching to a 10, 14 oregon 16-team alternative.

Indications this week were that determination would beryllium a propulsion towards decreasing the size of the Premiership to 10, but determination present appears to beryllium much appetite for an increase.

There is really a just grade of statement among supporters of the non-Old Firm clubs. Playing each different 3 oregon 4 times a play is boring, they say.

Familiarity breeds contempt and who tin blasted fans for the fatigue that sets successful playing the aforesaid teams implicit and implicit again.

A bigger league would supply much assortment and unfastened up the anticipation of playing teams erstwhile away, erstwhile astatine home.

Good luck getting that past Sky, who volition bash thing to support the aureate ovum of the Old Firm fixture.

The size of the Premiership has different large broadside effects. An SFA study from past twelvemonth came to the decision that clubs successful Scotland are failing to bring done capable young players and ‘significantly underachieving its potential’ successful younker improvement compared to countries of a akin size.

If we had a bigger league, the mentation goes, young players would get much of a accidental arsenic determination would beryllium much clubs harmless from relegation and truthful much inclined to springiness crippled clip to young, up and coming players.

If the promising 18-year-old midfielder astatine your nine is sitting successful the stands successful August and September, don’t expect the besieged manager to enactment him retired connected the transportation erstwhile the squad is locked successful a bony and nail relegation conflict six months aboriginal erstwhile livelihoods are astatine stake.

The apical six is often criticised for its imperfections but Scotland is not the lone league successful Europe to usage specified a format, and immoderate aboriginal reconstruction would apt impact a saltation of that theme.

The labyrinthine SPFL rules besides supply a formidable obstruction to immoderate structural change.

Any projected alteration would necessitate the backing of 11 retired of 12 Premiership clubs, positive 75 per cent of Premiership and Championship clubs combined, arsenic good arsenic 75 per cent of the 42 SPFL clubs combined successful bid to pass.

The ‘11/12 rule’ ensures the Glasgow giants tin enactment arsenic a bloc to kybosh immoderate program oregon connection that they don’t similar the look of. 

But it besides makes it casual for immoderate different clubs with communal origin to thwart thing that doesn’t suit their agenda.

It’s nary coincidence that a ballot to outlaw integrative pitches from the opening of play 2026-27 came aft Livingston were relegated, leaving Kilmarnock arsenic the sole nine successful the apical formation with an artificial surface.

For the avoidance of doubt, the voting set-up volition besides termination chromatic dormant the likelihood of the apical formation being reduced from 12 to 10.

Turkeys don’t ballot for Christmas and nary bottommost six nine is going to question done a alteration that could spot them mounting their sat navs for Cappielow alternatively of Celtic Park.

After St Johnstone proprietor Adam Webb spoke retired successful favour of a bigger league earlier this week, Rangers adjunct Neil McCann, Kilmarnock brag Derek McInnes, Dundee brag Tony Docherty and Motherwell manager Michael Wimmer each did likewise astatine their respective property conferences.

McCann recognises that an expanded league would assistance the promotion of young players.

‘I deliberation we’ve got capable teams that would heighten the apical league,’ said the ex-Dundee manager. ‘A batch of radical person said determination would beryllium dormant rubbers but I judge you tin ever get thing from that, whether it’s instauration of young boys, oregon a mates of (extra) relegation places and a play-off position.

‘There are ways of trying to find the mediate ground. But the astir important thing, if it was bigger, I spot it being much of an accidental for young boys to beryllium chopped successful due to the fact that possibly it would instrumentality distant a batch of the fearfulness origin that exists close now.’

Whether McCann was echoing the thoughts of the Ibrox committee we tin lone guess. But determination is precious small grounds to suggest immoderate Rangers teamsheet enactment retired implicit the past 5 years has had the intent of promoting young Scottish talent.

Anyone watching a Scotland starting XI packed to the hilt with the aged reliables being played disconnected the parkland astatine Hampden by a Greek broadside laced with teenage endowment volition cognize that these chickens are already coming location to roost for our nationalist side.

When it comes to alteration for the better, aforesaid involvement and Kafkaesque voting structures tin beryllium to beryllium hard opponents, too.