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Scottish football survey reveals fans want bigger top league

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments348

Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan

A majority of fans want a larger top flight, according to the first Scottish National Football Survey.

the findings are published at a time when the country's two main league bodies are considering league reconstruction.

Clubs are assessing proposals for a 12-12-18 set-up, with the top two divisions splitting into three tiers of eight midway through the season.

This would replace the 12-10-10-10 model currently in use.

and, if approved, members of the Scottish Football League will also decide whether to change the make-up of the senior leagues.

"Naturally, league reconstruction is the hot topic among the supporters at the moment and while the numbers remain subjective, the overwhelming majority of fans believe a single league body, fairer financial distribution and pyramid are essential in any reconstruction process," said SFA chief executive Stewart Regan.

"While ultimately it is a matter for the league bodies to decide on, the feedback from supporters is in line with the Scottish FA's view and I am sure the results of the report will be taken on board by the respective bodies."

In the survey, 87 per cent of fans said they wanted to see a top division made up of more teams.

It also found that the men's national side was regarded as "seriously underachieving" while the women's team is "performing as expected or overachieving".

Scotland's men currently sit bottom of their World Cup qualifying group and cannot reach next year's finals in Brazil.

The women's team narrowly missed out on a place in this summer's Uefa Women's Championship.

"The survey has shown that the success of the national Men's A Squad is inextricably linked to the perceived success or otherwise of the Scottish FA as the governing body," said Regan.

"This has been a traditional perception that we have worked hard to dispel and we will continue to promote the other areas that come under our jurisdiction: Scottish Cup, performance strategy, grassroots development, referee development, compliance and club licensing to name just a few of our focus areas."

There was little agreement among the near-7,000 supporters who took part in the survey over what was considered an ideal fixture calendar.

The current August-May season received the most support (39%), with July-May with a winter break (30%) and March-November (28%) the other popular choices.

"In general, the National Football Survey has provided us in the first year with some excellent baseline data from which the Scottish FA, the league bodies and Supporters Direct Scotland can shape future objectives and measure the success of our existing and ongoing strategic goals," added Regan.

"I would like to thank all who participated in what will become an annual survey."

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348 comments

  • Comment posted by User0211143993, at 14:32 2 Apr 2013

    The problem is that the SFA consider their potential revenue only as a function of how many games involving the old firm there are, hence all the ridiculous tiering suggestions etc.

    In the short term they might technically be right, in the longer term however it will kill the scottish game dead.

  • Comment posted by User0221828166, at 14:39 2 Apr 2013

    simple all we need is 2 divisions, top flight of 22 bottom of 20, play each other twice a season. 4 relagation/promotion places. its so simple why can that blind donkey doncaster see its the obvious solution

  • Comment posted by User0918855351, at 14:50 2 Apr 2013

    I certainly think a bigger top flight with only playing each other twice would be a way ahead. If you are only playing agteam once at home or once away then you are more likely to go to the game rather than it is just now when you can say, "i will go the next time they are here" League could be a lot tighter too as anyone can beat anyone on their day.

  • Comment posted by david, at 14:24 2 Apr 2013

    Scottish football is drifting into the wilderness, and the current SPL plans will do nothing to stop it. Doncaster is clueless and doesn't talk for the fans. The Scottish set up is stagant and needs more movement including more promotion and relegation plus the play offs. Playing 4 times a season is nonsence, the split is nonsence and the new plan is also nonsense. SPL - listen to the fans!!

  • Comment posted by User0504291129, at 19:33 2 Apr 2013

    Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, we used to have two divs of eighteen teams. There was a better spread of crowds and income, and there were plenty of home-grown players for a reasonably successful national side...

    ... Then they dicked about with the divisions

  • Comment posted by wotmenah, at 09:53 3 Apr 2013

    What I can't understand is why there have to be 3 leagues
    Premiership of 20 and Championship of 24 seems to work well in England

    3 up and 3 down, with the last promotion place decided by play-offs between teams in 3-7 also works well in England.

    3 drop out of second tier to be replace by 3 regional league winners and fourth bottom goes into play off with teams second in regional leagues

  • Comment posted by sscsjone, at 19:56 2 Apr 2013

    @151
    What Scottish football got to do with Scottish independence? Nothing.

    Stop the political anti-english jousting elsewhere and take a hike

  • Comment posted by AndyH, at 14:59 2 Apr 2013

    I think it should be a 2-10-10-10-10 system

  • Comment posted by User0535352650, at 16:19 2 Apr 2013

    This whole idea of 12-12 reforming to 8-8-8 half way through the season is madness. It'll mean backs-to-the-wall, negative football & fear of relegation from day one. Nobody benefits from that.
    We need a top tier of 16 playing each other twice a season to relieve the boredom & room for winter break.
    League of 10 next, & below that, split into north/south regions incl. the highland/south leagues.

  • Comment posted by CTP, at 14:58 2 Apr 2013

    87%! That's an absolutely overwhelming consensus. Now watch the SFA, SFL, SPL cover theirs ears.

  • Comment posted by David, at 16:15 2 Apr 2013

    Bigger league.
    Cheaper tickets.
    Standing sections.
    Less hassle from police on ALL fans.
    3pm kick offs,
    Astroturf for some clubs.
    Clubs need to offer more of a matchday experience.
    Creation of fan zones before games.
    Limit to foreign players which forces more concentration on youth (long game).

    It's not going to be easy and not done overnight but the game needs a complete overhaul.

  • Comment posted by User0163314783, at 16:52 2 Apr 2013

    16 Team (x2) three relegated
    Div 1 top two promoted autmatically then 3,4,5,6 play off for final promotion place
    Create a cup competition for top league 16 where home and away games are to compensate for reduced number of league games.

  • Comment posted by James, at 15:30 2 Apr 2013

    The deckchairs are being rearranged.

  • Comment posted by KilliefaninAyr, at 16:17 2 Apr 2013

    A 16 team league is what the fans want, and I would rather watch Killie play 15 teams just once at home with Thistle, Morton, Hamilton, Falkirk bringing a decent support rather than

  • Comment posted by Williebraveheart, at 14:59 3 Apr 2013

    The biggest benefit to Scottish football would be the resignations of Doncaster and Regan. Between them they have ruined the game and their bullying, corrupt tactics are shameful. They care not for our game but their skins.

  • Comment posted by trickyal, at 15:03 2 Apr 2013

    i think it should be a 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 as scottish football is crap.

  • Comment posted by User0248932503, at 15:42 2 Apr 2013

    I am old enough to remember a two division Scottish set up, lots of teams in both, why not go back to it?

  • Comment posted by User0652727345, at 14:58 2 Apr 2013

    yes we do want a bigger league but we will never get it as the greed of the people in football has to be protected as for the real fans no one speaks for them, it's all about greed!

  • Comment posted by Iain, at 23:10 2 Apr 2013

    Three leagues of 14 teams with two up and two down plus a play off for a possible third promotion/demotion place. Pyramid system to allow entry at bottom level. Split after 26 games top eight and bottom six. Doncaster why are you not listening to us we are the lifeblood of Scottish football and are paying your wages?

  • Comment posted by User0774098506, at 15:09 2 Apr 2013

    I don't see how changing from a top twelve that splits into 2 divisions to a......wait for it.......top twelve that splits into 2 divsions is going to make such a huge difference according to the law of Doncaster etc. They must think we are idiots!!

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