The format of the Scottish league is outdated and should be restructured with a 16-team Premiership to help boost football in the country, says the chairman of second-tier promotion-challengers Falkirk .
Speaking at the club’s AGM, Doug Henderson said the slide of Scottish football, from falling attendances to the poor performance of the national side and their top clubs in Europe, would continue unless steps were taken to change the current system.
Scotland were the only team from the British Isles not to qualify for next year’s European Championship and Celtic , Scottish champions for the past four seasons, regularly fail to make any impact in European competition. Scottish football’s top four tiers are currently organised into a 12-team Premiership with three lower divisions each containing 10 teams.
“Reflecting economic reality and the need for premier division full-time football, I believe that we must put vested interest aside and reform our leagues bringing about a 16-team premier division,” he said. “Our league structure is out of kilter with the economics of football in Scotland and I believe that my counterpart chairmen recognise what we have currently is outdated.
