League Re-Construction

[NottsMFC]

St Mirren Statement

 

Further to yesterday’s SPL Club meeting held at Hampden Park, St Mirren FC is extremely disappointed by the comments of certain clubs’ representatives and some journalists towards our club and seeks to clarify our position.

 

We made it perfectly clear in our statement issued last week that we were against the league structure proposed and also that of the proposed 11-1 voting system. It would appear that certain individuals have tried to move this round to being only an objection to the voting structure. Please read our statement of last Monday (see below*) for clarity of this. Both of these items were our primary issues with the proposals.

 

The following resolutions are described as Qualified Resolutions in the proposed rules and require an 11-1

vote to change:-

- Retaining home gate receipts

- League restructuring

- Distribution model of finance

- Squad size

- Under 21 rules

- Season start date

- Numbers of home live TV matches

- Salary capping

 

You will probably be aware that during the meeting a proposal to change one of these Resolutions, namely the League Restructuring section, was brought to the table by two clubs who suggested reducing this to a 75% majority ie 9-3.

 

As this was only part of the Qualified Resolutions this was not acceptable to St Mirren. The items in this section require to be changed completely to a 9-3 level of voting, excepting the retention of home gate receipts which would be totally unfair to the larger clubs. We are also happy to contract that no club shall have more live home TV matches than anyone else.

This democratic set up in the SPL is one that has been in place since its inception and has proved not to be fit for purpose, hence our objection to it. It is ironic that this is what has stopped the proposal going forward.

 

However, clubs have the right to vote as they see fit and directors have a legal responsibility to look after the interests of their club, a criticism that appears to be directed towards St Mirren. It should be highlighted that Aberdeen could have indeed changed this voting structure last year had they seen fit to vote with their fellow clubs. That is their decision and we respect that, however before being critical of others they should possibly take stock of their previous decision not to allow this change to go forward.

While on the subject of criticism, we find it hard to accept other Football Clubs telling us how to vote on football matters, or indeed questioning our motives. It is the right of all Clubs to make their own decisions and other Clubs should respect this.

 

We are being accused of self interest. Is that the self interest in consulting with our supporters and staff prior to the board making this decision? If so, we are guilty. We are very grateful for all the messages of support we have received not just from our own fans but also from supporters of many other clubs who did not wish this proposal to go ahead. We firmly believe in our heart and in our head that this is the correct decision for Scottish Football.

 

St Mirren Football Club are still intent on change in Scottish Football within a system for all 42 clubs. We wish to make it very clear that we have no SPL 2 agenda. We believe that that is not the way forward.

It should be noted that at the start of yesterday’s meeting we asked clubs to consider revisiting the proposal before the meeting. Our suggestion was that we looked at the following compromise;

 

- One League Body

- All Through Financial Distribution Model

- Introducing a Play Off Place

- A Voting Structure of 75% of the Top League Clubs having to agree.

(Subject to an agreement re home gates and the number of home live TV matches)

 

Some clubs were willing to discuss this and hopefully come to a compromise.

Regrettably this was rejected by a majority of clubs who wished to only stick to the all or nothing proposal.

 

There have been suggestions of influence on our Board by other clubs. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Board of St Mirren has only the interests of St Mirren and Scottish Football at the centre of their attention.

 

Finally, St Mirren FC hope that all 42 Clubs can get round the table in the very near future to progress the formation of one league body and the all through financial distribution model as the first steps to finding the best league format to encompass the views of Clubs, supporters, sponsors and all other people involved in Scottish Football.

 

On behalf of the Board of Directors of St Mirren Football Club

[nethertonwellfan]

Well said St Mirren.

 

 

[Gaag]

Fucking legendary statement that.

 

Puts us, and the rest of the game to shame. Not just from the proposals point of view, but a PR one too.

 

St Mirren = Right up in my estimations

[Brazilian]

Fucking legendary statement that.

 

Puts us, and the rest of the game to shame. Not just from the proposals point of view, but a PR one too.

 

St Mirren = Right up in my estimations

Pretty much this,

 

I fekin hate going to St.Mirren

 

But I'll make sure I put some money their way next season

 

I no longer trust anyone in Scottish football management structure, but that statement destroys people like Milne, who will never be trusted

 

People who have, treated fans with disdain over many years and done nothing to help improve the structure of Scottish football

 

I'm still undecided just how badly I feel, that our board members choose to gloss over the farcical retention of 11-1/ or was it just an oversight ? When selling/communicating the restructure to us at the Society meeting.

 

I also now have doubts over the society boards information and indeed being asked to vote to support a scenario that we were not give the full story on, or were we even voting? due to the exclusion of ex pat members and others who could not attend.

 

But the real damage is that yet again fans cannot trust statements from those managing the league, with their shameful attempt to bully member clubs and individuals who broke ranks by manipulating words of supposed compromise

 

Yet again months of workload and chance of progression has failed because, they quite simply are not open and transparent and choose to try and manipulate the fans that pay all their wages

[steeldrew]

That is an excellent statement from St Mirren. Thank goodness at least a couple of clubs voted this down, agenda or not. This league structure was an absolute farce. Neil Doncaster should resign now. His statement that "there is no plan B" is ludicrous. That's no way to run any form of business and leaves everybody looking like complete amateurs.

 

All clubs should be consulting fans. We are Scottish football and it seems the authorities are determined to scare the last remaining loyal few away from the game.

[Wellfan1984]

So are Motherwell or St Mirren going to come out and say sorry for lying in their official statement?

 

 

 

Also, as others have said - excellent statement from St Mirren.

[johnstone]

St Mirren just fucking shafted every other club with a big black dildo. Getting it right up them. Top class!

[texanwellfan]

Well said St Mirren!

[dennyc]

Well said St Mirren.

 

Let's hope the media highlight just exactly what watered down compromise was offered re voting. Milne is a disgrace and his "suggestion" that the move away from a voting requirement of 11-1 covered all aspects can now be seen for the spiteful lie it was.

Hope St Mirren are aware of the support they and County are receiving from fans across Scotland.......even Aberdeen dare I say it!

[weeyin]

The sad state of Scottish football means I don't trust St. Mirren any more than I trust Aberdeen.

 

I hope I'm wrong, but I'll wait to see what the next set of proposals bring.

[NottsMFC]

My thinking now is that right at the start of the reconstruction discussions, Aberdeen & Celtic made it clear that they would not budge on the 11-1 voting structure & that's why it was never on the table. No point if 2 clubs were going to vote against if it was included.

 

Both clubs had voted against changing it only a few months previous.

 

Certainly is ironic that it was this that scuppered the whole thing.

 

Agree with weeyin re St Mirren though, while the statement reads well, I remain suspicious of what their real motives were/are.

[texanwellfan]

My thinking now is that right at the start of the reconstruction discussions, Aberdeen & Celtic made it clear that they would not budge on the 11-1 voting structure & that's why it was never on the table. No point if 2 clubs were going to vote against if it was included.

 

Both clubs had voted against changing it only a few months previous.

 

Certainly is ironic that it was this that scuppered the whole thing.

 

Agree with weeyin re St Mirren though, while the statement reads well, I remain suspicious of what their real motives were/are.

 

 

regardless of their motives, what they said is bang on. But as you say will they vote for the items as listed if it comes to it? I think they will.... and I believe that all teams should vote yes to those items. of course Celtic will not but why would any othe rteam not go along with that. Then with some things sorted they can address reconstruction and if it is even required.

[NottsMFC]

regardless of their motives, what they said is bang on. But as you say will they vote for the items as listed if it comes to it? I think they will.... and I believe that all teams should vote yes to those items. of course Celtic will not but why would any othe rteam not go along with that. Then with some things sorted they can address reconstruction and if it is even required.

 

All other teams will except Celtic and Aberdeen it would appear.

 

As far as I'm aware there has been no explanation from Aberdeen why they voted against changing voting structure, this is something I would love to hear.

[Tweed]

I've kept quiet on this until now. By the time yesterday came round I've got to say I had become a little ambivalent to the whole thing. Not because I didn't care but because I could see huge advantages on both sides of the coin.

 

For me, the SPL as it is just now is the correct size as I can only see it going to 10 or 18 and I really don't think we have the infrastrcuture for an 18 team league. I would love us to have that foundation and I could see that as being a feasible endgame from the proposals especially surrounding the distribution of wealth.

 

Whilst I understand the reasons that they put it into an all or nothing package when this was such a no-brainer and seems to have full agreement I do not understand why we could not vote this through.

 

The one thing I have agreed with Rangers with from the outset is that you cannot change the goalposts mid season. We should never have been trying to change the structure for next season. I actually think the make up of the league was the least important thing in the whole proposal and the clubs should be getting that right over the summer so they can set it up for 2014-15 and make it clear before August exactly what shape we will be in the following year and what position you need to attain in each league to be in each division. That way there is no favouritism.

 

I had no express preference of a vote for or against yesterday but I am delighted that St Mirren and Ross County have stood by what they believed in and were not bullied by those round about them, specifically Peter Lawwell and his patronising words of support. Whether they are right or wrong, I do not know and probably never will, but a bit like Salmond refusing to budge from his decision to release the Lockerbie bomber they have shown they were the decision maker irrespective of the decision.

 

Stewart Milne was absolutely out of order in his criticism of Stewart Gilmour. Every club has one vote for a reason and whether you like a decision or not you need to respect the one of the clubs around you. Stephen Thompson and Peter Lawwell said they were disappointed with the decision but stopped short of such a melodramatic witchhunt. I think Milne's conduct since the vote has been akin to bringing the game into disrepute and he should be punished and St Mirren's two fingered salute statement today is an absolutely hilarious unnecessary justification.

[Big Stall]

I see Thomson saying there is no sponsor in place for next season which means a £2m loss for the league or he says £150k per club. Of course the fact that no sponsor was lined up ready to sign if we went to 8-8-12 or whatever it was, matters not a jot...

 

Apart from Thomson being a walloper, it us a worry knowing we are another £150k down without a ball being kicked

[steelboy]

I see Thomson saying there is no sponsor in place for next season which means a £2m loss for the league or he says £150k per club. Of course the fact that no sponsor was lined up ready to sign if we went to 8-8-12 or whatever it was, matters not a jot...

 

Apart from Thomson being a walloper, it us a worry knowing we are another £150k down without a ball being kicked

 

they'll get a sponsor so it won't be that big a loss.

 

united are in a worse position owing money for mcnamara and now getting hit with this bill from fifa.

[Wellfan1984]

What they are saying they don't have a brancell between them to go out and get a sponsor for a league that show 38-40+ games a season. Is marketed in various games and appears on most news programs in the UK?

 

Wow, just wow, and they want us to trust them with sorting Scottish Football....

[Gaag]

I'm fed up. I'm nothing but apathetic towards the game now - amazing coming from someone who used to live and breathe MFC and Scottish football.

[Brazilian]

Don't worry Stewart Regan and the SFA are ready to jump in and save the day

[steelboy]

Don't worry Stewart Regan and the SFA are ready to jump in and save the day

 

as i posted in the shout box

 

the professional game board

 

 

 

Chairman: Rod Petrie (Scottish FA) Members: Jim Ballantyne (SFL), Neil Doncaster (SPL), Peter Lawwell (SPL), David Longmuir (SFL), Alan McRae (Scottish FA), Campbell Ogilvie (Scottish FA), Stewart Regan (Scottish FA), Sandy Stables (SHFL) and Ralph Topping (SPL).

 

 

 

you have 4 people from the spl plus ballantyne who is strongly in favour of the rejected proposal. others have suggested that the sfa will outsource reform clearly forgetting that they have already spent a fair whack commissioning the mcleish report.

 

will lawell and his mate regan address the unfair voting system?

[Haggischomper]

Campbell Ogilvie? Is he not in the jailhouse yet?

[steelboy]

it's possible that since reconstruction is a 10-2 voting issue the spl might attempt to hand this over to the sfa board even if st mirren and county don't want that.

[NottsMFC]

it's possible that since reconstruction is a 10-2 voting issue the spl might attempt to hand this over to the sfa board even if st mirren and county don't want that.

 

But it's not 10-2, it's 11-1.

[fergi4]

Fed up with all the football debates, thinktanks, meeting after meeting, doom and gloom.

 

Roll it all up into a live tv show, give them a time limit (we all get deadlines at work and manage?), agree the model, bolt on a live auction for league sponsorship...et voila

[steelboy]

But it's not 10-2, it's 11-1.

 

reconstruction is a 10-2 voting issue.