McDougall dreams of 18-team top flight

Jan 13 2011 By Eric MacKinnon

HIS heart wants a return to football days gone by and an 18-team top flight in Scotland – but his head tells him it wouldn’t work.
Livingston chairman Gordon McDougall knows something has to be done to revitalise the game. But, remarkably, despite the sweeping proposals and changes being mooted by the SPL, he has revealed that the club has not been contacted by anyone at the Scottish Football League — nor have any other SFL club chairmen he has spoken to.
He said: “We haven’t had any dialogue on the plans despite asking twice. We asked initially at the strategy in action meeting when they said it wasn’t right to discuss it.
“The second time was following the Dundee appeal but as it was 4.30pm they felt it was too late to start it then.
“That was fair enough but what they should have said was we will pick this up again next week.”
The fan in McDougall would love to see a return to an 18-team top flight but the businessman in him admits it may be unworkable in the modern day.
He explained: “The honest answer is I don’t know what the best thing to do for the future of Scottish football.
“But as a fan an 18-team league, there was nothing wrong with the game in the 1970s and I watched games home and away.
“Crowds were on the way down but that’s been the name of the game over the past few years and back then never plummeted like they have done more recently.
“The quality of the football was far better so from a fans’ perspective I would like to see an 18-team top league.
“I understand the argument against it and that is to create wealth within the game to be shared out amongst the clubs.
“An 18-team top league is maybe too many, especially from a commercial point of view.
“There is so much politics involved, which is something I hate.
“The way it is coming over is that the two ten-team leagues are going to be the salvation of the game here.
“There are other ideas I have myself which could be considered or at least discussed.
“I think all junior, amateur, ladies and youth matches should be played at a time which allows them to attend senior matches.
“This could be extended by issuing a membership card to players which entitles them to discount entry.
“I’d make an immediate switch for all youth football to summer, run by senior teams. I believe that practice in good conditions will be enjoyed and the lessons learned will be remembered.
“I’d also open the discussion for considering moving the SFL to summer football.
“We need a good, long discussion about it and that’s the most important thing right now, talking and arguing about things.
“I’ve always been against summer football but that’s been two winters in a row now this has happened.
“The argument you will get from everyone is that this doesn’t happen all the time but how do we know?
“None of us know the perfect solution and I’m not sure if there is one. Let’s discuss it among all the interested parties and when we reach our conclusions, ensure that among them is recognition that the current standard of football being offered to the public in Scotland is awful.
“League set ups are only a small part of that problem and arguably ten clubs in our top league could be seen as one of the major factors.”