Dundee’s John Nelms is perhaps the most influential man in Scottish football at the moment. He holds the one remaining vote to decide whether the SPFL motion to end the lower league seasons and potentially end the Premiership early.
Dundee and Inverness CT are unhappy that they would miss out on potential play-off prize money. However, Nelms is considering his precarious position as an opportunity to reconstruct the league.
The Scottish Sun are reporting that Nelms could return to the SPFL with a new resolution that would lead to the Premiership extending to a 14-team league. This would mitigate the feeling of wrongdoing that Hearts and Partick Thistle are experiencing as a result of being relegated with games remaining. However, Inverness CT, who also voted against the SPFL’s decision, would be promoted along with Dundee United to create the new league setup.
Dundee are four points behind ICT but would perhaps want a play-off to potentially result in their chance to get promoted to the Premiership.
Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts, who were due to play a play-off to enter League 2, would be promoted taking the SPFL to a 44 team.
Meanwhile Falkirk, who are a point behind Raith Rovers in League 1, would be more likely to change their vote in order to get promotion back to the Championship. Whilst Brechin City would also remain in League 2 for the time being.
The new 14-team top flight would allow for teams to play each other twice then splitting into a top six and bottom eight who play each other a further twice. Which is the preferred option as Sky have four Celtic-Rangers games in their contract which starts next season (2020-21).
This would surely allow for a vote proposed by the SPFL to be passed despite the rumblings from Rangers, who are clearly only concerned with themselves. This new proposal from Nelms could result in Celtic all but sealing 9IAR.
The preference of the Celtic support is to complete the games for this season when it is safe to return. However, as it is in the best interest of the financial security of the SPFL, clubs should be given their prize money and not punished as the current proposal would by relegating teams.
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