Published: Wednesday, 14th January, 2009 12:30pm

SPL 2 makes sense

by Roger Graham

THREAT: Peter Weatherson has been highlighted as a danger this Saturday by former Dens Chief Executive Dave MacKinnon

FORMER Dundee Chief Executive Dave MacKinnon believes that the best option for the financial viability of full time football in Scotland is the formation of an SPL Division Two.

Former Rangers and Partick Thistle full-back MacKinnon, who lives in Gourock, recently parted company with the Dens Park club after a successful spell on the board during which the club"s finances were stabilised after a period of uncertainty.

And he is well placed to understand the dilemma facing ambitious outfits in the First Division, clubs such as Morton.

He said: 'The problem you have got is that, if you don"t remain full time, you will end up being relegated. Clubs like Morton, Dundee, St Johnstone and Dunfermline have a fan base and ambition, and should be playing at a higher level.

'All fans want their club to play at the highest level and there is an expectation. But that means they have to live beyond the income generated by gates and money from the Scottish Football League.

'That gap [between income and expenditure] can be anything between £300,000 and £500,000. The only way any First Division club can sustain full time football is by plugging that by investment from the board or a benefactor, by selling players or by income from cup ties.'

McKinnon was a player for Partick Thistle who, along with Morton, were the only part time clubs in the Scottish Premier League, back in the late 70s and early 80s, and he said: 'Both clubs did very well at the time, but those days have gone.

'If there are no changes in the SPL set-up for next season or the one after that, then I believe some First Division clubs will have to go part-time.'

That, McKinnon believes, would be very harmful to those clubs. 'The gap between First Division and SPL clubs is big now. It would be huge if First Division clubs had to go part-time.'

McKinnon thinks that the SPL structure and finances are such now that their member clubs are in a better situation than they were a few years back. He said: 'Over the years they overspent, but that has changed and they should be able to work within their means.'

The best bet for the continuation of a healthy second tier in Scottish football is, in McKinnon"s view, the introduction of an SPL Two. 'It is either increasing the SPL, and I don"t think they would want to do that, or the introduction of an SPL Two. That would be the best bet.

'Two years ago when clubs were talking about it they approached the SPL and said that they understood that they would have to bridge the gap [between income and expenditure]. They had sponsors lined up. Under the SFL, First Division clubs receive something like £50-60,000. In an SPL Two they would have received £200-300,000.'

Such a set-up would, of course, mean that what McKinnon terms as "community clubs" in the third tier of Scottish football, who attract a few hundred fans and pay low part-time wages, would have to find their own level within the game, perhaps with a pyramid system to enable them the possibility of promotion to the senior game.

At the moment the former Dens chief executive believes his old club are in a sound financial position for the next couple of years. 'In my first year there,' he explained, 'we bridged the gap with a CIS Cup tie against Celtic which was televised.

'In the second year we plugged it with investment and in the third with investment and a cup tie against Celtic again. We also sold Kevin McDonald for a half-million pound package. So Dundee should be okay for the foreseeable future.'

As for the meeting between Dundee and Morton at Dens Park this weekend, McKinnon commented: 'It will be tight. Dundee"s problem has been scoring goals. We thought Mickael Antoine-Curier and Colin McMenamin would score 40 goals between them this season, but it hasn"t happened.

'There have also been a lot of injuries. Gary McKenzie and Colin Cameron have returned and I don"t think it will be long before Dundee are back to their best form.

'Morton are a very good side, very strong. Davie Irons has done well. James Grady is a match-winner and I like the two at the back, Stewart Greacen and Dominic Shimmin. They have been very impressive. I think Greacen was a big miss at the start of the season.

'Also Peter Weatherson is potentially one of the best players in Scotland. If he can concentrate on his fitness he could play at a higher level.'

So who will win on Saturday? 'I think one goal will do it, though I"m not going to say who for,' laughed the man who has a brother-in-law and sister-in-law who are both Morton fans.

Return to: Homepage | News Index | This article