The 14/15 season demonstrated the possibility that a reinvigorated Scottish football league need not only be focused on the game’s top tier. The strength of sides in this season’s Championship offered a level of attraction to supporters, media and players that it has often lacked in the past. This suggestion looks to incorporate an elite top division with an improved second tier with inter-divisional fixtures played as a standard part of a 38 game league campaign.
For the purpose of this illustration I have positioned clubs by their 14/15 average attendance in order not to suggest bias.
Opening phase
Sides within the same division play home and away plus an additional five home and five away fixtures against sides in the division below/above, evenly spread across the fixture list. Fixtures are allocated home and away fairly on the basis of average attendance (i.e. a second tier side could expect to play Hearts at home, but Aberdeen away; or Hibs at home but Dundee Utd away). This offers second tier sides the opportunity to play top tier sides and vice versa, creating a more varied fixture card with performance against inter-divisional sides counting towards league placing.
Split phase
- Top 6 sides in top tier play a further round of home and away fixtures to complete their 38 fixtures.
- The bottom 4 sides in the top tier play a further round of home and away fixtures plus an additional two home and two away fixtures against sides in top 4 of second tier, to complete their 38 fixtures. Two sides automatically relegated.
- The top 4 sides in the second tier play a further round of home and away fixtures plus an additional two home and two away fixtures against sides in the bottom 4 of top tier, to complete their 38 fixtures. Two sides automatically promoted.
- The bottom 6 sides in second tier play a further round of home and away fixtures to complete their 38 fixtures. One side automatically relegated, with 9th place to play round of play-offs against third tier sides.
The criticism of the previous ten side top division was the monotony of playing the same sides 4 times, and with only one automatic relegation spot there was little for sides in the middle to lower middle order of sides to play for. Although this setup still includes 4 fixtures against immediate league place contenders (perhaps still considered important to broadcasters and sponsors), it does address the issue of monotony. It also addresses the lack of competition for mid-table sides – there is real reward and jeopardy for finishing either side of the 6th/7th place split in the top tier, and similarly for the 4th/5th place split in the second tier with the bonus of further matches against the top tier sides that the promotion chasing clubs are looking to replace.
Aside from the variation of fixtures, this setup also bridges the gap in quality between top and second tier through the introduction of regular matches between divisions to attain the required level to compete in the top tier. The threat of relegation from the top tier would also perhaps not seem the devastating prospect it once did.
Third and Fourth tier
A third tier for the elite part-time sides, and those sides with aspirations to break into the top twenty on a more permanent basis would complement a strong second tier, and offer a good standard of football for sides dropping out of the second tier.
An expanded fourth tier national division might offer a varied experience for supporters – many of whom oppose the notion of regional leagues, with a play-off for highland or lowland league sides to enter the national league system.
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