Rangers fans are wondering why the SPFL has made a suspiciously-timed announcement | OneFootball

Here we go again, folks. The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is once more in the news with yet another round of league restructuring that has left most if not all of us who follow Scottish football scratching our heads. Seriously, as if we are stuck in a time loop, holding some very old plans that are now being dusted off, even though pundits long ago deemed them laughable failures. But here we go again—why? Grand plans to reshuffle Scottish football appear every few years and then disappear just a few months later. The league (and the member clubs) love the status quo too much, it seems.

Let’s break this down. The proposal suggests moving to a 10, 14, or even a 16-team league system to tackle fixture congestion and financial disparities within the sport. Sure, that sounds great in theory—more teams mean more matches and potentially more excitement! But here’s where it gets juicy: why announce this when clubs are still reeling from past decisions and financial struggles? It almost feels like someone is trying to distract us from something else happening in the football world. Coincidence? I think not!

So, you have to wonder about the timing. Yes, league reconstruction has been a matter for debate for some time now. But all of a sudden, those in authority at the SPFL (Scottish Professional Football League) have decided to make that public. What are we to make of that? Why choose now to share that with the football community in Scotland? The ideas aren’t particularly new—those that are being mooted have been around the block more than once.

Now, let’s talk about David Martindale’s perspective on this situation. He highlighted a crucial point: during discussions about finances and solidarity payments, the clubs are engaging in acts of self-preservation. To put it another way, they’re looking out for Number One, their own interests, first and foremost. And why not? That’s what any sensible business would do. The second thing to take notice of here is the word solidarity. When you hear that word, think of clubs receiving a kind of second-hand revenue, or even some form of charity, from the so-called bigger or more successful clubs.

And let’s not forget the fans—the most important people in all of this. These proposed changes might sound great, but will they really engage supporters? Or will they just leave them even more confused than they are already? And can someone, anyone, explain what the “split” means in a Premier League season? I ask because I have been present at more than one pub table where this particular topic has been raised, usually after a number of pints, and I have yet to hear a coherent explanation.

To wrap things up, even though revamping the league might bring some perks down the road—like a better schedule or a more equitable sharing of funds—one can’t help but be skeptical of the timing (McLauchlin, 2025). With so much doubt already clouding Scottish football, announcing these kinds of reforms feels less like a leap forward and more like a dodge. Still, let’s allow for the glimmer of hope that something better might emerge from all this.