Club express their frustration and disappointment
Aberdeen Football Club today expressed its intense frustration and disappointment following the extensive period of work undertaken by many to bring forward plans that would have delivered;
– a single merged league with a substantial increase in meaningful games
– a major expansion of play-offs offering greater opportunities for promotion between divisions
– a pyramid structure across the entire game
– a substantial redistribution of income to the present SFL 1 clubs most in need of that income
– opportunities to fully exploit commercial central revenues to the benefit of the game as a whole
Set out below is the detailed process that led us to believe that the reorganisation proposal would have been unanimously approved by all twelve member Clubs on Monday.
In September 2012 the SPL set up a reorganisation group consisting of representatives of Clubs across the SPL (Aberdeen FC, Celtic FC, Dundee FC, Hearts FC Kilmarnock FC and St Johnstone FC). The Group was tasked with the process of bringing forward plans that would bring significant benefits as outlined above to the game at every level. At the very outset all agreed, that matters of league structure, voting and distribution had to be agreed if the proposals were to succeed i.e. dealing with voting alone would not lead to compromise and a successful outcome. Our desire, and the final proposal demonstrated, that the correct approach was to reduce significantly protected matters only to those areas that protect all member Clubs. Further, ALL Clubs would need to compromise to ensure a balanced package was delivered.
The resolution on changing the voting on protected matters from 11-1 to 9-3 was deferred on a number of occasions from April 2012 andat the request of the majority of SPL Clubs was withdrawn at the meeting on 3 December.
During these discussions it was agreed by all parties that the key to unlocking the deadlock was to deliver far more meaningful games to the supporters that would also be attractive to broadcasters and sponsors alike. In order to make this possible the reorganisation group agreed that increased promotion and relegation was essential, a risk the clubs were prepared to take for the good of the game. The reorganisation group also agreed that the clubs at the top of the league would need to give up considerable merit payments if a reorganisation was to be delivered. The combination of these two major compromises would have enabled significant sums to be delivered into the lower leagues thereby meaning that relegation from the top division could be managed by clubs that were most at risk as a result of these proposals as well as significant sums into the second tier.
The reorganisation group also reviewed all protected matters requiring an 11-1 vote and unanimously agreed these be reduced principally to matters around league reconstruction, any further changes to the financial distribution model (as the top SPL sides had given up considerable sums all recognised any further changes needed to be protected), retention of home gates and limiting the number of home games shown live on television by each club (for which no direct income is received). The latter two principles are vital to protect ALL clubs and maximise the value of central contracts. The reorganisation group also agreed an all through financial distribution model.
The working group presented these plans to all SPL Clubs at a General Meeting on 3 December 2012 and all twelve clubs agreed that the 12-12 (and three 8’s) proposal should be taken forward as this delivered the maximum meaningful games and that the restructuring group should discuss these proposals with the SFA, PGB and the SFL management Board. As indicated above it was at this meeting that the majority of clubs agreed to withdraw the resolution with regards to changing the 11-1 requirement on protected matters.
Following two meetings with the SFA and SFL the second being on 9 January 2013 which was attended on behalf of the SPL by the restructuring group clubs as well as St Mirren, the three organisation’s Chief Executives were able to announce that the new structure had been agreed in principle.
The SPL Clubs met in General Meeting on 28 January 2013 for an update and unanimously agreed in principle to take forward the 12-12-18 (the 18 having been the preferred option of the SFL as opposed to two leagues of 10) with the voting and all through 42 distribution model accepted after input from the SFL management board as to the sums involved. This also enabled the vast majority of SFL clubs to agree to move the process forward.
Following the above meeting the SPL Board, given the unanimous support for the principles, commissioned legal work to be undertaken to draft agreements and documentation based entirely on the principles reached by the Clubs. The time and effort put into this process was huge and the SPL Executive, Board, restructuring team and legal representatives spent considerable time on this to enable final documents to be sent out to all SPL Clubs.
Following a further General Meeting on 11 March 2013 all SPL Clubs agreed that the clubs should reconvene to formally vote on the proposal and the SPL met with the SFA, PGB and SFL on 2 April 2013 to agree a detailed timetable to enable the SPL and SFL Clubs to meet and vote on the proposals to take effect at the start of season 2013/14.
Given the level of discussion outlined above and the opportunity for clubs to indicate well in advance of Monday’s meeting where they stood on the key principles of league reconstruction, voting and distribution, we found it difficult to understand why the two clubs that rejected the proposal waited until so late in the day to state they would vote against. Given the serious implications of a no vote, we proposed along with Celtic FC, that in the event of the new 12 12 (and three 8’s) not delivering the outcomes we all hoped it would, then it could be changed by a 9-3 majority i.e. future league reconstruction would cease to be a protected matter. We felt, as did others, that this dealt with the barriers preventing St Mirren and Ross County agreeing to back the proposal as they had in the past. Unfortunately they stated they still could not agree to support this. They did not even agree to allow the member clubs at short notice to vote on the proposal removing league restructuring from protected rights which we find very difficult to understand.
We believe that Monday’s failure to deliver the real benefits to the national game was a huge mistake. In particular, as the SPL stated on Monday, although not perfect, the proposals presented a chance to revitalise the game and offered significant benefits in particular to full time professional clubs in Scotland presently in the second tier.
Only by delivering a new organisational structure, as the proposal did, that significantly increases meaningful games enabling financial benefits to be passed down to all clubs will the game move forward. Voting reform and an all through financial distribution would also have occurred. It is extremely difficult to see another way of delivering all of these benefits that will receive the backing required.
As we have done during this whole debate, and indeed in all previous attempts to reorganise the game, Aberdeen FC will work with others who share our belief in delivering real positive change to the game.
The challenges ahead are massive. As a Club we will now concentrate on taking AFC forward under our new manager Derek McInnes to deliver success for our supporters.
