PETER Marr, the Dundee chief executive, called yesterday for the abolition of the Scottish Premierleague as the first step to repairing the game’s battered reputation north of the Border.
The promotion/relegation fiasco that has dominated headlines in recent days has convinced Marr of the need for unity and he wants the Scottish Football Association to step in.
The SPL has been in turmoil since the top-flight clubs voted to block
Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s promotion, only for a new vote to be proposed by Hearts and Hibernian. Partick Thistle, who benefited from the initial vote as it meant they stayed in the SPL despite finishing bottom, insist they will take legal action if the original vote is overturned.
Marr, whose club voted against Caley Thistle’s proposal to ground-share with Aberdeen, said: "The first resolution at the recent meeting was on the issue of Inverness groundsharing at Aberdeen. We voted ‘no’ to that as we felt Inverness had not done enough in that they didn’t notify their intention by the 31 March deadline.
"In any event, we believe that Inverness should not be playing in Aberdeen as it does not sufficiently look after the welfare of fans. The second resolution at the meeting covered the possibility of Inverness getting into the SPL by staying where they are, and the third looked at extending their application to 31 July to allow them to build temporary stands.
"We supported the second and third resolutions but it didn’t get our backing. In short, there should really be promotion and relegation in football, but I understand Partick Thistle’s point of view and can see why they have criticised us in the past as they stuck to their budget while we spent willy-nilly.
"But the Partick Thistles of this world should be rewarded too, and I think that expanding the top league would be the answer.
"I think for a country the size of Scotland, two leagues of 16 is quite enough, and then a pyramid system should be set up in consultation with semi-professional and junior clubs.
"I am also a believer in a play-off system for second-bottom teams of the top league against runners-up in the second league. But in this day and age we hear so much about money being wasted in Scottish football, and to me the biggest waste of money is spent on three associations - why do we need that?
"We need someone to lead us out of the SPL and into a Scottish League set-up perhaps overseen by the SFA.
"David Taylor is an intelligent man and perhaps he is the one that should lead us into a new direction - that’s what he is paid for."
Marr was speaking shortly after announcing that Dundee manager Jim Duffy had agreed a one-year extension to his contract which should keep him at Dens Park until 2006.
Meanwhile, Dundee United look set to change tack and give Inverness Caley Thistle their vote when the SPL clubs next meet on 22 June. United abstained at the original vote which denied Inverness a place in the top flight.
Eddie Thompson, the Tannadice club’s chairman, met league lawyers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle officials yesterday and now sympathises with the Inverness situation.
He said: "I have been in full discussion with an SPL lawyer, and it has been made clear to me that as far as the issue of ground-sharing is concerned, the 31 March deadline, which Inverness failed to meet, is irrelevant. I am surprised at this outcome as the likes of Falkirk, Clyde, Hearts, along with ourselves and Dundee, all worked towards this deadline believing it was relevant to do so.
"It now seems a club can wait to the end of the season and then pick a stadium they would like to share, and although I am astonished that this is the way the ruling should be applied, the new committee plans to change the rules anyway.
"In short, though, it seems that we were misled, and Inverness have adhered to what the SPL have asked them to do."
