Scottish football clubs consider 14-club Premiership sparing Hearts relegation as league reconstruction talks rumble on
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SCOTTISH football league reconstruction is back on the table, with clubs being consulted on a possible 14-team Premiership for next season.
The ongoing saga over how to restart the sport in Scotland has reached a new development.
All 42 clubs are being asked their views on the Premiership being increased to 14 clubs, and if they think it would work.
Top tier clubs are being consulted on the possibility of the expanded division being put in place for the next five seasons.
And the door could be opened for Highland League winners Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts to gain entry to League 2 next term.
For the new structure being considers by the SPFL would be a 14-10-10-10 formation with two new sides gaining entry.
It is also understood that three leagues of 14 are being considers, an option many of the lower league clubs are in favour of.
Elgin City and fellow League 2 clubs will be asked for their views on the 14-club top tier over the next few days.
They will also be asked their preference on how the lower tiers would be set up if a bigger top division was approved.
All options have already been considers and rejected over the course of the summer, but are being revisited due to the weight of public pressure.
Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer face relegation under the resolution approved by clubs at the start of the summer, with the play-off system being scrapped and the 12-10-10-10 structure being maintained for next season.
A 14-team Premiership would spare Hearts the drop and land Caley Thistle a promotion boost to the top tier as the second-placed side behind champions Dundee United when last season was terminated.
If a 14-10-10-10 was approved, no clubs would be relegated and Brora and Kelty would join Elgin in League 2 next term.
The alternative of three 14s would see Elgin effectively move up a level to League 1, playing alongside the same nine clubs they faced in League 2 last season including champions Cove Rangers.
Peterhead, Stranraer, Forfar and Clyde would also join the ten former League 2 sides in a new third tier.
In a recent development in Scottish football, Edinburgh-based philanthropist James Anderson has offered to make a £2 million donation to the league to help clubs affected by the Covid-19 shutdown.
The investor's cash, if accepted, would be split evenly between the 42 existing clubs, meaning a £47,619 payout for each club.
It is understood that the offer is not dependent on whether or not league reconstruction is approved by clubs.
