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Scottish football Fans’ Plan for the future

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Football supporters' create their vision for Scottish league football: more competition, bigger attendance and fairer funding.

Supporters Direct Scotland, the voice of football supporters’ trusts in Scotland, today publishes The Fans’ Plan – key recommendations to shape the future of Scottish league football based on the results of supporters’ surveys over the past two years and a detailed analysis of the issues facing the game.

The Fans’ Plan calls for:

  • greater competition within Scottish league football structures
  • equal funding for each team in a league
  • support for clubs by central league management to increase the average attendance by 20% by 2016, and achieve an average stadium capacity utilisation of 65% within 10 years
  • two leagues of 16 teams, and a qualifying league of 10 or a feeder league of 16
  • re-introducing the League Cup, with a mini-league qualifying format structured on a geographical basis with four teams in each group
  • improved training and professional development for all players including greater use of Modern Apprenticeships and post-career planning
  • the establishment and implementation of a strong club licensing scheme

SDS spokesperson, Alan Harris commented: “The future of Scottish league football lies in the hands of its supporters and Supporters Direct Scotland has gathered the views of fans for the past two years: the most comprehensive surveys of football supporters in recent times. Fans are clearly telling us, we want more competition, more even distribution of the available funds, investment in the game, especially developing its talent from grassroots, and a greater say for supporters in clubs and national football.”

Alan Harris added: “Our approach is fairly simple. It’s about creating a virtuous circle for the long-term benefit of Scottish football. Too much of the present has been driven by short-term fixes and quick wins. However, that approach is unravelling at every level of the game. The time is right to re-build the foundations of the game in Scotland. We are proposing that a combination of league re-structuring, a re-formatted League Cup and more even distribution of funds, can continue to attract the all-important television sponsorship, create more competition between clubs and widen the game’s attraction to bring supporters back. This is our path to more sustainable development of Scottish league football.”

Director :: Phone: 07708949934 :: Email : grant@macthomais.com

First Floor, 85 Quarrywood Road, Glasgow, G21 3EZ Scotland

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Football Scotland SFL SPL supporters SFA

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