Rodgers, key Rangers insider and 4 others join forces to bury 10 team league (2025)

The shortest lived Scottish football reconstruction plan in memory has been buried

Well, that lasted.

The shortest-lived Scottish football reconstruction plan in living memory was only on the table for a couple of days before it became crystal clear it simply ain't going to wash.

And that's no surprise. When the news first broke that a proposal to reduce the Scottish Premiership to 10 teams, a few glances at the calendar on April 1st led to suggestions it might have been a Fool's Day prank.

As it happened, it was a real consideration by the Competitions Working Group who had received a request to table the prospect of a '10-10-16' format.

But it's not going to happen. For one thing, it would require 11 out of the 12 teams currently in the league to vote it through – essentially asking a number of teams in the lower reaches of the table to vote themselves into danger, and it's since become abundantly clear that level of support won't be achieved.

For another, countless dominant voices in the Premiership have since come out swinging, making it clear that expanding the league – if there is to be any change at all – is the way to go.

Here are just a few of them.

Neil McCann (Rangers assistant manager)

"I think we’ve got enough teams that would enhance the top league. A lot of people have said there would be dead rubbers but I believe you can always get something from that, whether it’s introduction of young boys, or a couple of (extra) relegation places and a play-off position.

"There are ways of trying to find the middle ground. But the most important thing, if it was bigger, I see it being more of an opportunity for young boys to be cut in because maybe it would take away a lot of the fear factor that exists right now."

Derek McInnes (Kilmarnock manager)

“Gregg McEwan, our general manager, told me a couple of weeks ago that league reconstruction was on the agenda but I was under the impression it was about extending the league.

“So when I saw a ten-team league was part of the discussions, I don’t think that will get off the ground if truth be told.

“I think there’s a bit of a push and momentum towards looking at a bigger league to maybe give a bit more encouragement to clubs in the Championship.

“There’s a lot of good sized clubs who have been out with the top flight for a long time and the longer they are out the harder it becomes to get in.

‌“I would be open to looking at extending the league but what that number will look like I’d rather go hand in hand with the club on that.”

Brendan Rodgers (Celtic manager)

“I certainly don't think it needs to get smaller. If it goes any way, I think there's still a notion for me that we could bring a few more teams into the league.

“Clearly there's maybe issues around TV revenue, money, whatever way that would look like and there may be a challenge to that.

“But I think from a football perspective, I've always felt that the increase in the league would help.”

Adam Webb (St Johnstone owner)

"That would be a huge mistake (cutting the top flight to 10 teams). I think the bar for good or bad when it comes to UK and world football is the English Premier League.

"They've got 20 clubs and what you want to do - we are not the same size obviously as England in Scotland and we are not going to have 20 clubs in our Premiership - is edge closer to that.

"It is a more familiar system that is more geared towards success on the world and UK stage. We should absolutely be heading in the other direction.

"From looking at the quality in the Championship this season, I can tell you we have two, three, four clubs for sure that would do just fine in the Premiership.

"We should be growing the Premiership so we become a little bit more of a comfortable situation for fans around the world, UK or wherever they may be that are following our league. If you keep growing it on a gradual and very deliberate way we can make sure the quality is there. That is the direction we should be going because it is better for Scotland and Scottish football."

Tony Docherty (Dundee manager)

"I was a wee bit surprised with the timing of it, that it came out on April 1st, because to go to a 10-team league, I think that's almost impossible with the voting procedure that goes on.

"John Nelms and Tim Keyes, the owners here, have said they're much more for expansion because that might allow the promotion of young footballers.

"We've always been about promoting young players so I think expansion of the league would be a better option."

Michael Wimmer

"What I can say is the bigger the league, the better. Because you play many other teams.

"Back in Austria we played each other four times against the same team, and then it's the split, and then it's two times again. So it's six times against the same teams.

"But this question should go to the managers with more experience in this league.

"It can be an advantage or a disadvantage (playing against the same teams repeatedly). But for fans, it's more interesting to play against other clubs. Hopefully if I'm here in a year or a year-and-a-half, I can give you a better answer because I'll know the league better."