Smith favours 18 teams

06 January 2011 17:30

Rangers manager Walter Smith believes an 18-team league would be the ideal scenario for Scottish football in a perfect world.

But he admits the current financial state of the game north of the border means the introduction of two 10-team leagues is the most viable solution. All 12 Scottish Premier League clubs met earlier this week to discuss league reconstruction, with a working party proposing a two-tier SPL, with 10 teams in each division.

"I just think it's very difficult in Scotland to try and achieve the balance in terms of the number of teams who are going to be involved in the league," said Smith.

"I would think the two leagues of 10 - as long as we were trying to make sure the second division was trying to raise its standard and facilities and so on so that we would eventually have 20 teams who were of a good level.

"That would maybe give us the option to come into line with a lot of leagues in other countries.

"It's very difficult for a small country to substantiate a level of 18 first-class teams in the current financial market and I think that's the difficulty that people have in terms of making the decision.

"There is a solution that suits everyone if you have a whole load of extra finance coming in. That would be the answer to everyone's problems.

"I don't think there is any doubt that an 18-club league would be what everyone would want. But it's trying to get 18 of a very good standard that will attract television money. It's a very difficult environment that we find ourselves in at the moment."

Source: PA