Bigger Spl Will Lift Our Game

Mar 9 2008

PAUL STURROCK has been in English football for eight years - and reckons one look down south would solve Scottish football's ills.

The ex-Dundee United and St Johnstone gaffer is still a fervent fan of the game in his homeland.

But he believes a bigger SPL and a series of play-offs to decide UEFA Cup spots and relegation would breathe fresh life into it.

The Plymouth boss said: "The play-offs are the best thing that ever happened to English football.

"Taking Sheffield Wednesday to the final at Cardiff and winning was the best day of my football life.

"Look at our league - half the teams think they still have a chance of going up, the other half are looking over their shoulder.

"You could do the same in Scotland in a league of 16 or 18.

"The problem is self preservation.

What the clubs have to realise is it's the game itself they need to preserve, not just themselves.

"Making the SPL bigger would allow the likes of St Johnstone, Dundee, Dunfermline, Morton and Thistle the chance to stay as reasonably big sides.

"How would it work? You assume that the top two are going to go into the Champions League.

After that you get the next four to play for the UEFA Cup place.

"And you get the bottom lot to get involved in play-offs for the team coming up as well.

"You could have a round robin and you get the chance to survive, maybe not if you're dead last, but maybe the next two teams up, and the teams second and third in the division below."