A LEAGUE Cup group stage played in the summer months could be introduced as early as next season, as Neil Doncaster, the SPFL chief executive, offered reassurances that the future of the competition was not in danger.
Discussions on how best to revamp the League Cup have been ongoing for some time, with a return to the days of a group phase – minus Scotland’s Champions League and Europa League representatives – one of the options on the table.
Many other European nations only have one domestic cup competition and, with the League Cup still without a sponsor and not yielding a European spot for the winner, its long-term viability had been called into question.
Doncaster, though, insisted there was little prospect of the tournament being wound up but acknowledged the format may need altered to sustain levels of interest.
“I don’t think the tournament is in any danger,” he said, following the draw for the second round. “It is a big part of the Scottish football calendar. If you look at the excitement it created last year that certainly demonstrates that.
“Some other European nations don’t have a second cup competition and they also have fewer league fixtures. It’s that combination which creates the fixture congestion we have.
“Ultimately, football is such a fundamental part of society in this country that having such a diet of football is important.
“A change of format is under discussion and we are open-minded about it. There is an appetite for more football during the summer months so the possibility of a group stage being played in July is certainly one way of achieving that. It could happen as early as next season.
“It is important, though, whenever you have any big change that you get consensus. That was the case with the creation of play-offs. There had been a demand for them from fans for many years and we got there with the will of the clubs.
“But it takes time to create that will and bring it all together. We are looking at something in the League Cup which is a fundamental change. It may be a way of creating the summer football people are demanding.”
Doncaster confirmed they remain in discussions to try to find a title sponsor for the competition, and would be open to the arrangement last year when QTS covered the later rounds that included a Celtic versus Rangers semi-final.
“We are open-minded to having the same sort of structure we had last year, with QTS coming in for the semi-finals and final,” he added. “That certainly seemed to work well for both us and QTS. We are in discussions with a number of parties, so let’s see where we end up.
“It would be unfair to talk about an individual party but that’s a structure we are open-minded to. Anything’s possible, I wouldn’t like to rule anything in or out.”
The plum tie of the seeded draw for the second round saw Airdrieonians at home to Rangers. Representing the Lanarkshire club was Iain King, the club’s new chief executive who, until recently, was sports editor of The Scottish Sun newspaper.
“It’s obviously the first draw I’ve attended where I’m not standing with my dictaphone out,” said King, who is also head coach of Lowland League side BSC Glasgow.
“So it’s absolutely brilliant. I think at a smaller club that is one of the draws you’ve got to look for. Away from home would have been ideal but I think we’ll take it anyway.
“Funnily enough I got invited to the game on Sunday as a guest of Paul Murray [the Rangers director] so I was in the directors box and doing a scouting report on Peterhead for the manager ahead of our league game. To be at Ibrox and then get drawn against Rangers the next day is ironic but it’s brilliant for the club.”
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