THE Scottish Premier League have finally sent out the delayed broadcasting and sponsorship money it owed to the 12 top-flight clubs.
Around £350,000 for each left the bank account of the governing body yesterday and is due to arrive with the clubs today. The first £500,000 instalment of the £1.8m owed to the Scottish Football League as part of the annual settlement agreement, which was also late, has also been paid.
Normally each club receives almost £700,000 at this point but the reduction in television money and the fact not all of the commercial income has yet been received by the SPL means they must make do with only half the usual sum for the meantime.
The money was due at the start of this month but the SPL admitted to a cash flow problem and even told clubs there was no way of knowing when they would receive their funds. The upheaval was due to Rangers being removed from the SPL and the subsequent uncertainty and need to redraw television and sponsorship contracts, especially with Sky and ESPN.
Even after those deals were done there was a delay in receiving the money before all the paperwork was signed, but that has now happened and funds have started to arrive. Clubs were frustrated by the delay but were powerless as the SPL could not distribute money it didn't have.
The next tranche of payments are due in January but because the August figure was so much lower than usual, that is likely to be reviewed, and clubs should receive funds sooner than that.
Meanwhile the 12 top-flight clubs will meet in the next couple of months to discuss league reconstruction. A strategy meeting will be held so that the SPL can – if there is agreement among them all – present its preferred option; either changing to 10, 14 or 16 clubs, or maintaining the status quo. Some clubs are open to a 16-team top flight "by invitation" – which could see Rangers jump back to the top flight without going through three consecutive promotions – but that is not the majority view and it would be sure to attract hostility from those supporters who mounted the successful "no to newco" campaign this summer.
The Scottish Football Association plans to set-up a committee including representatives of the SPL and Scottish Football League, almost certainly under an independent chairman, to progress reconstruction and possibly make recommendations by November.
Meanwhile, the SPL have announced their latest two Friday evening matches. As a consequence of fixture clashes in Dundee, Ross County's trip to Tannadice will now be on Friday, September 14, and the visit of Inverness Caledonian Thistle to Dens will take place on Friday, October 19. Both games will kick off at 7.45pm.
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