FALKIRK chairman Gary Deans insists the SPFL have been forced to support an independent review of the league by the five clubs behind the study.
Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen, Dundee United Dundee have commissioned Deloitte to look into ways of increasing the annual distribution to clubs from £27 million to £50 million.
In an official statement, the SPFL said they ‘endorsed’ the review but Deans claims the five clubs - four of which are controlled by America-based owners - left the league body with no choice but to support their actions.
Deans also believes a recommendation from the review could lead to Scottish football becoming a two-tier set-up, with infrastructure and facilities determining which clubs play at the highest level.
Deans, who was speaking at a Q&A with Falkirk supporters this week, said: “There is a change coming in Scottish football and we’ve seen it already with a lot of the external investment; from America, from other places.
“And we’ve got some clubs who are commissioning a review on behalf of the SPFL and I’ve had discussions with some of these clubs.
“That’s not the SPFL’s decision, that’s these clubs’ decision and the SPFL have been forced to go down that road.
“And what they want to be able to do, I’ll use the example, Dave Cormack phoned me from Aberdeen and said, ‘here is what we think is going to happen over time’.
“There will be criteria that clubs have to be able to play at or have the facilities for to be able to play at the top level and if you have not got them you will not be able to play.
“I don’t know for certain that that is how it will go, that is my guess and that’s how it feels.
“We’re going to have, call it an SPFL 1, 2 or a division between 42 clubs and you’ll have a top 24 or whatever it is and we want to be on that side of the bridge.”
Deans insists the prospect of the Scottish football landscape changing highlights how important it is for Falkirk to invest as they look to get back to at least the Championship.
The Bairns are currently languishing in fifth place in League One.
Deans added: “Whether that is right for Scottish football or not is another matter but we don’t want to be on the wrong side of the bridge so we have to invest and have to have that investment coming from other places.
“(Investors) Phil and Carrie (Rawlins) have put money into the club and we need more of that.
“(Hibs owner) Ron Gordon has identified that instead of bringing £28 million into Scottish football it should be £50, £55 million.
“Great, if we can get to that top table and take a slice of a much larger cake, brilliant. As far as I’m concerned we cannot not try to be at that table.”
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