BROWN McMaster, the president of the Scottish Football League, has played down suggestions next week's SFA tribunal hearing in Edinburgh could signify an imminent further breakdown of his organisation.
The three-man tribunal, chaired by Lord Philip Hope Brodie, will meet legal representatives of both the SFL and Scottish Premier League on Wednesday in the ongoing dispute sparked by the desire of some First Division clubs in August 2006 to form an S
PL2.
The SFL referred the issue to arbitration at the start of 2007 and it is understood the panel, completed by former Hearts director Jim Clydesdale and David Glen of accountants Pricewaterhouse Coopers, are close to delivering a final judgement against which there is no right of appeal.
They will rule on whether clubs leaving the SFL have to serve a two-year notice period and on the validity of the existing settlement agreement, struck in 1997 when ten clubs broke away to form the SPL, which sees an annual severance payment of around £1.9million paid by the SPL to the SFL.
It has been suggested the tribunal's verdict will favour the SPL and that those clubs interested in forming an SPL2 may even be able to resign from the SFL as soon as the end of this season. McMaster, however, believes that is highly unlikely.
"Next week's meeting is essentially about points of legal argument," said McMaster. "There is nothing to suggest it will be a final, decisive meeting as far as we are concerned.
"Once we know what the tribunal has decided, and in my experience these judgements can take some time to be announced, then hopefully all of the parties involved can sit down together to see how we go forward.
"In my own view, we should be working closer together. We should never have split apart in the first place."
If an SPL2 is to go ahead, then the current SPL clubs would have to vote in favour of it by an 11-1 majority. It remains to be seen what benefit they would gain from sharing their television and sponsorship income with another ten clubs.
Meanwhile, Old Firm managers Walter Smith and Gordon Strachan yesterday took part in the first of a series of summits to plan a brighter future for Scottish football.
Fellow managers Mark McGhee, Craig Levein, John Hughes and Jimmy Calderwood also attended the Scottish Premier League's working party meeting at Hampden.
SPL executive chairman Lex Gold said: "Much has been achieved in the past ten years, but we must always seek to improve.
"When we plan for the future it is crucial that we draw upon the wealth of knowledge and experience in our game.
"As an organisation we are constantly examining what we do and we seek new ideas and fresh approaches.
"This afternoon's meeting is part of a process of ensuring that we are moving in the right direction."
The full article contains 492 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
