A radical solution to make the professional Scottish football more competitive is that from season 2021/22 the Scottish Premiership would introduce a handicap scheme where the winners are given a handicap of minus 1 point for every 2 points of their winning margin from the 2020/2021 season; if those winners then win a 2nd title in a row, the handicap will be 1.5 points for every 2 points of their winning margin; if they win a 3rd title in a row, the handicap will be 2 points for every 2 points of their winning margin; and so on.
So after three successive title wins, and a winning margin of ten points in that third win, the winners will start the next season on minus 10 points.
Eventually – probably after three or four consecutive title wins – the previous season’s winners will not be able to make good their starting deficit – and the Scottish Premiership will have new champions!
The new champions will start the next season on minus 1 point for every 2 points of their winning margin. The deposed champions will have no handicap for the new season.
Some tweaking of the handicap system may be necessary if an unhealthy duopoly looks like emerging again. Anything can be sorted out, once the principle has been accepted that the imbalance in Scottish football can only be addressed by a handicap scheme.
Some might consider that a handicap system would be humiliating. This is wrongheaded. What IS humiliating is to accept certain defeat as the inevitable outcome.
A handicap system will give other clubs the opportunity to challenge for the league title, whilst forcing the champions to improve each season to hold on to their crown. This will improve the sport domestically and should mean the champions are more competitive on the European stage.
In any event, the Chairmen of all 12 Premiership clubs now have this radical suggestion in front of them. If they have a better one, time for them to speak up. They have been silent for too long.
We urge all football supporters to write to their clubs, whether in the Premiership or not, to lend weight to this effort to bring about much-needed change. Scottish football – and all supporters – deserves a better future.
THE SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP NEEDS TO BE A COMPETITION AGAIN.
Scottish Football Matters 