Donald blasts SPL over breakaway
Scottish Football League secretary Peter Donald has hit out again at the Scottish Premier League over plans for a breakaway second tier.
Donald has been angered by a planned meeting between SPL chiefs and the 10 First Division clubs hoping to leave.
SPL executive chairman Lex Gold says he will meet the clubs within two weeks.
And Donald said: \"This is contrary to the firm assurances that were given that it would be confined to the elected members of the SFL and SPL.\"
Gold insists that the SPL is \"sensitive\" to the proposed reform's impact on lower league clubs and it would be made through the formal channels of the SFL and Scottish Football Association.
But Donald said: \"I said to Lex that his latest policy seems to be something of a U-turn.
\"We can't stop people talking to each other, but the whole thing should have been handled through the formal channels.\"
However, Donald believes the talks may not necessarily lead to a breakaway.
\"The First Division clubs claim they are going to the meeting to see what is available to them - you can read into that as simply pound signs,\" he said.
\"If the news they get is not exactly encouraging then some of the First Division clubs might feel it is too dear for them because part of any SPL2 is a commitment to develop youth structures, under-19s and reserves.
\"Also, they need to give two years' notice to leave the SFL and, to get away from that, you need to get two-thirds of the votes from our member clubs.
\"You can see the expression turkeys and Christmas coming to mind.\"
