Stuart Milne - Hoisted By His Own Petard

OH YES, it was beautiful: wee Stuart Milne hoisted by his own petard. That, for me, will be the defining image of the SPL all-change train hitting the buffers.

The wee shilpit, baldie one came out of the Hampden meeting and spat the dummy big style. Screaming about: "what was St Mirren's agenda?" Meglomaniacs like oor Stuart don't do irony, or he might have shut-up. After all, had Stuart Milne not sided with Celtic back in the summer, when the rest of the SPL sides tried to change the 11-1 majority needed sections of the SPL constitution to 9-3, thereby scuppering that move - the re-organisation vote would have gone through this afternoon.

Also, what was Peter Lawwell thinking? The Cardinal Richlieu of Scottish football, realising threats and bullying hadn't worked with Stewart Gilmour of St Mirren and Roy McGregor of Ross County, made "a major concession" and declared himself supportive of a change to 9-3, before they voted on change.

Did he really think Messrs Gilmour's and McGregor's heads buttoned up the back? This beggars the other big question: exactly WHY does 12-12-18 have to come in now?

I suppose a Plan B will be concocted, probably along the lines of starting an SPL2, hoping the likes of Dundee, Morton, Falkirk, Hamilton Academical, Livingston, even Dunfermline, will bite, walk away from the SFL and join-in.

They will surely want Rangers in SPL2; but, will Charles Green bite? That's the $64,000 question (assuming the TV rights to Scottish football are worth even this little).

Green is in a difficult position. His Rangers Newco is only an associate member of the SFA and the SFL. They need the support of the other SFL clubs to have that associate membership made permanent. Without this, they have no voting rights and are unable to influence matters within the council chambers.

He believes, Scottish football needs Rangers, playing at the highest level, but, he also realises better to fight their way back through (hopefully) back-to-back promotions in 2013-14 and 2014-15 than by clutching the SPL2 place they will clearly be offered should the breakaway happen.

Then, there are those public statements about having nothing to do with the SPL. Chuck has some big decisions to make.

I have always been against 12-12-18. It's a hurriedly-concocted plan, which does nothing to address the really big failings of present-day Scottish football. It's a perfect example of badly-thought-out and hurried change being forced through. However, thanks to Messrs Gilmour and McGregor, this hasn't happened. Let's hope the clubs make good the escape.

We have too-many clubs; too-many levels; the senior game is stagnant; we have too-many over-paid, over-rated, under-talented foreigners preventing young Scottish players from coming through. This cannot continue.