Hearts relegated and no place for Highland League champs Brora Rangers in SPFL as reconstruction plan is rejected
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THE Scottish Professional Football League have started planning their next season of action after the latest reconstruction proposal was rejected.
Clubs opposed a plan to expand the Premiership to 14 clubs and bring Highland League champions Brora Rangers and Lowland League counterparts into League 2 as part of a 14-10-10-10 set-up.
It means Brora will stay in the Highland League next term and Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranrare have all been relegated.
However it is understood that Hearts, who had proposed the 14-club top tier which would have seen them stay up, are considering launching a legal action against their relegation.
In the meantime, the SPFL say they will look to draw up a Premiership fixtures list soon with the intention of starting in August, with matches played behind closed doors and streamed to fans as part of a virtual season ticket system.
Championship clubs have already agreed to play a shortened campaign of 27 matches, playing each other three times with a provisional starting date of October 17.
No plans have yet been outlined for Leagues 1 and 2, though it is expected that a similar format to the planned Championship season could be drawn up.
Elgin City are set to meet eight of the nine clubs they faced last term, with relegated Stranraer replacing champions Cove Rangers, who move up to League 1.
