Scottish FA, Clubs Dispute Over $1.6M SPFL Reorganization Costs

The Scottish FA "will hope to resolve a potentially damaging dispute with clubs over the cost of league reorganisation when its board meets in December," according to Clive Lindsay of the BBC. Some former Scottish Football League clubs said that the SFA promised to meet the full £1M ($1.6M) bill for the June merger with the Scottish Premier League. But SFA CEO Stewart Regan "is thought to be adamant he has email proof that this was not the case." League bosses "have submitted a paper to the SFA outlining the costs." The Scottish Professional Football League, which was created by the merger, "is insisting there is no dispute over funds as it is up to the SFA board to decide how much of the cost it is willing to meet." However, the SFA "is unhappy that a six-figure pay-off" for departing SFL CEO David Longmuir "is included within the cost of reconstruction as well as the accountancy costs of the SFL's due diligence examination of the new league's viability" (BBC, 11/10).