Rovers chairman builds case for summer football

Dec 24 2008 by Colin Paterson, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

FRANK MEADE has given his backing to a summer season and a pyramid system in Scottish football.

The Albion Rovers chairman aired his views to the Advertiser as arguments about the formation of an SPL2 and restructuring rumble on.

Meade insists the only way forward for football in this country is for clubs to come together and thrash out a lasting solution.

And he is prepared to support a switch to a summer season and the creation of a pyramid system where clubs could be relegated from the third division.

Meade also believes the time has come for Scottish football to be run by one governing body.

He said: “All of the football bodies should be sitting down with the SFA and try to work through what they think the best outcome is as a whole.

“We should maybe be looking at some reorganisation that brings everyone together under one body running the game.

“We need to look at ways of relaunching the game right across Scotland and I don’t think it is helpful that we just talk about SPL2.”

Meade added: “We would absolutely support a pyramid system and there are different ways of implementing it.

“What it would do is drive the clubs in the lower half of the third division to improve standards and that benefits us all.

“I’d also like to see us experiment with summer football for a couple of seasons.

“We should be in favour of giving something like this a try, even if it is just the third division.

“If there is a way to make things work, you will find it.”

Attracting punters through the turnstiles is proving a tough job for clubs these days but Meade is committed to winning the battle.

“I would try anything at all to increase crowds,” he said. “That could mean playing on Friday nights or Sunday afternoons.

“My understanding of Friday night football is that it is a police issue with their resources deployed in town centres.

“For the likes of us though, averaging 300-500 people, I don’t see that being a big argument.

“Saturday isn’t a football day any more. Times have changed and I think the game has been a wee bit slow to embrace those changes.

“I noticed an MSP saying recently that kids should be getting into games for free – well, we have been doing that for years.

“I’d rather the youngsters came in for nothing than not have them here at all.

“It is about trying to create the next generation of supporters and I know I am not alone in wondering where they will be coming from. That is a big worry.”