McGhee fears for SPL future

The Clydesdale Bank Premier League is in danger of sinking to the level of the League of Ireland, according to Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee.

McGhee believes the Scottish top flight bore comparison with its English counterpart prior to the formation of the Barclays Premier League. But he insists the SPL is now on a par with the Coca-Cola Championship and warned it would continue to fall further behind the English leagues if something was not done to arrest the slide.

He told RedTV: "The English Premier League is now a world-class league; it's no longer a British-class league."

He added: "I'm not sure that I would, in my day, have got a game in the Premier League as it is.

"I think we really have to compare ourselves with Championship clubs.

"As long as we keep eroding the financial side and they keep getting away from us, that is going to change again, and very soon we're going to be comparing it to the First Division (League One).

"And if it keeps going the way it is, we could eventually be comparing it to - no disrespect - the Irish league."

McGhee's stark forecast will be seen as a further blow to the reputation of the SPL, which has had to deal with the Old Firm repeatedly stating their desire to leave the competition.

But the Dons boss reckons there is still time for something to be done to keep it on a level with the Championship.

"I think that involves a bit of change," he said. "Whether that involves summer football, I don't know. But I'd like someone to go and explore it scientifically. Then we can maybe make some decisions that would improve our lot and improve our chances of maintaining us at that sort of level, Championship level."