23 Aug 2010Scottish Premier League 'on downward spiral'

Football Finance News | Football Leagues/ Association and Governance

The Scottish Premier League cannot keep up with its English rival and the country's football clubs are likely to be faced with further financial strife in the coming years, according to a new study.

A report from financial services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has revealed Scotland's top flight made an overall loss of £22 million in the 2008-09 season, down from a profit of £23 million in the preceding term.

"With the [Scottish Premier League] currently unable to generate a sufficient audience to attract the major media contracts enjoyed in other leagues, opportunities for investment are slipping away," the report's author David Glen explained.

He added that although the league's income has risen sharply in recent years, the clubs themselves have been spending it with abandon and urged Scottish teams to rein in their expenditure.

Champions Rangers are in particular monetary difficulty and have been repeatedly linked with a possible takeover over the last several months.

Written by Paul Roberts

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