DAVIE MARTINDALE knows three into one won’t go.
But he’s more convinced than ever that 12 into 16 adds up to success for Scottish football.
David Martindale insists he knows the best way forward for the league[/caption]
The Livingston boss says a larger league at the top of the pyramid is the way to go[/caption]
Falkirk and Livingston are in a title tussle with Ayr United for promotion to the Premiership[/caption]
Livingston boss Martindale says he’ll never give up on his battle to see the top flight opened up to more teams.
Especially after experiencing this season’s thrilling race for promotion in the Championship.
The Lions, second after leapfrogging Ayr with a last-gasp win over them, will go top if they beat Morton tonight and Partick Thistle on Friday.
Martindale said: “Our games against Falkirk and Ayr United this season are testament to why the Premiership needs to be extended.
“It needs to go to a minimum 16-team league because there are good players and teams at this level.
“Scottish football as a whole would benefit if it got extended.
“I’m not being big-headed here, but there aren’t many as well-versed as myself on this one.
“I’ve just had six years in the Premiership and I’m now seven or eight months into a season in the Championship. So I’m pretty well qualified to give my opinion on this.
“It’s all about watching games of football at both levels — and for me, the current set-up means there’s no room to breathe in the Premiership.”
Martindale has long since predicted the three-way battle at the top of the Championship could go down to the last kick of the last game.
It’s a shootout which has seen crowds flocking back, with more than 7,000 watching the Bairns fight out a a 2-2 thriller with Ayr ten days ago. Critics of going from 12 to 16 — a plan that would see Falkirk, Livi, Ayr and Partick Thistle promoted if it was brought in today — say it would lead to too many meaningless games.
But Martindale, whose side have a Scottish Cup quarter- final, and the SPFL Trust Trophy final, looming in a massive month ahead, added: “That wouldn’t be the case.
“The first year we went up, Livingston had fans who were loving games against Celtic and Rangers — but two seasons in, they weren’t going.
“If we were playing Celtic, Rangers, Hibernian, Hearts, Aberdeen home and away from home just the once, they would go in the calendar early doors.
“But when you’re playing each other four or five times a season, the enthusiasm goes.
“Extending the Premiership wouldn’t just lead to a better product on the park, it would be better for the paying fan.”
Meanwhile, Ton gaffer Dougie Imrie has urged his injury-hit team to kick start another impressive run tonight.
Their 11-game unbeaten Championship streak was brought to a halt by leaders Falkirk last Friday in a 2-0 defeat at Cappielow.
Morton have key players Iain Wilson and new signing Tomi Adeloye sidelined through injury.
And loan star Filip Stuparevic is ruled out for the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury.
However, Imrie insists they still possess the quality to trouble title-chasing Livi.
He said: “Tomi and Iain will still miss out, as will Filip, but it is what it is, and we just need to get on with it.
Morton’s unbeaten streak ended against Falkirk last week[/caption]
Scott Arfield was among the goals[/caption]
After defeat to the leaders, the Greenock side must dust themselves down for a crack at second-placed Livi[/caption]
“We were disappointed with the two goals we lost to Falkirk.
“But we can’t dwell on it and we’ve got to go to Livingston, who will be boosted by a really good win at Ayr.
“We want to go there and hopefully start another really good run for ourselves.
“All we can do is start another run. We’ve done well against Livingston this season in the league, and we want to continue that.
“We know it will be a really difficult game as Livi are strong at home and we’re carrying injuries now.
“But we’ve got a good enough squad that we can go there and pick up points.
“It’s good we’ve got a game so quickly, but it’s going to be our fourth in ten days and that’s a strain on the players.
“It’s one defeat in 12 and we have to look at the positives.
“We just need to regroup and go again as we come into the business end of the season.”
Ex-Ton ace Robbie Muirhead was Livi’s hero at Ayr when he smashed home a sensational last-gasp free-kick.
Imrie added: “Robbie has that quality in abundance. He was a terrific player for myself and he’s been a massive miss for us. His goal at Ayr, that’s what the kid can do.
“He was excellent for us and he’s now doing well for Livingston.”
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