Latest news with #NeilDoncaster
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
SPFL league structure for 2025-26 revealed after bosses ponder larger second tier and major playoff change
Bosses also considered changes to the playoff system DIVIDE AND CONQUER SPFL league structure for 2025-26 revealed after bosses ponder larger second tier and major playoff change Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT'S the kind of outcome which will perhaps surprise no-one with a long memory in Scottish football. But the news is just in after the SPFL's latest round of reconstruction talks - and what it means is that there will be NO meaningful change for season 2025-26. 1 Falkirk Legend Alex Totten and SPFL CEO Neil Doncaster arrive with the trophy Credit: SNS We told you how last month how calls for both a smaller - and bigger - top tier were defeated round the boardroom table. In other words Scottish football will continue in the 12-10-10-10 status quo. That's because no plans to revamp the lower divisions gained the requisite support. Championship teams had been asked to consider expanding the second tier from 10 clubs to 12 or 14. There were also proposals to reduce the quarter-final and semi-final of the Championship promotion play-offs from two legs to a more manageable one. Some League 1 and League 2 teams were keen to form and expanded third tier of eight teams - supported by an EIGHT team fourth tier. But with no appetite ultimately for Premiership clubs to back plans for a bigger top flight last month, today's meeting of the Competitions Working Group ended in stalemate. That means they'll recommend no change to the SPFL board, with promotion playoff remaining two-legged affairs. One team whose relegation has been confirmed is St Johnstone - with owner Adam Webb confirming today that Simo Valakari will stay on as their manager next season. He's backing the Finn to rebuild the Perth club from the roots up following their relegation. Dundee Utd fan 'caught mocking Ibrox disaster' during Rangers clash days after Celtic supporter lost job He said: 'We will back Simo. 'We have a visionary coach and a solid core group of players who will be staying with us for next season." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Champions League-style Challenge Cup revamp aims to give kids more chances
The competition has been given a radical new look for next season SPFL chiefs have announced a Champions League-style revamp for the Challenge Cup, designed to breathe new life into the competition. An estimated £1.25m in prize money will be shared with clubs for next season's competition, with the winners receiving £150,000, a 50 per cent increase on this season. Next season's competition, rebranded the KDM Evolution Trophy from the SPFL Trust Trophy that Livingston won in March, will feature a first-round league phase made up of 30 teams from League One and Two and 10 Premiership 'B' teams. Premiership 'B ' teams will play all games away from home. The draw will be split into three pots and regionalised into north and south, based on geography. Teams will only play against six opponents from their own region, three from each of the other two pots. Goals scored and points gained from the six matches will feed into the one league table – similar to the Champions League – with the top 22 progressing to the round of 32 and the bottom eight eliminated. Teams finishing in positions one to six are seeded in the round of 32, alongside the 10 Championship clubs. Teams from seven to 22 are unseeded in the draw, with teams paired according to final league phase and Championship rankings, and assigned two potential opponents from the other end of the rankings. The competition reverts to a traditional knock-out, and there is no regionalisation at this stage, with open draws from the round of 16 onwards. It is hoped that the revamped competition will provide more opportunities for young players, as youth prospects aged 15 are now eligible to take part. SPFL group chief executive Neil Doncaster said: 'We're confident the new competition format will help develop some of our most promising players across the country. 'Allowing players to compete at a high level from the age of 15 will pay dividends for them, for their clubs and, ultimately, for the national side. 'We've had long discussions with our member clubs and the Scottish FA about this new competition format, and we've also introduced some key principles to reduce travel time and costs, particularly for William Hill League 1 and 2 clubs. 'We would lastly like to thank the SPFL Trust and the donors who support them, who have been fantastic supporters of this competition for the last four seasons.'
Edinburgh Reporter
07-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
KDM Group named as new title sponsor of revamped Challenge Cup
The SPFL has agreed a multi-year deal with the Scottish based, internationally operating construction firm as the league reveals further details of its new competition format and a record-breaking prize pot. The title partnership marks another milestone in KDM Group's growing and significant support of Scottish football alongside their Soccer Centre partnership with the Scottish FA and stadium sponsorship of Dunfermline Athletic's KDM Group East End Park. The competition logo, also revealed today, features the illustration of the brand-new competition trophy which has been commissioned by the SPFL and KDM Group to celebrate this exciting new era for one of Scottish football's best loved competitions. The final trophy will be unveiled this summer, in time for the tournament's kick off. An estimated £1.25 million in prize money will be shared with clubs for the 2025/26 KDM Evolution Trophy – an increase of more than 50% on this year's competition. Next season's winners will receive £150,000, with increased prize money at every stage in the competition. Competition format changes were confirmed earlier in the year alongside a new Scottish FA Cooperation System, which is designed to strengthen youth development in the Scottish game. The new set-up will continue to include William Hill Premiership B teams in support of the Scottish FA's aim to provide more opportunities for players in the key 'transition phase' of ages 16-21, as they move from the academy environment to senior football. In a further move to allow the best young players in the country to experience first-team football at an earlier age, youth prospects aged 15 will now be eligible to participate in the competition. The new format includes an opening round league phase and was inspired by UEFA's new club competition formats. The first round league phase will comprise 10 William Hill League 1 clubs, 10 William Hill League 2 clubs, and 10 William Hill Premiership B-teams. Clubs participating in the league phase of the competition will be split into three pots by division and regionalised into North and South sections, reducing travel costs for clubs and supporters across six league phase matchdays. Points gained by clubs across six league phase matchdays will feed into a single league table, with the top 22 clubs qualifying for the seeded knock-out Round of 32. William Hill Championship clubs will enter the competition from the Round of 32 as seeded clubs, alongside clubs finishing in the top six of the league phase, with the remainder of the competition following a traditional knock-out format. Neil Doncaster, group chief executive of the SPFL, said: 'We are really pleased to welcome KDM Group as the title sponsor for the KDM Evolution Trophy from season 2025/26, and to announce a significant rise in prize money for next season's competition. 'KDM Group is a highly-respected and well-established firm in Scotland, the UK and beyond, and have already demonstrated a passion for Scottish football. They have a proud history of supporting our national sport and thislong-term deal isreally positive newsfor all 42 member clubs. 'We're confident the new competition format will help develop some of our most promising players across the country. Allowing players to compete at a high level from the age of 15 will pay dividends for them, for their clubs and ultimately, for the national side.' The changes to the KDM Evolution Trophy format were made following lengthy consultation with SPFL clubs and the launch of a Scottish FA Transition Phase report last year which sought to establish trends in successful player development from across the world, and those recommendations fed into discussions with clubs, the SPFL and Scottish FA. William Hill Premiership B-teams will play all league phase matches away from home in a further move to reduce travel costs for William Hill League 1 and League 2 clubs and their supporters. Clubs participating in the league phase will also be permitted to play a limited number of trialists to support squad management in the early stages of the season. Doncaster added: 'We've had long discussions with our member clubs and the Scottish FA about this new competition format and we've also introduced some key principles to reduce travel time and costs, particularly for William Hill League 1 and 2 clubs. 'We would lastly like to thank the SPFL Trust and the donors who support them, who have been fantastic supporters of this competition for the last four seasons.' KDM Group offers a variety of construction services to blue chip clients across the UK and Europe, which includes delivery of services such as: general contractor, interior fit-out, mechanical and electrical, manufacturing and design. The company is based in Dalgety Bay, Fife, with regional offices and operations throughout the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Republic of Ireland. Iain Jones, Chief Executive of KDM Group, said: 'We're incredibly proud to support the launch of this exciting new football competition and to see the KDM Evolution Trophy come to life. The name reflects the evolution of our business, from a smallshopfitting company to a leading international brand. It mirrors the journey of this tournament and the aspiring players it supports. Our investment in football spans all levels of the game, from grassroots to the professional stage. 'Through our KDM Group Soccer Centres, we provide primary-aged schoolgirls access to the game whilst having fun, helping to grow the game from the ground up. We've previously been the official partner of the Scottish Cup and are proud sponsors of the Scotland Women's National Team & Dunfermline Athletic FC. 'This new tournament is another step forward, providing a platform for talent to grow and evolve, just as we have.' The full schedule of prize monies for the KDM Evolution Trophy is set out below: Winner – £150,000 Runner up – £100,000 Losing semi-finalists – £75,000 Losing quarter-finalists – £50,000 Round of 16 losers – £40,000 Round of 32 losers – £30,000 1st round (league phase) losers – £15,000-18,500 (depending on final league position) A summary of key competition dates is set out below: League Phase MD1: 12/13 August 2025 League Phase MD2: 26/27 August 2025 League Phase MD3: 6/7 September 2025 League Phase MD4: 23/24 September 2025 League Phase MD5: 11/12 October 2025 League Phase MD6: 11 November 2025 Round of 32: 9/10 December 2025 Round of 16: 6/7 January 2026 Quarter Final: 27/28 January 2026 Semi Final: 24/25 February 2026 Final: 28/29 March 2026 / 4/5 April 2026 Like this: Like Related
The Herald Scotland
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Why Rangers display was spectacular own goal by ultras
For all that is unsavoury about the Old Firm rivalry - the sectarianism, the occasional violence – it is, for better or worse, the main USP up here when it comes to selling our game to broadcasters the world over. Like it or not, there is the same sort of morbid curiosity about what might happen in this game to the wider world as there is to the rubbernecker peering at a car accident on the other side of the motorway. (Image: Steve Welsh - PA) Here, we know there is much more to Scottish football than this one match-up, but as Neil Doncaster will tell you, it is in the financial interests of all that a 'healthy' Glasgow rivalry is showcased on screens as far and as wide as possible. And let's not kid ourselves here, the baser aspects of that rivalry are not only tolerated by the clubs and the game's governing bodies when it suits them in that regard, but they are often encouraged and exploited. Read more: Lest I be accused of being a hypocrite, let me say too that the media landscape I am a small (and as many people tell me on social media, an insignificant) part of are as guilty as anyone of ramping up this rivalry and reaping the benefits. I covered the last two Old Firm matches, and wrote in my reports from both Celtic Park and Ibrox that the presence of a large away support was hugely welcome, and made the fixture feel more like the Old Firm games of old. What can be forgotten amid our frequently po-faced judgements of the fans who attend these matches is that it is a rivalry, so disdain for the opposition is not in any way unique to Glasgow, or even a bad thing. But there is a line. And in the current climate, with the tension between the police and the ultras groups in particular so febrile, and the political classes eagerly watching on ready to pounce upon any misconduct from supporters, it is more important than ever for fans to be wary of it. It won't take much, you feel, for pressure to be brought to bear on the clubs once more to limit access for away fans to these games, and undo all the glacier like progress that has been made on that front over the past few years. Which brings us to Sunday. It is always a heart in mouth moment when you see a tifo display being unfurled at these games, and sure enough, as the huge banner slowly revealed itself at the bottom of the Copland Stand, you just knew a storm was coming. There is an old story that does the rounds about a journalist many years ago warning a senior figure at one of our big clubs that if he gave their ultras group enough rope, they would hang him with it, and this rang true at Ibrox at the weekend. For all that ultras groups like to shout from the rooftops whenever they feel they aren't being listened to or accommodated unquestioningly by their clubs, the Rangers statement regarding the banner after the game spoke of a breach of trust. They had given the Union Bears the rope, and they hung their club out to dry. Whatever your opinion on the huge image of Graeme Souness brandishing a shotgun above the slogan 'Take Aim at the Rebel Scum', a crude play on a line from Star Wars, being that it was May 4th, the ultras must have known the reaction and the controversy that would arise from it. That is their raison d'etre, to push the envelope. But maybe they should pause once in a while and ask themselves, how does this benefit Rangers? Even if they think it's all just a big laugh, the point remains that it is reputationally damaging to the club, as evidenced by the condemnatory statement that was rushed out by the Rangers hierarchy. It is hard to believe incidentally that Rangers had no prior knowledge of the contents of the banner. If they didn't, it was incredibly naïve, and if they did, well it was a major misjudgement. If we take the club at their word though, then the Union Bears have only ensured they won't be allowed such leeway from Rangers in the future, not when their reputation is at stake and a potentially transformative takeover from 49ers Enterprises is almost at completion. You only have to witness the slightly bizarre spectacle of 40-odd police officers seizing the banner with evidence gloves on after the game, or have been on London Road prior to the last Old Firm game where fans were kettled and denied access to Celtic Park, to see that the authorities are watching these groups and all fans closer than ever. You might think the reaction to the display has been OTT, with people asking First Minister John Swinney his opinion on it. Or you may think that it was appalling, and that Rangers should be hammered for it. Either way, in my book there were far more serious incidents that took place which also gave plenty of ammunition to those who would see this game played behind closed doors given half the chance, never mind shutting out away supporters. There was the shameful mocking of the Ibrox disaster by a fan in the Celtic end, an incident that saddened all the more when the video footage showed a young fan behind him aping his actions. This man has now lost his job and his reputation. At the other end of the stadium, there was a half bottle of Buckfast thrown at Viljami Sinisalo, not the first time that a glass bottle has made its way into that penalty box towards a Celtic keeper, as well as other missiles. (Image: Steve Welsh - PA) The individuals involved, Rangers have promised, will be identified and banned for life. Actions, as these fans have already discovered, or are about to shortly, have consequences. And whatever you think of the Rangers banner, the same goes for speech. The Union Bears are free to write whatever they want on their displays, but they too are not free from the consequences. And unfortunately, the tens of thousands of fans who had nothing to do with it may well be caught up in them too. Let's just hope that this day of delinquency doesn't set us back several steps as both Celtic and Rangers work to restore the atmosphere at this fixture to somewhere near where it once was. And Rangers will hope that it doesn't impact their shot at a potentially brighter future.
The National
07-05-2025
- Business
- The National
SPFL unveils The KDM Evolution Trophy as details emerge
The competition will now be known as The KDM Evolution Trophy, and this will bring a new feel to the tournament, and record-breaking prize money. The SPFL has agreed a multi-year deal with the Scottish-based, internationally operating construction firm. The competition logo, also revealed today, features the illustration of the brand-new competition trophy which has been commissioned by the SPFL and KDM Group to celebrate this exciting new era for one of Scottish football's best loved competitions. An estimated £1.25 million in prize money will be shared with clubs for the 2025/26 KDM Evolution Trophy – an increase of more than 50% on this year's competition. Next season's winners will receive £150,000, with increased prize money at every stage in the competition. The new set-up will continue to include William Hill Premiership B teams in support of the Scottish FA's aim to provide more opportunities for players in the key 'transition phase' of ages 16-21, as they move from the academy environment to senior football. In a further move to allow the best young players in the country to experience first-team football at an earlier age, youth prospects aged 15 will now be eligible to participate in the competition. The new format includes an opening round league phase and was inspired by UEFA's new club competition formats. The first round league phase will comprise 10 William Hill League 1 clubs, 10 William Hill League 2 clubs, and 10 William Hill Premiership B-teams. Clubs participating in the league phase of the competition will be split into three pots by division and regionalised into North and South sections, reducing travel costs for clubs and supporters across six league phase matchdays. Points gained by clubs across six league phase matchdays will feed into a single league table, with the top 22 clubs qualifying for the seeded knock-out Round of 32. William Hill Championship clubs will enter the competition from the Round of 32 as seeded clubs, alongside clubs finishing in the top six of the league phase, with the remainder of the competition following a traditional knock-out format. Neil Doncaster, group chief executive of the SPFL, said: 'We are really pleased to welcome KDM Group as the title sponsor for the KDM Evolution Trophy from season 2025/26, and to announce a significant rise in prize money for next season's competition. 'KDM Group is a highly-respected and well-established firm in Scotland, the UK and beyond, and have already demonstrated a passion for Scottish football. They have a proud history of supporting our national sport and this long-term deal is really positive news for all 42 member clubs. 'We're confident the new competition format will help develop some of our most promising players across the country. Allowing players to compete at a high level from the age of 15 will pay dividends for them, for their clubs and ultimately, for the national side.' William Hill Premiership B-teams will play all league phase matches away from home in a further move to reduce travel costs for William Hill League 1 and League 2 clubs and their supporters. Clubs participating in the league phase will also be permitted to play a limited number of trialists to support squad management in the early stages of the season. Doncaster added: 'We've had long discussions with our member clubs and the Scottish FA about this new competition format and we've also introduced some key principles to reduce travel time and costs, particularly for William Hill League 1 and 2 clubs. 'We would lastly like to thank the SPFL Trust and the donors who support them, who have been fantastic supporters of this competition for the last four seasons.' KDM Group offers a variety of construction services to blue chip clients across the UK and Europe, which include delivery of services such as: general contractor, interior fit-out, mechanical and electrical, manufacturing and design. Iain Jones, Chief Executive of KDM Group, said: "We're incredibly proud to support the launch of this exciting new football competition and to see the KDM Evolution Trophy come to life. "The name reflects the evolution of our business, from a small shopfitting company to a leading international brand. It mirrors the journey of this tournament and the aspiring players it supports. "Our investment in football spans all levels of the game, from grassroots to the professional stage. Through our KDM Group Soccer Centres, we provide primary-aged schoolgirls access to the game whilst having fun, helping to grow the game from the ground up. "We've previously been the official partner of the Scottish Cup and are proud sponsors of the Scotland Women's National Team & Dunfermline Athletic FC. 'This new tournament is another step forward, providing a platform for talent to grow and evolve, just as we have." The full schedule of prize monies for the KDM Evolution Trophy is set out below: Winner - £150,000 Runner up - £100,000 Losing semi-finalists - £75,000 Losing quarter-finalists - £50,000 Round of 16 losers - £40,000 Round of 32 losers - £30,000 1st round (league phase)losers - £15,000-18,500(depending on final league position) A summary of key competition dates is set out below: League Phase MD1: 12/13 August 2025 League Phase MD2: 26/27 August 2025 League Phase MD3: 6/7 September 2025 League Phase MD4: 23/24 September 2025 League Phase MD5: 11/12 October 2025 League Phase MD6: 11 November 2025 Round of 32: 9/10 December 2025 Round of 16: 6/7 January 2026 Quarter Final: 27/28 January 2026 Semi Final: 24/25 February 2026 Final: 28/29 March 2026 / 4/5 April 2026
