“He Can Do Special Things” – Callum McGregor Hails Derby Difference Maker
Celtic captain Callum McGregor had heaps of praise for fellow midfielder Reo Hatate after his late penalty rebound rescued a point away to rivals Rangers. The defending champions grip on the title was loosening more after each Rangers’ attack which seen the Ibrox side only 2-0 up by half time in a contest that could have been out of sight. But goals from Kieran Tierney and substitute Hatate earned the Hoops a deserved point in the second period, and McGregor credited an ‘outstanding’ performance from the Japan international. McGregor said post-match: “Reo was outstanding in the second half. He is a player that can do special things. “When he comes in and he plays the way he does against Rangers then you see him. He’s a real high-level player and you have to stay on top of him all the time to get the best out of him. “I think the last two games he’s been outstanding, so if that is him just starting to creep in terms of levels, and for sure we will need everyone at their best but especially a player like him, he’s a special player and if you can get him firing then he’s a real asset.” Hatate started on the bench to make way for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and skipper McGregor believes there is still more to come from the former Liverpool man once he is fully up to speed after he was brought off at half-time for the eventual goalscorer. “The subs probably changed the game for us as well as us doubling down on what it is we want to do. “Obviously Alex has just come in, and it is really difficult to get up to speed. I mean this game is hard enough when you’re fully fit and you’re in the rhythm and everything else, it’s still a difficult game to play. “He’s a top-class player, and has won a lot in the game, so we’ll need that experience and quality.” The salvaged point gives Celtic the opportunity to leapfrog Rangers into second place on Wednesday night in their game in hand at Aberdeen, and McGregor believes the number of late goals shows that they cannot be counted out the title race just yet. “At 2-0 down with their fans going crazy, it’s a tough place to come. That’s not an easy situation, but full credit to the boys for the second half. “Maybe the last four or five weeks, it [mental strength] has been evident. Football’s not easy, it never goes to plan a lot of the time as well. “You can plan for things, but in the moments when you’re up against it, you need characters, you need personality, to take the ball and play your way back into the game. There’s no better place to do that than Ibrox. “It shows everyone that we are right in this. Obviously with a game in hand which hopefully will nudge us closer as well and then we charge down these last sort of eight games and see where we can get to.” A win for Celtic on Wednesday takes them a point above Rangers and five behind leaders Hearts. With both likely to travel to Celtic Park after the split, this title race has plenty more twists and turns in store before May.
Scottish Football Restructuring Proposal Phase 2: Refreshing the Pyramid Structure
A comprehensive new proposal to restructure Scottish football has been launched by supporter and former SPFL scout Joe Quinn, including a restructuring of the league system. The changes aim to improve competitiveness, increase revenue potential, and provide a clearer development pathway from grassroots to professional football. The system is designed to be fair, sustainable, and better suited to a modern footballing environment, with room for expansion and further reform. Overview of the New Structure The existing four-tier system will remain, but with an expansion to three 14- team national divisions: the Premiership, Championship, and League 1. Below League 1, the Lowland League and Highland League will be rebranded as the National League and National League North, respectively, with both becoming officially integrated as part of the SPFL pyramid. The overall structure would be: Premiership (14 teams) – Tier 1 Championship (14 teams) – Tier 2 League 1 (14 teams) – Tier 3 National League (formerly Lowland League) – Tier 4 National League North (formerly Highland League) – Tier 4 Tier 6 Feeder Leagues (West, East, South of Scotland) This expanded system allows for greater movement between divisions, more meaningful competition, and a consistent structure across the professional and semi-professional levels. Premiership (14 teams) The top tier of Scottish football would expand from 12 to 14 clubs. Each club would play every other team twice (home and away) in the regular season, for a total of 26 matches. After this, the league would split into two groups of 7 – a Championship Group (top 7) and a Relegation Group (bottom 7). Teams would then play each club in their group twice more (home and away), adding 12 more fixtures, resulting in a total of 38 matches per team. This structure keeps the excitement of the league split, increases competitiveness, and allows more clubs to compete at the top level. Championship (14 teams) The second tier would mirror the Premiership in size and structure, also expanding to 14 clubs. The split system would be identical: 26 regular fixtures followed by a split into two groups of 7, each playing 12 more matches post- split. This gives every club 38 matches, balancing fixture congestion while maintaining fan interest. The Championship would offer 1 automatic promotion spot to the Premiership, and 1 additional promotion via playoffs involving teams placed 2nd to 5th (explained in section 9). League 1 (14 teams) League 1 would follow the same format as the Premiership and Championship, featuring 14 teams, 38 matches (26 pre-split and 12 post-split), and a mid- season split. This structure makes the lower tiers more exciting and gives clubs in League 1 a clearer, fairer path to promotion and financial growth. League 1 becomes a more meaningful competitive division, rather than being seen as a transitional tier between full-time and part-time football. National League (formerly Lowland League) The current Lowland League will be rebranded as the National League and serve as the SPFL’s Tier 4 division in the southern and central regions of Scotland. Clubs from the East of Scotland League, South of Scotland League, and West of Scotland Premier Division will feed into this league. The aim is to give it formal parity with the National League North (Highland League) and eventually bring both under a professional or semi-professional umbrella with better regulation, licensing, and visibility. National League North (formerly Highland League) The Highland League will be rebranded as the National League North and serve as Tier 4 for northern Scotland. The structure will remain largely the same, but it will now sit officially parallel to the National League. Feeder leagues into the National League North will continue to include the North Caledonian League, the Midlands League, and the North Region Juniors, 16 preserving the regional pyramid while integrating the north more clearly into the national structure. Tier 6 Feeder Leagues At Tier 6, the West of Scotland Football League Premier Division, East of Scotland Premier Division, and South of Scotland Football League will remain in place. These leagues will continue to operate as feeder leagues into the National League (Lowland) system. Promotion from Tier 6 to Tier 4 will be maintained via licensing criteria and a playoff process (e.g., the top eligible clubs from each Tier 6 league competing for promotion). This ensures upward mobility while enforcing minimum standards for facilities, finances, and governance. Fixture Breakdown (Pre- and Post-Split) In the new 14-team leagues (Premiership, Championship, and League 1), each club plays: 26 matches (13 home, 13 away) in the regular season, facing each opponent twice After 26 matches, the league splits into two groups of 7: o Top 7 (Championship Group) o Bottom 7 (Relegation Group) Each team plays the others in their group twice (home and away) = 12 matches Total: 38 matches per team This model is based on the Greek Super League format and keeps the season competitive throughout—ensuring more clubs fight for promotion, survival, or European qualification deep into the campaign. Promotion and Relegation (All Divisions) Premiership Bottom 2 teams are automatically relegated to the Championship. No playoff with Championship teams—promotion is earned directly. Championship 1st place promoted automatically to the Premiership. 2nd to 5th enter a promotion playoff: 2nd vs 4th, 3rd vs 5th – two-legged ties Winners meet in a one-legged final The winner is promoted Home advantage in the first leg goes to the team with better head-to-head in the post-split Bottom 2 teams are automatically relegated to League 1 League 1 1st place promoted automatically to the Championship 2nd to 5th enter a promotion playoff: 2nd vs 4th, 3rd vs 5th – two-legged ties Winners meet in a one-legged final The winner is promoted Home advantage in the first leg goes to the team with better head-to-head in the post-split Bottom team is automatically entered into a play-off with the winner of the National League and the National League North play-off winner. Relegation playoff remains similar to the existing SPFL structure, with Tier 4 clubs in the National League & National League North
