Neil Doncaster insists only a Vladimir Romanov-style cash injection would see Celtic and Rangers' grip on Scottish football challenged.
The Hoops and soon-to-be crowned Premiership champions have won 11 of the last 12 titles and have proven the side to beat for much of the last decade. But both they and Rangers still hold an enormous financial advantage over their rivals, and nobody has won Scotland's top flight outside of Glasgow since Aberdeen in the 1984-85 season.
SPFL chief executive Doncaster doesn't see that changing unless an owner willing to splash cash, like controversial former Hearts owner Romanov did in the mid 2000s, is willing to step up. He told The Price of Football Podcast when asked what plans he had to make Celtic and Rangers not winning the Premiership a genuine possibility: "That doesn't sound like much of a vote winner with Celtic and Rangers fans! In terms of title wins, it is absolutely true that Celtic and Rangers have dominated the Scottish league in recent decades.
"It's now 38 years since Aberdeen won the league in 1985 and that is the extent of the dominance. But it is also true that is not a new phenomenon, in the early 20th century, there was a period of 27 years or when they shared the title.
"Both clubs are large clubs by any standard and have been for most of the 150-year game in Scotland. So I am not sure any change to to the way the league distributes its income will make any meaningful difference.
"What is more likely to make a material than anything the SPFL does with its income, is an owner deciding to fund really substantial investment in one of the other clubs.
"We saw that in the early 2000s with Vladimir Romanov at Hearts. These days, not a figure who will be looked back on with huge fondness by Hearts fans but he did back the team financially and in 2006 I believe it was, when Hearts were actually leading the league, he fired the manager with Hearts top of the table.
"They split the Old Firm that year but who knows what might have been. But I suspect it will be investment in one of the other teams that will break the duopoly rather than anything the league does that makes a difference."
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