Saints Meet The SPL

SPL rules state that a club needs to have 6,000 seats (no problem) for entry to the SPL by the 31st March. There has also been a rule added since Saints were last in the SPL stating that a club must have adequate pitch protection, which is defined as undersoil heating. At present, Love Street doesn't have undersoil heating and so does not meet the SPL criteria.

Gilmour has said in the past that undersoil heating would be installed if it was needed, however with a new stadium a year away it would be a needless expense and so dispensation is being sought. It is unlikely that the SPL will allow us to get away with it, however it's worth a try. As undersoil heating is not part of the SPL entry requirement, it is expected that Saints will be allowed to install undersoil heating at Love Street over the summer if need be.

It is unlikely any decision will be made public until after 31st March, which is when an SPL meeting regarding stadium criteria takes place. If worst comes to worst, Saints could groundshare with Kilmarnock, or even threaten to take the SPL to court after the precedent set by Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2004.