Hearts' relegation confirmed as league overhaul rejected

Hearts’ relegation to the Championship has been confirmed after league reconstruction plans failed to pass an indicative vote.

Only 16 of the 42 SPFL teams voted in favour of switching to a 14-10-10-10 league format.

The Jam Tarts had hoped proposals for a switch to a 14-team top flight would be passed.

Hearts have now been relegated, with Partick Thistle dropping in to League One and Stranraer demoted to League Two.

An SPFL statement read: “The SPFL board today announced that a league-wide consultation exercise has shown there is insufficient support for a new divisional structure and that the current 12-10-10-10 format will remain in place for season 2020/21.

“16 of the 42 clubs favoured changing to a 14-10-10-10 structure, but this was short of the numbers required and, as a result, the SPFL board has agreed to draw a line under reconstruction talks.”

Meanwhile, the Championship will play a shortened 27-game season in 2020/21, with each side playing each other three times. Plans for League One and Two are yet to be finalised.

The new Premiership season is scheduled to begin on August 1.

Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the SPFL, said: “In recent weeks, we’ve been consulting closely with our clubs regarding possible reconstruction and, based on the feedback we received, the board decided to ask all 42 clubs to give their views so that we could have absolute clarity, which we’ve achieved today.

“Whilst a number of clubs were in favour of a new divisional set-up, the support for it was insufficient and we will now move forward with a fixture programme for season 2020/21 based on the current 12-10-10-10 structure.”