The full statement is posted below. Basically, the club favours a 14 team league but that doesn't seem to be a goer. A 16 team league is apparently unviable as it means four less home games (although only three less than a 10 team league) and therefore a 10 team league makes more sense.
It also makes things easier if the club is relegated - which will almost certainly happen considering three teams would be relegated at the end of next season.
It's certainly not evidence the club is ready to break ranks and go against the proposal as it looks as if they'll be happy to back a 10 team league if a 14 team one isn't on the agenda. Sadly, at no stage does it mention listening to the views of the Saints supporters. To send them your views, fill in the survey at http://www.impressity.com/Survey/sl.aspx?SurveyLinkId=xpiflixwedusoetprzsw
Here's that statement in full:
As you are aware there has been a great deal of media speculation regarding the Strategy Document being developed by the Scottish Premier League on the way forward for SPL football.
There are a number of misleading statements out in the public domain at the moment and we would like to clarify to our support our position and where the document is at the moment.
Firstly, there has been no vote on this and it is far from a 'done deal' as indicated by some parts of the media. It will be some time before a final document is produced and a meeting asking for a vote on this document is called.
St Mirren have, at this stage not changed their position from preferring a 14 team league set up, however we have to look at the other options, a 16 team option does not work, despite being promoted often by people in the media, who have no idea of the financial responsibilities of running a football club, in this option 15 home league games is not a financial equation for St Mirren that works.
The two tens is an option we have to consider as the way it is being structured at the moment, dropping into the second ten would not bring the 90% drop in commercial revenue from the Premier league to First division that it currently does.
While we as a club are structured in such a way that we can cope with this sort of drop in revenue the reorganisation, redeployment and redundancy of personnel makes it a very difficult process and does not make it easy to go for promotion the following season without moving the club at, enormous risk, in to a serious debt position for at least a season, while going for a single promotion place, and this is not something we are prepared to do.
Currently the two tens proposal would see much more of a step ladder in funding all the way from 1st place in the first 10 to last place in the second 10 and make it much easier to both sustain the club and plan properly for a bright future.
For this reason it is sensible for the club to consider all proposals, although I emphasise again our preference, should we be able to find a financially stable model, is for a larger top league.
The document is still a way from being the finished article and once this is completed the Board of St Mirren Football Club will make their decision to vote for the best option on the table for St Mirren Football Club and Scottish Football, as they have done over the last 14 years.
I can assure you that whatever way the Board of Directors decide to vote it will be with the long term interests of St Mirren Football Club at heart.
Stewart G Gilmour
On behalf of the Board of Directors.
Story source: The Official St. Mirren Website