NEIL Doncaster and the SPFL have achieved the impossible.

Yes, dear reader, I'm as surprised as you are that after 12 years as Chief Executive, the £388k a year human flak jacket has finally added a meaningful achievement to his haunted CV. 

Because the league body has achieved what was previously considered as likely as peace between Israel and Palestine in uniting the fractured diaspora of Scottish football fans the world over.

From Forfar to Inverness the Twittersphere throbbed with foment as details of a new TV deal with Sky emerged last night in The Guardian. Those of every possible persuasion, even Rangers and Celtic, were united in agreement over what is largely seen as a glistening, sloppy turd of a deal that's impossible to polish.

The terms, tying the Scottish game down for the best part of a decade until 2029, see a new agreement worth £29.5million a season put in place.

The deal ties the hands of Scottish clubs to work exclusively with Sky and adds a further 12 games to bring the amount available to the broadcaster to 60.

In truth though, as has been pointed out by former Motherwell media man Grant Russell consistently on Twitter, Sky are essentially buying all 228 of the matches that take place in our top flight.

60 are available to be shown, although Sky would only have to screen 42, and 60 more are to be handed back to the clubs to screen via their own Pay Per View. A small step in the right direction but one that still leaves 108 games unavailable in any live form in a world where pirate streams continue to gain massive popularity. That the SPFL can't see the consequences of their own decision-making in this regard is utterly galling.

Those who rely on the sardines Doncaster tosses into the sea will argue that he merely represents the clubs and is not to blame in an act of deflection that only Captian America's famous vibranium shield might be up to the task of matching. By this rationale, Doncaster is never responsible for anything - which, incidentally, is exactly how he seems to like it. 

But it does beg the question of how a company that doesn't have the finances for a commercial director can muster the cash to pay such an extravagant salary for someone who even his staunchest allies admit has no power. I ask you to attempt to rustle up three impressive, forward-looking achievements the former Norwich man has put together in his time at the helm.

The best answer this scribe can muster is that the league remains intact. Not much of a legacy for a product everyone can agree is screaming out for an injection of ideas, enthusiasm and new thinking. The SPFL's leadership group is out of touch, stale and smacks of the chummy, teeth and handshakes corporate dreariness Ricky Gervais' brilliant comedy show The Office allows us to label 'Brentian'.

Their idea of new blood was bringing in then 68-year-old Murdoch McLennan, hilariously described as being at "the cutting edge of the digital revolution" in a press release at the time. 

The argument that anger should be directed towards the clubs also erroneously assumes an autonomous body with the same views. Doncaster has unwavering supporters for sure, but he also has significant and growing detractors.

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The band of American-based owners has been strong in their criticism with Aberdeen's Dave Cormack and Hibs' Ron Gordon both attempting to challenge the stifling 'you can't do that' status quo.

They are joined by Rangers, strong critics of the SPFL who have been attempting to effect change for some time.

Stewart Robertson even called out the TV deal directly, when he said: "When you look at the television deal we've currently got in place with Sky - and Sky are fantastic partners, so no criticism of Sky whatsoever - we have undersold the product."

It's understood that Rangers' position hasn't changed and the club are continuing to bang the drum behind the scenes to effect positive change in the organisation. They're staying tight-lipped on this latest story but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out what they will be thinking about this latest suggestion. The SPFL remains an organisation in a state of internal tumult.

And you can't imagine this will change any time soon. After all, if you assess the £29.5m offer on a game-by-game basis, the quantum has actually dropped from £556,250 next season to £491,666 from 2025.

All this is playing out in a media landscape littered with opportunities as emerging streaming giants vie for rights. Amazon continue to dip their toes in the water of sports with tennis and the Premier League while Apple have just agreed a stunning $2.5bn, 10-year deal with the MLS that will push the game to another level in the United States.

While Scottish football is a small fish in the global pond we do have major fixtures to sell to a global audience and a passionate supporter base who will spend money.

If you look at other leagues in Europe the gulf in what is on offer is jaw-dropping. Portugal's deal sees them rake in £110m, Norway's £61m and Sweden's £48m. Scotland is clearly being sold short by a grasping few, desperate to claw in whatever's on offer rather than use the three years remaining on the current deal to investigate every opportunity available.

There are options out there. There are conversations to be had and relationships to be developed. This is a view echoed by learned observers.

Respected website Sports Business reported earlier: "Should any deal with Sky be rubberstamped, it will be met with surprise by most market observers that a tender process was not staged, especially at a time of renewed competition in the UK market."

So what can be done?

The unusual sense of solidarity amongst fans is absolutely key here. As customers, they have the power to force change. Acting together to force clubs to look to the longer term and at the very least investigate the full range of options that are available is a must.

And for some, you'd have to ask when enough will be enough?

Scottish football can only thrive with engaged, energised leadership who understand what's coming down the pipe.

For our game to thrive we need to engage the Tik Tok generation as much as we do the readers of The Times.

Neil Doncaster's mission impossible should mark the point we all wake up and demand better. 

As one.

This piece is an extract from today’s Rangers Insider newsletter, which is emailed out at 5pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from the Rangers Review team.

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