The SFA cannot afford to support the SPL clubs if Setanta's deal goes down the tube.

"We do give money to the clubs at the end of the year but we are not in the position to fund that level of shortfall"
There will be not bail out to SPL clubs from the SFA if Setanta fail to come up with the money to meet its payment obligations as part of their new television deal. The SPL managed to take on the £3m owed to the 12 clubs as the last payment of the 2008-09 season's deal. However the governing body does not have the kind of money that could meet the £13m shortfall for 2009-10 if Setanta fails to secure enough financial backing to continue. SFA Chief executive Gordon Smith said: "We haven't even considered it but I would doubt we would be in a position because we have our own budgets to try and meet. We do give money to the clubs at the end of the year but we are not in the position to fund that level of shortfall. We have our own broadcasting deal which we had to make to take the game forward and this is an SPL problem, although we do see it as a problem for the game in general."

There are said to be three SPL clubs who would be on the phone to administrators if the money from the TV deal does not appears. Setanta had previously asked the SPL to renegotiate the £125million four-year contract due to begin at the start of the 2010-11 season. Smith added: "I am obviously concerned about it because it is a major factor in the game these days, the deals that come in from broadcasters. I really do want to see this deal settled, whether it's Setanta who actually are still in there or whether there is an alternative for the SPL to get their money. But it's crucial to get this money, it's vital that clubs at the highest level have this level of funding. We have six teams in Europe this year, so you can imagine that these teams will all be competing in Europe without any budget and a lot of them can't make any spending at the moment until they know the situation. So I have my fingers crossed for them and I hope it works out to the benefit of the Scottish game."

Smith was speaking at the launch of a scheme to give every first-year pupil in Scotland access to organised football. The programme, run in conjunction with the Scottish Government and the Bank of Scotland, will be extended to second and third-year pupils in the coming year. Smith said: "We want every school and every school pupil in Scotland to play football. We know that playing the game makes you fitter and healthier, but we also know that pupils who take part in football are more confident and, in many cases, see their academic results improve."

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