Michael Nicholson elected to SPFL board as Celtic chief unseats Saudi-bound James Bisgrove

Returning Celtic chief Michael Nicholson has been elected to the SPFL board – replacing departing James Bisgrove after his shock Rangers exit.

It's a process – dubbed by supporters as boardroom musical chairs – and it sees Celtic and Rangers decision makers swap in and out on a yearly basis to take a seat on the top table at the league's office at Hampden. And now the seven faces who will join SPFL supremo Neil Doncaster, chairman Murdoch MacLennan and independent non-executive director Karyn McCluskey has been named.

Nicholson (Celtic), Malcolm McPherson (Hibernian), James MacDonald (Ross County) represent the Scottish Premiership with Paul Hetherington (Airdrieonians), Graeme Mathie (Ayr United) for the Championship and League One and Two being served by Andrew Allan (Alloa Athletic) plus alternate director – Allan Maitland (Clyde FC).

And the future of concussion substitutes is on the agenda for the new board to address. A league statement read: "At the meeting clubs also voted [unanimously] to approve a recommendation from the Competitions Working Group that the new protocol in the IFAB Laws of the Game permitting permanent concussion substitutes is used across all senior SPFL competitions.

"Each team will be allowed one concussion substitute per match in addition to the normal number of substitutes and substitution opportunities. If that concussion substitute is used, the other team is allowed an additional substitute. This follows a trial of permanent concussion substitutes in the SPFL, which first launched in March 2021."