[1] This proposal failed to attract enough support, as did one made the following year for a 16 club top flight.
The move to a three division system also had the effect of widening the gap in playing standards between the clubs.
[6] Having narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier Division, Dundee United and Aberdeen gained most from the new setup, as they established an ascendancy over Rangers and Celtic in the early 1980s.
[8] The new setup did result in an increase in attendances, but the risk of relegation caused problems such as defensive playing styles, less young players developing and clubs were unable to plan for the long term.
[9] Aberdeen made those points in conjunction with a proposal to cut relegation to one club, but this did not attract enough support.
[10] A proposal by East Fife to revert to the old two division setup attracted nearly as much support as the Aberdeen plan.
[10] A major change made in February 1981, that passed almost unnoticed at the time, was the abolition of gate sharing.