SCOTLAND's top division will be formally named The Premiership, one of a series of decisions confirmed today at the birth of the Scottish Professional Football League.

All 42 clubs will meet at Hampden to formally constitute the new SPFL, agree its rules and regulations, and decide its board members and office-bearers. Neil Doncaster, the Scottish Premier League chief executive, is expected to be appointed rather than David Longmuir, his Scottish Football League counterpart, although that decision will not be made today. Instead, a recruitment procedure will be set in motion for the new chief executive's job but Doncaster could be given the position next month.

The new SPFL will end the 15-year-old SPL and the 123-year-old SFL as separate governing bodies and take control of four divisions called The Premiership, The Championship, League One and League Two.

The SPL and SFL clubs are expected to hold their own meetings at 9am to decide who will represent them on the new nine-man SPFL board, before that board is constituted and holds its first meeting. The board will consist of three "SPL" club representatives, two from the current first division, one to represent the 20 current second and third division clubs, a chairman, chief executive and one further non-executive director.

It is unclear whether Rangers will put a representative forward to act for the second and third division. Ralph Topping, the SPL chairman who had indicated he intended to step down from the role during last season, is likely to be appointed as the SPFL's first chairman so that the new body has a familiar and experience figurehead for at least its early months.

Celtic's Eric Riley and Aberdeen's Duncan Fraser – both on the existing SPL board – are likely to be asked to continue and will be joined by a third representative, most likely Michael Johnston of Kilmarnock or Dundee United's Stephen Thompson.

The Scottish Football Association. meanwhile, has launched a scheme to try to attract more youngsters from ethnic minorities and other under represented communities into the senior game. The Football Equity Project has appointed several Equity Officers to work with communities to try to break down the barriers that have prevented progress being made in the past. Many are cultural, on both sides, since the ethnic minority communities have often preferred being self-contained, but also because the game's establishment has not recognised the accommodations that need to be made to encourage youngsters to participate in the mainstream youth football structures.

"When my parents came to Scotland the focus was around education but as generations go on that will change to sport and in particular football," said Atta Yaqub, the actor best known for his role in Ken Loach's film, Ae Fond Kiss, who is one of the Football Equity Officers. "Then there is the cultural and religious side. I played for the school and Boys Brigade, but on a Friday I had commitments at the mosque which excluded me.

"This project looks into these problems. We're providing that bridge to those communities to get involved in the grassroots game and allowing clubs who already exist to take on that passion and make it more inclusive to all."

Yaqub hopes that role models will begin to emerge and inspire the next generation of ethnic minority footballers in Scotland. Islam Feruz, whose family were refugees from Somalia when they arrived in Glasgow, now plays for Chelsea's youth teams, while Mo Yaqub has begun to break into the St Mirren first-team. Both could soon have the profile to raise awareness of what can be achieved.

"This is the national sport and it's important it should represent all communities in Scotland," said the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, with the project funded by the government's CashBack For Communities scheme. "It's to promote healthy living, to promote well being, to keep kids out of mischief and hopefully encourage a love of football and maybe the national team will benefit in years to come.

"There are various reasons why some ethnic minorities might not have engaged in football. There's sometimes language barriers, shyness and all the things that go with being in a strange land where you don't speak the language. It's not just Scottish football, but Scotland as a country that will benefit. Football can be used as a way to knit communities together. We've already seen players come in and play for the Scottish national team from immigrant communities, and that's how it should be."