A SWITCH to summer football in Scotland is "being seriously looked at", according to one SPFL board member.

Mike Mulraney, the Alloa Athletic chairman, told Herald Sport that there is a growing swell of opinion among leading figures that a move away from the traditional calendar would be best for the game. Mulraney, speaking in a personal capacity, believes the World Cup finals in Qatar in 2022 switching from summer to winter presents Scottish football with the ideal opportunity to get away from playing domestic games over the colder months. The change, he believes, would suit broadcasters and other media partners, and also make the game more appealing to supporters.

"I'm 100 percent for that," said Mulraney. "I think that those in my camp on this one are increasing in number. The guys who agree with me - there seems to be more of us. And it is being seriously looked at. There is a mood that the whole thing [in its current guise] isn't right.

"We should be playing when the fans want to watch us, in the summer. The media partners would like that. So we should play in the summer. The World Cup [in 2022] getting moved will give us the perfect opportunity to make it happen. That gives us a target to work towards to overhaul our game. If we want a revolution in Scottish football it should be then. We should play through the summer when Sky and other media partners have no football to put out and giving them as many games as possible. People will also go out on a nice Wednesday night in July to watch a match in the sun. Whereas I'm asking I'm asking them to come out on a Wednesday night in January. They might come but they're not bringing their six year-old. No chance.

"I'm not a traditionalist in anything. I think we provide an entertainment product and so it's about giving people what they want and when they want it. We've got players playing 12 months with no break. That break naturally should be in the winter. We've got years to do it but let's start looking at it in 2015, not six months before which is such a classic Scottish response."

Mulraney also believes the poor state of pitches in winter also means it will not be long before more clubs follow Alloa's lead by installing an artificial surface.

"I understand the Luddites will always be resistant to change but I think in a very short period of time the majority of senior clubs in Scotland will be playing on synthetic," he added. "The mindset is changing and pitches with no grass on them is helping that. Our national stadium hosted two semi-finals recently where the guys could hardly stay on their feet [due to the poor surface]. Some purists will always say "it has to be grass" but I'll say to them "well, go show me where the grass is in winter" as I'm fed up looking at mud and sand."

Mulraney also felt the SPFL should tear up its media contract with the BBC if the state broadcaster did not improve the amount it contributes to Scottish football.

"The state broadcaster, I believe, is short-changing Scottish football to an incredible extent. There's scope for the SPFL board to take a position- and I'm not speaking on behalf of my board colleagues, this is Mike Mulraney's opinion - where if you truly believe you are not getting what you feel is a fair deal then you stop dealing [with them]. As far as I'm concerned, what we're getting from the BBC just now is the point that I would stop dealing.

"That's only my view but I make no apology for that. That's not to say that I don't think the guys in Scotland are doing a great job. I think they're excellent and working their tails off. But how the national state broadcaster is treating Scottish football is appalling. They tax the homes of everyone in Scotland then take it and give it to English football. That's unacceptable. We should take away their rights and try to sell them on to a commercial broadcaster. We're getting worse than a raw deal from the state broadcaster. We're getting taxed to pay for Match of the Day."

Conspiracy theories that Scottish football's governing bodies would find a way to lever Rangers into the top division if the Ibrox club fails to win promotion via the play-offs were also kicked into touch by Mulraney.

"There won't be change this summer. If Rangers don't get promoted, they don't get promoted. I remember Charles Green once talking to me about paying Alloa not to get promoted so Rangers could - what a load of rubbish. If you want to get promoted, win your games. It will always be like that.

"The bottom line is there will be no change this year as there is an embargo against it. I understand how it works in Scottish football with conspiracy theories and the like. It's all balderdash and bunkum of the type we've come to expect over the years."