Scottish Premier League executive chairman Lex Gold has hit back at Scottish Football Association president George Peat over his criticism of the top division. Gold has now sent Peat a letter accusing him of painting an unfairly bleak picture of the state of the SPL.

The letter read: "It's with disappointment we read comments attributed to you, disparaging the SPL games you have seen this season.

"We appreciate you may not get to see many of the 228 SPL games played in a season and you are entitled to your opinion.

"But it appears you have not read the outcome of the recently commissioned independent fans' survey in which 2,500 SPL fans participated.

"The findings, while not uncritical, paint a more positive picture than the one you appear to have presented.

"The SPL was the fifth most successful league by co-efficient in European competition last season.

"The next time you are inclined to comment on the SPL we invite you, as the president of the SFA, to take greater care to provide a more balanced picture."

The row over the quality of the top division is the latest in a series of disputes between Scotland's two major football institutions.