Celtic's Peter Lawwell among six new members on SPFL board

Six representatives of Scotland's 42 clubs have been elected to sit on the SPFL board for the next year.

At the Annual General Meeting, three representatives from Ladbrokes Premiership teams were elected alongside two from the Ladbrokes Championship and one covering Ladbrokes League 1 and 2.

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell, Ann Budge, chairwoman of Hearts, and Partick Thistle managing director Ian Maxwell will represent the top flight while Hibernian chief executive Leeann Dempster and Raith Rovers' director Eric Drysdale wlll serve on the board for the Championship.

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All three Premiership members are new to the board alongside Ms Dempster. Celtic already had financial director Eric Riley on the board but he is now replaced by Lawwell.

Brechin City chairman Ken Ferguson will represent the lower leagues and the six are joined on the board for 2016/17 by SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster, SPFL chairman Ralph Topping and independent non-executive director Karyn McCluskey.

Speaking to Sky Sports Scotland after the Hampden meeting, Ann Budge said: "One of the challenges facing lots of clubs is how do you attract people back to watching football.

"Attendances is clearly a big issue, but that said, attendances are up, so we need to build on the positives and I think there is not enough recognition of some of the good that all of these clubs are doing in their communities.

"We really need to help people understand and not just focus on things when something may go wrong. What is Scottish football bringing to this country? I think it brings a lot and we don't always convey that as well as we should."

Leeann Dempster, who joined Hibs from a similar role with Scottish Premiership side Motherwell in April 2014, said: "You have never heard me talk Scottish football down.

"I think it is improving all the time and for us it is about growing the game in lots of different ways and I want to be part of that. I am very committed to communities and getting people involved in the game and that is a different aspect that the board could benefit from."