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Scotland has lost its voice at one of the top tables of European football after Neil Doncaster was knocked off the board of the EPFL.

The chief executive of the SPFL has failed to convince influential movers and shakers he can still make a difference at the highest level of the European Professional Football Leagues.

The umbrella organisation represents 32 leagues across European football, including the English Premier League , La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A.

Doncaster was voted onto the 12 strong board for a three year stint in October 2013, to much fanfare at the time.

He said: “I’m delighted Scottish football should once again be represented on the board of such an important body.

“The EPFL plays an increasingly central role within European football policy at the highest level and it is important Scotland is able to contribute effectively to the debate.”

(Image: SNS Group)

However, at the EPFL’s recent congress at Paris he failed to win enough support from members for another three-year stint, losing his position to the representative from the Polish Ekstraklasa league.

Before Doncaster, former SPL executive chairman Lex Gold represented the interests of the Scottish game at the EPFL and the latest snub makes it more difficult for the voice of our major clubs to be heard where it matters most.

The EPFL was formed in 2005 and Doncaster sat alongside representatives from the major nations and other countries such as Sweden, Portugal, Holland, Switzerland, France, Russia and Denmark.

The EPFL recently went to war with UEFA over reforms to the Champions League and Europa League and claimed they would lead to an even greater financial and sporting chasm between the biggest clubs in Europe and the rest.

Doncaster talked tough earlier this year about those changes and how they could impact on Scottish football.

He told Record Sport in March: “I have a seat at the table of the European Professional Football Leagues. We need to stand together with our colleagues across Europe to ensure these plans are defeated.”

However, now he’s on the outside looking in after failing to convince colleagues Scotland still has a contribution to make at the sharpest end of EPFL boardroom politics.

Six of the 12 positions on the EPFL’s board are automatic given to the game’s big guns and it’s understood Doncaster polled seventh of eight remainging candidates for the other six places, with Belgium’s representative behind him.

A spokesman for the SPFL said: “The SPFL remains fully involved in EPFL matters and in close dialogue with our fellow European leagues. We offer the EPFL Board our best wishes for the three-year term.”