Hamilton Accies chairman Les Gray reckons the move to vote in league reconstruction is a step in the right direction for Scottish football.

The decision to approve reconstruction plans follows the unanimous ruling of the SPL clubs to give the proposals the go-ahead, meaning the two league bodies will merge to form a new competition, the SPFL, this summer.

Yesterday's meeting at Hampden saw a vote recorded of 23-6 in favour – one more than was necessary for the changes to go through – and Gray believes the decision can be a vital step forward in terms of breathing new life into the game.

"I think it will give us a much stronger second tier which in turn will make the SPL a stronger league," he said.

"It could also go a long way to ensuring that there are more clubs which are able to operate on a full-time basis.

"There will be more competition, especially since we are going to see the play-offs coming to the fore, and that can only be a good thing.

"We are working within a democratic model and I think clubs have to be applauded for making what I think is the right decision."

There was not widespread acceptance of the decision, however.

Jim Ballantyne, president of the SFL, was a resistant force throughout.

"It is a takeover," he said. "We are joining their company, their organisation.

"They have swallowed us up. We could use nice words about it it, but it is a takeover.

"It is very sad that the Scottish Football League has had to be a casualty but unfortunately we were left with one option."

The first meeting of the new organisation is scheduled for June 27.

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "The decision is fantastic news for the Scottish game and should deliver the positive change, with a 42-club solution."

Stewart Regan, the SFA chief executive, added: "It is a real step forward.

"From the SFA's perspective the work starts now in harmonising our own rule book and articles to reflect a single league body, to rationalise the Judicial Panel Protocol and to make sure everything is in place."