HEARTS owner Ann Budge has failed in her bid to be voted on to the SPFL's new board ahead of the season.

At a meeting at Hampden this morning, 42 member clubs elected the six representatives who will serve alongside Neil Doncaster and Ralph Topping as directors at the SPFL top table for 2015/16.

The board is made up of Chief Executive Neil Doncaster, Chairman Ralph Topping, three Ladbrokes Premiership club representatives, two Championship club representatives and one representative of both League One and League Two.

Budge emerged last week as a candidate to help lead Scottish football next season following a successful start to her ownership at Hearts, with the Tynecastle club winning the Championship while also going forward on a sound financial footing.

However, following today's vote, it emerged Budge, along with Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson, did not do enough to win favour with her peers as those already in place held on to their seats.

Instead of the Hearts owner, it will be Aberdeen's Duncan Fraser, Celtic's Eric Riley and Stephen Thomspon of Dundee United that will reperesent the Scottish top flight, while Eric Dryssdale of and Mike Mulraney will represent the Championship instead of Robertson and Hibernian's Rod Petrie, who had also put himself forward for election.

An SPFL statement read: "The three club representatives from the Ladbrokes Premiership elected to serve on the SPFL Board for season 2015/16 are Duncan Fraser (Aberdeen), Eric Riley (Celtic) and Stephen Thompson (Dundee United).

"The two club representatives from the Ladbrokes Championship elected to serve on the SPFL Board for season 2015/16 are Eric Drysdale (Raith Rovers) and Mike Mulraney (Alloa Athletic).

"The one club representative from Ladbrokes League 1 and Ladbrokes League 2 elected to serve on the SPFL Board for season 2015/16 is Ken Ferguson (Brechin City)."