Jim Jefferies today insisted that in his view a 16-team top flight is the way forward for Scottish football.

Scottish Premier League chief executive Neil Doncaster yesterday told delegates at the Soccerex Conference in Manchester - one of the world's biggest football business events - that change might just be in the air.

And that's music to the ears of the Tynecastle manager, Jim expressing his own personal view that the days of playing teams four times a season should come to an end.

Speaking at his pre-match news conference this morning Jim said: "If you look back at the records I have been shouting about it for ages. I think I am one of the ones shouting about it the most.

"I think the four times against each other is not helping and is not making for good games. It is about finding the right format. It should be changed, but somebody needs to come up with something everyone agrees on.

"I've said before recently that you go to places like Dunfermline and Dundee and if they were in a bigger league - and I know it was there fault for getting relegated - but if the league was a bit bigger then it would make it easier for not all of these clubs to go down.

"There are some clubs in the first division with really good facilities and the quicker we get back to playing home and away the better, whatever size of league and whatever format."

They say familiarity breeds contempt, and that was a point that Jim agreed with. He wants to see less of the same old faces, and more opportunity for innovation in bringing through young players.

Not that he doesn't advocate the excitement of the current Clydesdale Bank Premier League set-up, which he acknowledges has drama a plenty at the top, middle and bottom of the table

"We're two familiar with players and I don't think there is any motivation for supporters to go and see a team twice at home," he continued.

"I am not saying that the format should not be where you have excitement in the league regarding the top six, European places and all that and a fight for relegation. You still have to have that but at the same time the way it is set up at the moment

"I don't think it is helping the football and I think we have to make it better for the spectators. How we come up with it is about sitting down and coming up with it.

"I have looked at the some of the proposals but we have to look at that situation to make it is exciting all the way through - it has been exciting but maybe to the detriment of the football. It does not help in terms of bringing young players through.

"The Dundees, Dunfermlines and Partick Thistles have good stadia and they can benefit from being in a bigger league."

Meanwhile 18-year-olds Marius Forrest and Thomas Snapkauscas are coming to the end of a short trial with the U19 team.

Both play for the FBK Kaunas youth team are under the consideration of academy director John Murray and coach Darren Murray. Neither could sign for the Hearts youth team until the transfer window opens in the summer, should the club opt to make a move.

In other news, Hearts were still waiting to hear on the result of Laryea Kingston's appeal against his weekend red card at Aberdeen, this lunchtime. The Scottish FA have said it hopes to have a decision from referee Willie Collum later in the afternoon. heartsfc.co.uk will have first news as soon as the verdict is communicated to officials at Tynecastle.