DONS boss Jimmy Calderwood is backing George Burley in his attempts to delay the start of season 2009/10.
Scotland gaffer Burley wants the SPL start date of August 8th to be moved to help preparations for the World Cup qualifier against Norway in Oslo four days later.
Calderwood is part of the SPL's Football Working Group, which was set up to discuss possible ways to improve Scotland's top flight.
And the Aberdeen boss was speaking ahead of a gathering of all SPL managers at Hampden Park - the second such meeting.
But despite his support, Calderwood warned that the complex fixture sheduling system could put paid to any plans.
He said: "You've got to help the Scottish national team as much as possible.
"We tend to criticise the dates for the league, but at the last meeting I was amazed to find out how difficult it is to set dates. It's amazing."
Burley has been critical of plans to start the next campaign just four days before the crucial match in Norway.
However in a typical lack of communication between Scottish football's governing bodies, the SPL claim that the SFA had never asked for a free weekend.
The SPL's board will discuss the issue at a meeting at Hampden tomorrow.
