“Gordon Smith compares coronavirus crisis to Rangers’ 2012 collapse as he predicts ‘null and void’ votes,” that’s what you’ll read from Daily Record about their interview with ex Rangers player and remarkably enough, ex-SFA CEO Gordon Smith this morning.
In fact and to be fair to Gordon Smith, those words from Daily Record – remarkably about their own interview – are so distorted and far from representing what Smith was saying that you really do start to believe that these people have an agenda.
Gordon Smith compares coronavirus crisis to Rangers’ 2012 collapse as he predicts ‘null and void’ voteshttps://t.co/9DUHwtI5Rb pic.twitter.com/uqbuHv8deA
— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) March 19, 2020
Maybe they were just disappointed that Smith didn’t say what they wanted him to or expected him to say? Staunch it was not.
First the headline again…
Gordon Smith compares coronavirus crisis to Rangers’ 2012 collapse as he predicts ‘null and void’ votes
The the sub-heading….
The former SFA chief reckons money rules all and insists playing the season to a finish must be the priority
Now what Smith actually said..
“I just hope that one way or another we can complete the final part of this season. Of course the biggest dilemma is if we can’t get these remaining games played by 30 June then it is a worry for what we do ahead of the new season.
“Because other thing you have to consider is that the new exclusive Sky Sports deal is set to kick in and they will want the slate wipe clean in time for that starting. I’m sure the broadcasters realise this is unprecedented and you would hope they would be understanding and try to help the Scottish game.
“It’s yet another issue that has to be considered but we have to be diplomatic about all these things because it’s one of the toughest situations any of us have ever experienced.
“There needs to be a waiting period because with the European Championships postponed it does leave the summer months open. This is now like a winter break so they can reanalyse the whole situation in a month and at that point a decision has to be made.
“The coronavirus is showing signs of easing in China and it could be the same here because we’re taking a lot of measures with theatres closing down and the advice to avoid pubs and restaurants. There might be a time where we get it more under control but we need to time to assess that and it’s the right thing to do to delay that rather than judge it now.
“We have to leave that option open just in case there is a chance the games can be played before 30 June. Even if we could get just two games played before the split then you could at least say everyone has played each other three times.
“That would be a fairer reflection than stopping at this stage after 30 games but the aim has to somehow get all the games played. If they can’t then delaying the start of next season is an option and if there was a way of playing the games before the start of the new season and maybe the games could replace the League Cup group section.
“The issue with that would then be a clash with European qualifiers which start in July unless UEFA eventually delay those, although I haven’t heard that mentioned yet. There are too many imponderables to give a definitive but if the coronavirus situation hasn’t improved, the lockdown continues and we simply can’t get the remaining games played then what to we do about it?
“That is the million-dollar question and the clubs will have to sit down and at that point they will have to either declare the season over with the current standings final or say the season is null and void.
“My own view is that the current standings should count because there were 30 games played.”
“There is no doubt this is bigger than than the Rangers situation in 2012 because some people felt they brought the problems they encountered on themselves but you can’t say that here because it’s nobody’s fault.
“It’s affecting so many people in society but also people who work in football and there will be job losses and players could be in limbo for five months. It’s a difficult position for Neil Doncaster and Ian Maxwell but they won’t be making the decisions – they’ll be fronting a lot of it.
“I found at the SFA that you have to front things, sometimes things you don’t agree with, but it will be the SFA Board and SPFL members who vote.
“The 12 Scottish Premiership clubs should be voting on the outcome of the top flight and it would probably just need to be a majority and Rangers and Hearts – the two clubs who a null and void decision would suit best – could be in a minority.”
So there we have it. Rangers and Hearts are in Smith’s view pushing Null and Void for their own self interest. The former head of the SFA is clear that if the games cannot be played and the season has to end with no more games being played – as is by far the most likely outcome at the moment – then the 30 games played should could and Celtic should be the Champions.
Makes you wonder why the Daily Record decided to twist what Gordon Smith had to say to such an extent that the headline is suggesting the opposite of what he actually said.
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