The BBC have gone off script today with two pieces of news that will infuriate their needy, hard to please Govan neighbours.
Firstly BBC Scotland has reported that The Highland League have brought their season to an early end AND awarded the title to leaders Brora Rangers. And they rather needlessly rubbed salt into the Govania wounds by stating that the newly crowned Highland League Champions had a 13 point lead at the top of the table when play was suspended indefinitely by the coronavirus crisis.
“The Dudgeon Park side – who had six games still to play – are 13 points clear at the top the table.
“At a league management committee meeting in Lossiemouth on Saturday, member clubs opted to end the season now and name Brora Rangers as champions.
“The Highland League decision sets an intriguing precedent with the Scottish football authorities still trying to determine how to resolve the major issues up and down the SPFL if, as many are predicting, the current campaign cannot be played to a conclusion,” the BBC report states.
They go on to explain the significance of the title win and how it could result in a place in the SPFL for the newly crowned Champions. “Under the current rules, Brora Rangers will contest a two legged play-off with the Lowland League champions. The winners of that will then play the team that finishes bottom of League Two – currently Brechin City – to determine who will be playing in next season’s SPFL.”
And Brora Rangers themselves were clearly delighted with the news. “The club are delighted to announce that after today’s Highland League meeting between all clubs that we have been declared league champions for the season 2019/20. This decision was taken in light of the current global health crisis,” they tweeted.
Alex Rae will be left scratching his horse’s head this evening trying to figure out how the 13 point advantage and the Highland League’s decision to award the title to Brora Rangers can possibly be argued in one way while the 13 point lead over his favourites – the Rangers – should be treated completely differently.
Maybe the BBC in down south could be of some assistance to the Govanites? Or maybe not.
You see those pesky English sports journalists have been trying to predict how the season have played out had there been no stop in play due to the coronavirus.
“It will be some time before we see another trophy lifted, promotion achieved or relegation confirmed, but that does not prevent us offering some educated predictions about the outcome of this season.
Elite football in Britain and across Europe’s major leagues has been suspended, with all football in England on hold,” the BBC’s Football sports team wrote.
“But with over three-quarters of 2019-20 having been completed, the numbers are there to be crunched to produce a confident simulation model for what the future may have in store.
“Using the relative strengths of teams and 100,000 simulations, the Euro Club Index football ranking has provided BBC Sport with a scientific prediction of the remainder of the campaign, giving a final ranking and clubs’ percentage chances of finishing in certain positions.
Some of the outcomes won’t shock you, but there are a few interesting possibilities,” they explain.
Apparently Liverpool are 100% certain to win the Premier League, while in Germany Current leaders Bayern Munich have an 84.37% chance of winning the Bundesliga, Italy’s top-placed side Juventus (83.98%) are almost certain to claim a ninth successive Serie A title, Paris St-Germain (99.98%) have France’s Ligue 1 all but wrapped up, while Barcelona (74.22%) are firm favourites to beat Real Madrid to La Liga’s crown.
None of that will bother the Horse’s Head too much until they go and spoil it by mentioning the Scottish Premiership.
“In Scotland, Celtic’s 13-point advantage over Rangers means they have a 98.87% chance of winning the Premiership, although the latter will cling to that 1.13% until the bitter end.”
Dear oh dear, these stories Horse’s Head will be thinking, would never have been under Jim Traynor’s watch.
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