Dundee FC’s Abstention or SPFL wide open to accusations of skulduggery

There is a very good reason why poll stations close at the same time. If they didn’t the accusations of corruption would ensue.

If during a General Election the votes were counted and we all knew the result was in the balance yet we allowed a key marginal seat another 28 days to decide, then it’s fair to assume an awful lot of financial inducements promises of disproportionate investment opportunities could find could find their way to the seat that holds the result in their hands. Even if they didn’t, even that possibility is enough to make a mockery of democracy.

As such Dundee FC’s position not to vote yesterday needs to be treated as an abstention and we Scottish football needs to return the drawing board. To wait for Dundee’s vote leaves the whole thing open to accusations of skulduggery.

To be perfectly honest, that such a position was allowed to arise in the first place should mean the entire SPFL board who allowed the position to occur should resign immediately. To open up Scottish football to even the possibility of corruption by perfectly avoidable ineptitude should be a sacking offence.

To now leave Dundee open to having the deciding vote but not having to declare for a further 28 days means any hope of a democratic solution is gone. There can now be no validity to any result of the SPFL vote.

Who on earth made the decision to either allow 28 days to place your vote, whilst at the same time having a live vote with a 5pm deadline? Choose your preferred voting method if you will.

Who then decided to let it be publicly known that this amateur hour approach was always the way it was meant to pan out? Like we were the fools for not understanding the system and the issue was not the cack-handed and undemocratic voting system that was adopted. A voluntary deadline for voting, a request not an instruction. Really? Even Vladamir Putin would be too red faced to run an election like that and claim it was valid.

The SPFL board put forward this proposal as an immediate solution to preserve the security of football clubs. To now leave Dundee open to having the deciding vote but not having to declare for a further 28 days has left a further period of insecurity, and the trust in those who organised and planned the whole thing is shot to pieces.

Does anyone have any faith in Neil Doncaster et al to ensure second time around that they get this right? Even if we did, do we really entrust the security of Scottish football and their abilities to implement fairly what is actually agreed?

Morning. Knowing what everyone else did, @DundeeFC now hold the casting @spfl vote. My info is they signed and dated a ‘no’ slip but didnt actually cast their vote. Meaning they could now change to ‘yes’. If they do, the motion to ‘call the season’ passes https://t.co/Th41wKfh7i

— @Kheredine (@Kheredine2018) April 11, 2020

Perhaps this time we can have a proposal that clubs have and agreed time to peruse, understand and debate before putting it to the vote. When this does go to the vote can we possibly ensure that there is a window from when voting opens to when it closes and not a series of lopsided options on the table that you can choose from.

On this occasion can we state that if your vote is late it will not be accepted, if you have not voted there is no leeway for a little more room to think, you will be treated as having abstained and you can just explain to your supporters and the rest of Scottish football why you couldn’t muster an opinion when you had a simple choice of yes or no. Is there any chance next time out we can invite the electoral commission to have a butcher’s before it goes to the vote?

The sad thing is this plan could have worked. It was far from ideal but for three from four divisions it would have allowed closure on this season, it would have ensured financial payments could be made to clubs in desperate need, it would have allowed an opportunity to start planning for next season and it would have saved some clubs from going out of business, now the SPFL have found a way to push clubs they were proclaiming to be protecting closer to the precipice.

We assumed that self-interest may well scupper that plan and you could forgive that, each individual club had to make their own decisions.

Instead what we got was a vote that collapsed and a proposal that cannot be decided on because the system of voting was a complete and utter shambles.

I for one have no confidence left in those running the SPFL as a result. If this lot arranged a knees up in a vineyard I’d stop at the off licence en-route.

Niall J

ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR THIS MORNING…

Why an @spfl Play-off Solution is the Quick-Fix to all Neil Doncaster's Problems..https://t.co/Tf38RpM5h0 @JamTarts @PartickThistle @FalkirkFC

— The Celtic Star Editor (@CelticStarMag) April 11, 2020

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