They say a week is a long time in politics. In the world of Scottish football it feels like an eternity. Since last Friday’s vote on the SPFL’s proposal there has been one hell of a storm. Thankfully now the winds are dropping, the seas are calming and we can contemplate a little tranquility.
Although there remains embers of a burning anger left in Ann Budge – if yesterday’s interview on BBC is anything to go by – the Hearts chairman has pretty much fallen into acceptance, bar that last wee act of bravado and petulant kick out at Celtic of course. We can forgive that like we can forgive that swatted wasp lying near your pint pot still going through the motions of trying to sting your beer mat. Poor Ann, she’s finding it difficult to quite give up the fight.
And such has been the reaction to Budge’s blabberings from yesterday – including on The Celtic Star this morning – see HERE – the Hearts Board have today had to issue a clarification on their official website.
Hearts FC Board – Clarification on comments in the media
We would like to clarify our position on a comment made by Ann Budge during a broadcast interview that has, by some, been taken out of context.
“You shouldn’t be awarded a title if you haven’t played 38 games; you shouldn’t be relegated if you haven’t played 38 games, and all sorts of other things in between. Some rules were changed, others weren’t.”
Ann was speaking in reference to the SPFL rules, with the broader point being that it is unfair to change some rules and not others, and not expressing an opinion on whether or not clubs such as Dundee Utd, and Celtic if the Premiership is called, will be deserving winners of their titles, which some articles suggest.
The Club’s position has always been one of “promotions but no relegations” on the grounds that there should be no losers in this situation if the season cannot be finished.
📝 Clarification on comments in the media
➡️ https://t.co/h5fzPukOy9 pic.twitter.com/2ojafiEPG6
— Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) April 18, 2020
In a rare act of self-awareness and possibly self-preservation, the SPFL have rather strategically placed the Tynecastle firebrand alongside Les Gray from Hamilton, as those tasked with finding a solution to restructure Scottish football in a fairer format before the new season starts. It seems a case of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer. Even if she’d wanted to it wasn’t an offer Ann Budge could refuse, it’s a final opportunity to save her overstretched club from the financial calamity of relegation.
I obviously have some reservations. The last reconstruction Ann Budge oversaw was the Tynecastle’s new main stand, where she and Scot Gardiner (now of course at Inverness Caley Thistle) forgot to order the seats. She is supported by a football club that transferred half a million quid to an internet scammer, but let’s see what they can do here.
How difficult can it be to cancel relegation by admitting two new clubs and making a 14-10-10-10 SPFL? Mind you if you forget the seats for the extra bums you were building a stand for…anyway let’s not think about it for now.
The majority of Scottish football saw the SPFL proposal for what it was. It was as fair a way as any for an expeditious solution to be found. Money distributed to keep the lights on at struggling clubs and an opportunity thereafter to rejig our league structure for next season.
It was never about this season to the majority of clubs, it was all about security going into the next. Why mess up two seasons when you can conclude one that is three quarters finished, whilst giving the following campaign a fighting chance of being competed for and by the same clubs who finished the last.
Since Partick Thistle have withdrawn from the legal fight, despite possibly being the most hard done by of all the clubs, it now seems that ‘the’ Rangers will now be left to fight with themselves in an empty Ibrox trophy room. Much like they counted their title chickens on 29 December 2019, they also miscalculated the support they had from other clubs when it game to backing a no vote. Timing is everything and theirs is more Casio than Rolex.
The statement below is allegedly from a Director of Morton. It was apparently taken from a newspaper comments column and if legitimate it succinctly sums the whole thing up.
“I am a director of a championship club and have seen the SPFL circulars to clubs first hand. They appear to have been absolutely open and honest and came to a reasoned recommendation that a vast majority of clubs agree with and voted for.
“I can understand objections from potentially relegated clubs like Hearts and Thistle but these clubs are bottom of the league after approx three quarters of the season because of their performances on the park. In all the circumstances it is inevitable that there will be winners and losers – it is nobody’s fault and there is no alternative solution that is any fairer!
“Rangers objection seems to lie mainly in declaring Celtic champions! No fair minded person can grudge Celtic that but when they think of Celtic, can anyone expect Rangers to be fair minded?”
That comment and in particular that last few lines sums up the position for ‘the’ Rangers throughout, although it misses out their dire need for funds.
Their stance has been seen through as out of kilter with what Scottish clubs wanted and indeed needed from the SPFL. Closure to this season and as much financial security as possible to head for the next.
The irony is not lost that despite their stance, ‘the’ Rangers were in as much if not more need for a financial resolution to this season as any other club. However they had to balance that internally with being seen to stand up for their rank and file wishes for Celtic to be denied their title – a ninth consecutive title indeed – rather significant in historical terms.
It was also a nice smokescreen to keep those loyal bluenoses occupied elsewhere and divert attention from the clubs impending financial meltdown. Other Scottish clubs saw through that, or at least most did. Dundee came perilously close for falling for it.
The alternative was kicking the can down the road, pretending this season could be played out, changing the SPFL rulebook, handing out prize money and eventually reaching the dead end where null and void was the only option. It was a ludicrous plan and Scottish football clubs, well at least 80% saw through it.
Now Celtic find ourselves as the Provisional Scottish Champions, on the verge of nine in a row and if rumours are to be believed, when football returns the new campaign will begin with the Scottish Cup semi-finals and final played at Hampden. A fine return to football that would be and a chance for Celtic to conclude a fourth consecutive treble.
That will be hard for ‘the’ Rangers to swallow. Not only have they failed to stop 9-in-a-row, they’ll have to watch the new season as Celtic compete for the full set of trophies once more.
While off the pitch they are Scottish football’s equivalent of the guy with nae mates in the pub trying to spark up a conversation with anyone who is too polite to tell him to jog on.
This time last week they had a plan that was coming together, they had Inverness, Partick Thistle and Dundee in their pocket and the nine was halted in its tracks. The next plan was their own proposal to change the SPFL rules and get prize money paid out. They miscalculated Scottish football clubs thinking further than this month’s outgoings and looking further ahead to sustainability for next season. They judged everyone’s situation by their own.
They of course still have the remaining smokescreen of independent inquiries, evidence of bullying and anti- rangers Chairmen at the SPFL, but even that smoke is dissipating now. The fans are starting to see they were all in on a dreadful hand. They have no evidence, if they did it would have been published by a trusted mainstream hack by now. It was all a bluff.
And now the only show in town for ‘the’ Rangers is keeping the wolves from the door, while at the same time hoping their fans aren’t going to notice that a club six months from break even when Dave King arrived, is now about the same time if not less from a third incarnation of ‘the’ Rangers.
If they are looking for help from the SPFL this time around, they may find bridges have been burned.
Niall J
ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR…
That Beautiful, Magical, Wonderful Day at Tynecastle – An extract from Invincible, by Matt Corr…https://t.co/2CHSF6vtQ4 @BroganRoganTrev @Auldheid @Boola_vogue
— The Celtic Star Editor (@CelticStarMag) April 18, 2020
INVINCIBLE by Matt Corr
The Celtic Star’s very own Matt Corr – who you may also know as a Tour Guide at Celtic Park – publishes his first Celtic book, titled INVINCIBLE – early next month. This beautiful hardback book will be the definitive story of Celtic’s magical2016-17 season – it truly is wonderful, a real joy to read, and brilliantly written by Matt.
If you have been reading Matt’s regular contributions on The Celtic Star or indeed in the Matchday Programme or in the Celtic View you will know just how talented a Celtic writer he is. The book is published by The Celtic Star and you can pre-order below.
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