Gardiner went onto the BBC Sportsound radio show yesterday afternoon and put the proverbial cat among the pigeons. At 5pm on Friday, seven Championship sides were in favour and two against (Inverness Caley Thistle and Partick Thistle) – giving the one outstanding club, Dundee, the power to decide the success of the vote either way.
Partick Thistle were always going to vote against this resolution. They were being relegated even though they had a game in hand – ironically enough against Inverness – which could have seen them avoid the drop. Restructuring could of course save the Jags and hopefully that’s what eventually happens. Like Hearts they were unwilling to wait for the restructuring proposals that were set to follow a Yes vote to the SPFL Proposal.
Scot Gardiner had made it clear that he has an insight into how Dundee was planning to vote, indeed he was also well aware of Partick Thistle’s position. So a NO vote from Inverness Caley Thistle would kill the SPFL proposal stone dead, had things panned out at the Inverness CEO had expected and that frustrated not just himself but his associates operating out of Ibrox.
The SPFL either never received the Dundee NO vote or it was never sent. Or the SPFL are at it – as the Rangers statement implies. The outcome though has caused the vote to still be in the ‘all to play for category’, with all eyes on Dundee.
Dundee now have had clarity from the SPFL Chairman that there will be no funds distributed until the placings are determined and clubs like Raith Rovers and Ross County have been urging a satisfactory outcome. For that to happen Dundee will have to vote YES, and as we explained this morning, they have 28 days to make up their minds.
You get the feeling that delay won’t happen and we’ll get a decision from Dens Park one way of the other, early in the week. We will report on Dundee’s decision in due course but the position that Inverness Caley Thistle’s CEO has adopted remains curious and is worthy of further comment.
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