If it hadn’t been for Scottish Sun contacting the SPFL for comment today, ‘the’ Rangers alternative proposal may have been overlooked. Now there is an exchange of e-mails going around as the SPFL board members realise ‘Oh they were serious about that’ and scurry around to try and find a suitable response to send to Stewart Robertson ahead of today’s vote.
It’s not easy to send an image of someone’s backside when everyone is working from home and can’t access the photocopier. Someone is going to have to find a solution to this though, you can’t simply not respond. Perhaps this would get the message across.
The harsh reality for ‘the’ Rangers alternative plan is it does not have support. To even be considered as a viable alternative it need two clubs in addition to the proposing club to back it. So far only Hearts have intimated they’d even consider it, never mind the Nine Premiership, Eight Championship and 15 other clubs that would need to support the motion to get it passed.
Its fantasy economics from the Scotland’s newest club at a time where we need credible options, but seeing as they’re a bit naïve when it comes to Scottish football politics, we’ll just have to pat their head and offer words of encouragement. Better luck next time springs to mind.
According to various reports in the press today The SPFL resolution to end the lower leagues has only a 50-50 chance of being passed, and could be decided by a small number of undeclared clubs such as Aberdeen, Hibs, Inverness Caley Thistle and Dundee. If it gets rubber-stamped the SPFL board would then have the power to decide the final placings in the Premiership after UEFA’s executive meeting on 23 April. This has become all the more likely now that the SFA have announced there will be no football whatsoever until at least 10 June.
Dundee have also joined the group of undecided clubs looking at an alternative structure, though you’d have to question the motives of that one too. Self-interest abound then as they seem to want support for a proposal that stops rivals Dundee United being promoted, ensuring full house and TV exposure for derby games next season by any chance?
Dundee Chief executive John Nelms has drafted a proposal awarding the actual titles for all four divisions but without any promotion or relegation. Therefore Dundee United, Raith Rovers, Cove Rangers would win a shiny bauble but not actually move division, even though they’ve won their respective leagues. Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer however would avoid the relegation drop.
Granted Celtic would win 9-in-a-row but I’m not sure winning lower league titles yet not actually getting promotion as a result would garner much support. It’s daft enough for Hearts and ‘the’ Rangers to support though, so it may go one better than the Ibrox blueprint and actually go to the vote. It wouldn’t go any further however, probably because it’s been drafted on the back of a fag packet after six pints of Guinness.
The choice today for Scottish clubs does not need the muddying of the waters with such ill thought out alternatives full of self-interest at this juncture. What it needs are focused minds from the so called professionals running our game.
Pass this motion at today’s SPFL vote, secure the financial future for our clubs and then use the time before the new season can actually start to fully debate alternative league restructuring proposals. To consider anything else for now would be a death knell for Scottish clubs. Less fantasy more focus please.
Now has anyone considered taking a photo of their backside and e-mailing it to Stewart Robertson? That would work. Losing is becoming a habit over in Govania…
Niall J
Support Celtic Youth Development
Help raise money for Celtic Youth Development by joining the £1 weekly lottery and you could win up to £25,000 – just click on any one of the photographs below to join. Lots of our readers have already done so and they’re now doing their bit to help fund Celtic Youth Development that can deliver the stars of tomorrow and beyond. And you might even win a few bob too! And a special thank you to all The Celtic Star readers who have already signed up and are now supporting youth development to give us the Celtic Stars of the future…
Take The Celtic Star’s Photo Tour of Celtic Park and enjoy our stunning photos from inside Paradise RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
