Former Partick Thistle and Falkirk striker, Mark Roberts, has spoken to Lanarkshire Live Sport about the proposal to finish the Scottish Championship, League One and League Two early, whilst the Premiership is still set to go ahead as it stands.
In League One, less than five points separate the top three, yet Raith Rovers could be set to receive the title, whilst Celtic aren’t currently in line to get the same fate, despite a 13 point advantage.
Roberts said: “It’s pathetic; League One is far too close to give Raith a title. Is that fair on Partick Thistle getting relegated from the Championship as well, which is potentially a club killer? It’s not. If you’re not going to play it I think you should restart the league with a clean slate. I don’t think it’s fair. The Premiership is being treated differently, how is the Premiership different? Because there is more money in the Premiership? Feck the Premiership. I don’t get it, but it grates on me. If they can get the Premiership games played, why can’t they get the rest of the games played? Is it just cause they have Rangers and Celtic in it? Feck Rangers and Celtic.”
He may not have put his point across in the most polite fashion, but does Roberts have a point?
“It still means just as much to an Airdrie fan or a Falkirk fan as it does to Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, and Hibs,” Roberts went on to say. “If they aren’t going to play the season out they can’t just say that’s you up. If I’m a player with Airdrie or Falkirk there is no way I’m accepting that. That’s what you’ve been working for from June last year until now. You’ve worked your balls off to get to that position where you can go and win a league, it’s not fair. If I was a player, coach or chairman at one of those clubs I’d be bealing.”
The thing to remember with the lower leagues in Scotland, is the financial implications of relegation. It could potentially see clubs go the same way as Rangers in 2012. A point Roberts was keen to make. “Why do Hearts have a chance to save themselves but Partick Thistle don’t? Why do Rangers and Celtic get to fight for a title but Airdrie, Falkirk and Raith don’t?”
The 44-year old then closed the interview by saying: “If I was at a club I wouldn’t want them to vote for the proposal. Get the SPFL, SFA; whoever it is thinking of ways to make the game better rather than p off 95 per cent of the clubs in Scotland.”
The easiest solution to all this would be to wait and finish the season properly at a later date. However, many clubs are struggling for cash and need the prize money paid out now. It’s a difficult one for those in charge. One suggestion was to pay out prize money now, based on current positions, but then conclude the season later. Meanwhile, ‘Rangers’ would like to see the season declared null and void, whilst still getting paid the prize money for finishing in second place!
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