WHAT a mess the SPFL finds itself in this morning. Stalemate on their proposal with Dundee likely to demand a 16 team Premiership as their price for voting yes. Their opportunism has to be grudgingly admired but there are wider considerations.

While other leagues are addressing these matters, either finding a way to look at playing out this season – as seems to be happening in Italy, Germany and possibly Spain over the summer months, Scottish football has been bogged down by the mean spirited, bad losers from Ibrox who are not prepared to put the good of the game – ever – ahead of their own interests and their hatred of Celtic.

Barry Ferguson was delighted to be awarded the title in the Southern League earlier this week – with a 6 points lead having played a game more – with no indignation or rage from the unlucky runners-up. The former Rangers captain, and his assistant at Kelty Hearts Bob Malcolm have both been shouting their mouths off over the past few weeks that Celtic can’t be awarded the title – 13 points clear and with a superior goal difference of 25.

The Rangers want the season to be declared null and void because it stops Celtic winning nine-in-a-row. They don’t want football to resume because they are aware that their chances of stopping Celtic on the pitch is low, very low. Very very low. The BBC in Manchester calculated it as a 1.13% chance.

At Christmas the Daily Record was shouting about their own super computer. The Rangers were at that stage two points behind Celtic with a game in hand. The Record had them as the Champions Elect at that stage. You might remember that they played out all the remaining games in the season and predicted that the Rangers would win the Premiership.

The Daily Record has gone rather quiet regarding this computer and its ability to predict the outcome of the remaining games. Do you wonder why?

Null and Void, if it is still on the table, creates many huge problems for the SPFL and all Scottish clubs. One in particular is worthy of a mention this morning. The prize money that has already been distributed – in good faith – by the SPFL to clubs like Celtic (who didn’t need the early distribution), the Rangers and Motherwell (both did need it), would have to be repaid. That could be awkward. And there will be no prize money at all for any clubs if Null and Void is the outcome. Crazy, Kamikaze stuff that will destroy the game.

We have been told that it is not an option, yet Raith Rovers mentioned the threat of null and void in their statement last night. It’s clearly part of the Ibrox scorched-earth policy, aided by their blue-nose job seeking pal at Inverness and the relegation threatened Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer.

And incidentally we have every sympathy for these three sides, relegation should not be implemented this season given the circumstances, no club should be punished as a result of the season ending early due to the coronavirus crisis. But the Rangers have manipulated the genuine grievances that these clubs have, and with the help of Inverness and the opportunists at Dundee seem to have frustrated the bast majority of the clubs wishes. Only in Scottish football could an 80% vote be a losing position, a bit like 13 points clear – not champions (cos it’s Celtic), 6 points clear – Champions (cos it’s wee Bazza).

Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer should NOT be relegated but Dundee should NOT be promoted and what is it the Rangers want again? Just to stop Celtic being Champions. They had 79% of the season to do that and failed miserably. End of.

So where do we go from here? Or put it another way, where do we re-position the deck chairs on the Titanic to try to please nearly everyone?

Well the SPFL should re-call the early pay-out prize money TODAY. Did you know that the SFA have to send over to UEFA the list of clubs that could be participating in European football next season this week and that means confirming that these clubs are solvent and have no outstanding social taxes. Whatever the position the Rangers have given to the SFA – and we know that they stated that they needed an additional £10million to see out the season – the SPFL’s re-call on the advance prize money payment would have to be considered.

And it could mean the difference from the Scottish FA being able to endorse the Rangers for European competition next year or not. Fight fire with fire.

Then the SPFL should sit it out. Be in no hurry to act. Let the 28 day period run down and see if there are any mind changers along the way. The lower leagues won’t be playing football again this season, that is a certainty.

As for the Premiership, well that is indeed possible – and it is not what the Ibrox mob want – play those games behind close doors over the summer and get the league won.

But all of that is still not biggest problem facing the game. That is the coronavirus and how it is going to affect crowds going forward until there is a vaccine available. In Germany they are already making cardboard cut-outs of fans to sit in empty seats.

With Scottish football’s new deal with Sky Sports due to start at the beginning of August, the broadcasting partners are going to be crucial. Yet the money that clubs like Celtic and the Rangers make from TV – unlike Bournemouth or Brighton – is nowhere near enough without 50,000 season ticket holders.

Restrictions could mean that there are no crowd allowed into football this year, or indeed all of next season. Or there may be a partial relaxation on that to allow, say 20,000 spectators into Celtic Park or Ibrox – nowhere near enough revenue is going to come from that.

A new business model for Scottish football is needed. While everyone on the SPFL’s Titanic has been distracted by the Rangers argument about the deck-chairs, no-one is even looking out for icebergs. And there’s one dead ahead for the SPFL. We are sailing straight towards it.

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