Congratulations from all of us at The Celtic Star to Barry Ferguson (EBT).

Tonight Ferguson is (cough) celebrating, as his side Kelty Hearts have been announced as Lowland League Champions. The Fife side held a mere 6 point advantage over Bonnyrigg Rose, although the Midlothian side had a game in hand. Bonnyrigg have rather graciously accepted the result without any animosity, following the example that Manchester City supporters have set in England in stressing that if a similar call is made and Liverpool are confirmed as Premier League Champions, their first title win since 1990, then they will be well worthy of that and City will have zero complaints.

It must be a difficult one for Barry Ferguson to accept, considering his own part in an orchestrated media effort to stop Celtic’s own claims to a title by similar means. To now accept his own club’s success, whilst having even less of an advantage in the Lowland league than Celtic have in the Scottish Premiership, must be a tough one to square off against sporting integrity. Somehow I’m sure he’ll find a way to do just that.

Or maybe he’ll have the courage of his convictions and do the (cough) honourable thing and resign. Barry after all moved his house into his wife’s name ahead of the EBT judgment from the Supreme Court and followed that by declaring himself bankrupt. It as a technical bankruptcy, he still had plenty of money, it was just another way of dodging doing what was right. But now Barry is in a difficult position at newly (cough) crowned Champions Kelty Hearts.

In a short statement the Scottish Lowland Football League announced their decision today: “The board of the SLFL have today decided to end the league competition with immediate effect. The board took into account the points per game average based on the standings at the cessation of football on 13 March, and as such have declared that Kelty Hearts are this season’s champion Club.

Furthermore, the board would like to make it clear that it feels that no member club should be disadvantaged by the current health crisis we face, and as such there will be no relegation from the SLFL in season 2019/20. We are aware of the implications for our fellow pyramid leagues, the EoSFL and SoSFL, and will announce contingency plans to cover this in due course.”

Brora Rangers were similarly crowned champions in Scotland’s Highland League on 20 March after a decision to finish the season early amid the coronavirus pandemic. The new champions had built a 13-point lead at the top of the table ahead of second-placed Inverurie Loco Works FC, with six fixtures still to play, and mathematically could still have been caught.

In any other season the Lowland League Champions and Highland league champions would face each other in a play-off for entry to the SPFL. Yet noting the SLFL decision to rule out relegation as a possibility in their own decision to call time on season 2019-20, it could be just the opportunity the SPFL need and one they can take advantage of. In fact given the timing of the announcement perhaps it’s one the SPFL have already had a hand in.

Scrapping a play-off that is unlikely to be able to be played in any case and promoting both sides into a restructured league could bring to an end the current gridlock the SPFL find themselves in. Furthermore adopting the no relegation example set by the SLFL could allow an opportunity to draw a line under the compromised vote that is rather bizarrely still progressing. It could all rather conveniently fall into place.

Allegations brought to you by The Celtic Star, by way of a trusted Celtic source last night, that ‘the’ Rangers may have offered Inverness Caledonian Thistle CEO Scot Gardiner a Job in return for a no vote could and should easily have been enough to indicate a compromised vote.

On top of that we’ve had the ‘did they, didn’t they and if they did they changed their mind’ story of Dundee’s inability to cast a straightforward yes on no decision by e-mail. It certainly leaves the validity of any vote on the current proposal in the questionable at best category. The vote cannot go on, Neil Doncaster will be very much aware of just that, yet a credible alternative must be provided and quickly.

The SPFL then, may well be about to return with another proposal and one that may allow them to save face.

Admitting both the Highland and Lowland league champions now would create a 44 team SPFL across four divisions for season 20/21. This would allow the SPFL to propose a solution where there is no relegation, while promotion and titles can be rubberstamped on current league placings for the 2019-20 season.

Could it be the SPFL know their current ‘solution ‘is dead in the water and this Lowland League announcement is part of a grand plan to draw a line under the current proposal?

It would at the same time find a way to appease ‘No’ voters like the relegation threatened Hearts and Partick Thistle. It would certainly be a proposal that would pass with little or no significant opposition, excluding ‘the’ Rangers of course. Yet they could continue to mumble to themselves, put pencils up their noses and release daily statements on their website until their wee hearts are content.

It would also mean Celtic can follow both Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts and be announced as league champions. I wonder if Barry Ferguson would be as gracious in his congratulations to Celtic as Bonnyrigg Rose have been to his Kelty Hearts team?

Whether engineered or a genuine co-incidence, the Lowland League calling time on their season today affords the SPFL with a real opportunity. It’s one that must be taken. And it could leave Barry Ferguson heavily conflicted, and both the Rangers and Inverness Caley Thistle out in the cold as far as the rest of Scottish football is concerned.

Niall J

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