Part 2
The disputes between Rangers and the SPFL have been painted as Rangers trying to dislodge members at the top of the game, or to have a pop back after the demotion to the bottom of the Scottish game in 2012.
And while there is something in that, they certainly want change at the top of the game, it’s clear that the allies Rangers have picked up in the dispute would not stand alongside them in normal circumstances. Aberdeen for one are no friends of the Ibrox club. What have Hearts, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Partick Thistle, Falkirk, Stranraer, Stenhousemuir, Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts got to gain with a seeming allegiance with Rangers and a battle with the top dogs of the game?
This leads to the point of Rangers asking for an independent investigation into the governance of the game, and their ‘dossier’ which was knocked into touch.
Surely in any other walk of life or industry an accusation similar to what was brought to the SFPL would have resulted in an independent hearing, so why hasn’t it in this case?
The SPFL insist there is no case to answer. Lawwel called it ‘an absolute embarrassment’. But clearly questions remain. Why were Dundee allowed to change their vote (as the leaked WhatsApp messages show to be true), were clubs aware there may be issues with the prize money even after ending the season, and what is next for Scottish football?
Former Celtic manager John Barnes labelled the rushed decision ‘ridiculous’.
“It’s ridiculous. It's unfair,” he told Bonuscodebets.
“There are eight games to go and Hearts are four points from safety, and they can come back up.
“I don't understand. With eight games to go, whenever they're going to play the next season then just finish the eight games and continue to the next season.
“I don't see why they have to make a decision now to stop the season because stopping the season now isn't going to make them play the next season any quicker.
“But next season will come whenever it comes. So, what I'm saying is that whenever that comes, just take six weeks off to play eight games, and then go straight into the next season.”
It’s still unclear if the Scottish Premiership will be allowed to kick off in early August due to the restrictions in place to tackle the virus, but that’s the hope. UEFA have opened the door for leagues to start while others are still playing the previous season, and insist European games won’t get in the way of that as well. Rangers for example have a second leg with Bayer Leverkusen to play in the Europa League.
After releasing six players on Tuesday who were out of contract it’s not clear what kind of squad they would have for a game still technically in the 2019/20 season. It’s also uncertain what shirts they would wear, having signed a new deal with Castore to replace Hummel. UEFA say they will deal with those issues nearer the time and won’t rush anything.
Those points are less important than the long-term survival of less financially stable clubs, particualarly with Rangers being 3-1 down after the home leg anyway, but they remain unanswered nevertheless.
UEFA have set Monday 25 May as the date for all leagues to map out their futures, but have also intimated there is flexibility in that.
Doncaster, though, confirmed the decision in Scotland a week earlier. He hopes to kick off the brave new world under the Sky contract in the first week of August, but why then could’t they have waited until then to get this season complete, and maintain the ‘sporting integrity’ that everybody so craves?
UEFA have already signed off the short term extension of contracts that were due to expire, which was seen as the greatest obstacle to that, other than the TV and sponsorship deals. They have also confirmed the Champions League and Europa League ties will be played out in August if safe to do so, making it complicated, although not impossible, for domestic leagues in Europe to try and start before those competitions are finished.
The broadcasting issue in Scotland in an interesting one, with the BT deal expiring in favour of the new long-term Sky Sports one. Would Sky have allowed BT to show games beyond August if it meant completing the season, and would BT have been able or even want to? It’s not as if BT would have had Celtic or Rangers on each week, would they have been willing to send TV crews and producers for the middle rung games they would have been due some weeks?
They remain silent on the issue, still waiting to make their decision on the recalling of money they could be owed.
Despite the concerns of what broadcasters will do if they don’t fill their allocations of games Premier League members in England first discussed the potential for not finishing the season on Monday 12 May, after weeks of talks on how they could try and get games played again.
While in Scotland ballot papers had been drawn up and plans were in the works as early as March. That would seem pretty early in the grand scheme of things to be working on an end game like this.
Neil Lennon was presented with the Scottish Premiership trophy on Monday live on Sky Sports and claimed this was his greatest ever title, despite getting it without actually getting over the finish line and having to celebrate with his team over a Zoom call.
Whether or not they were worthy winners is a different debate, but regardless there must be a tinge of regret at not finishing it off outright and on the pitch, as they have the previous eight years, that in itself makes this one different, whether that’s with an asterisk or not.