The Official Scottish Football Thread

[JuniorD]

If Rangers FC were a politician, would they be (a) Donald Trump, or (b) Boris Johnston.




For those that answer (a), you would be correct.

[Drive Blind]

I fear this is going to rumble on all through the summer until fitba comes back, if it comes back.

the media have nothing else to cover, this is a huge thing to them.

The behaviour of ICT in this stinks. Their wee clique on whatsapp, was it morton yesterday? saying ICT's intention all along was to get the season null and voided. Then straight on sportsound the next day greeting about it.

Generally players contracts start/end on the 1st June don't they? That's going to be an awful lot of unemployed footballers on June 2nd.

[JuniorD]

Sounds like the destination of this season's SPL is fait accompli, and it's an unanimous decsion of the 12 clubs.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/footb...

[Driver101]

There will be a huge backlash if that is true.

I do think what's happening behind closed doors is at odds to what we get to hear.

[Helicopter123]

JuniorD said:

Sounds like the destination of this season's SPL is fait accompli, and it's an unanimous decsion of the 12 clubs.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/footb...

If Hearts have voted to be relegated, does that mean the end of their legal threats?

If Rangers have voted to crown Celtic Champions, how will they appease their supporters?

Still questions to be answered but just maybe some realism and common sense coming into play.

What is the alternative? Given we are still in lockdown when is earliest that the Scottish government will sanction matches again, even behind closed doors?

[Edinburger]

Helicopter123 said:

JuniorD said:

Sounds like the destination of this season's SPL is fait accompli, and it's an unanimous decsion of the 12 clubs.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/footb...

If Hearts have voted to be relegated, does that mean the end of their legal threats?

If Rangers have voted to crown Celtic Champions, how will they appease their supporters?

Still questions to be answered but just maybe some realism and common sense coming into play.

What is the alternative? Given we are still in lockdown when is earliest that the Scottish government will sanction matches again, even behind closed doors?

A fortnightly update is available from the SFA's joint response group. Yesterday they published this - https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/coronavirus-join...

Very much work in progress. I think it'll be a while before we're at games again. Presumably closed door games will be broadcast free to season ticket holders and on a pay-per-view basis for others. But that's the easy bit. Lots of players won't feel comfortable playing, contracts are expiring, very few players are being signed, etc.

PS Not seen any blue noses in here for a while...

[Driver101]

Edinburger said:

PS Not seen any blue noses in here for a while...

They are now known as bloody noses.

A few folk have asked for their opinions, but yes they've gone deadly silent. It's a huge difference from before the "evidence" was about to come out.

They did seem overly confidence that the "evidence" was going to be huge and everyone else had their blinkers on.

I'm still yet to see where their paranoia has come from. The conspiracy theories and obsessions are off the scale.

[Driver101]

Jim Goodwin on Radio Scotland giving some insight to what is going on within St Mirren. In 3 weeks they'll only have 12 players under contract. They can't make offers to anyone else.

The Ross County chairman said before about 60% of footballers being unemployed. Looks like St Mirren agree.

[Drive Blind]

I caught a bit on the radio yesterday that league reconstruction was back on the table - the 14 team premier league being mentioned again.

I'll be very surprised if it goes through, the midtable premier league teams are never going to vote for anything that puts their place at risk.

[Anonymous-poster]

Drive Blind said:

I caught a bit on the radio yesterday that league reconstruction was back on the table - the 14 team premier league being mentioned again.

I'll be very surprised if it goes through, the midtable premier league teams are never going to vote for anything that puts their place at risk.

Does it put them at risk though, I would have thought bringing more rubbish into the PL would make it easier to avoid relegation?

[Driver101]

I just can't see it getting anywhere near the votes that are required. We've already hit that barrier twice in recent weeks.

I don't understand why it has been raised again when there is no reason for finding a different conclusion..

[Drive Blind]

Anonymous-poster said:

Drive Blind said:

I caught a bit on the radio yesterday that league reconstruction was back on the table - the 14 team premier league being mentioned again.

I'll be very surprised if it goes through, the midtable premier league teams are never going to vote for anything that puts their place at risk.

Does it put them at risk though, I would have thought bringing more rubbish into the PL would make it easier to avoid relegation?

Possibly

my thinking was the likes of st johnstone, ross county, livi, etc would see a league with hearts and dundee utd and ICT as a threat to their position.

[Drive Blind]

temporary reconstruction was also mentioned

so 14 teams next season and then back to 12? That would mean a season with 4 relegation places? - no mid table premier league team is voting for that.

[Driver101]

Livingston were one of the clubs actively pushing for permanent reconstruction. Surprising as they make a lot of money selling out their ground to Celtic and Rangers fans.

[Driver101]

That's it all done and dusted. Celtic have been crowned champions and Hearts relegated after all clubs in agreement. I'm genuinely surprised that no club had any issues.

The only change is St Johnstone jump above Hibs on average points.

[JuniorD]

Also surprised it was a unanimous decision, quite magnanimous of Hearts to accept their fate. They had a terrible season, but did get some decent victories in it. I’m happy with the result, but overall a very disappointing way to end the season as I’d hoped to get to a few games during the run in.

[abzmike]

JuniorD said:

Also surprised it was a unanimous decision, quite magnanimous of Hearts to accept their fate. They had a terrible season, but did get some decent victories in it. I’m happy with the result, but overall a very disappointing way to end the season as I’d hoped to get to a few games during the run in.

I agree - but eventually reality had to bite.
Hearts however are still banging the drum for a resolution, presumably about reconstruction, and have not ruled out legal action, so this will rumble on, despite everyone else realising the focus should be on getting the new season underway somehow.

[Edinburger]

Driver101 said:

That's it all done and dusted. Celtic have been crowned champions and Hearts relegated after all clubs in agreement. I'm genuinely surprised that no club had any issues.

The only change is St Johnstone jump above Hibs on average points.

You're right that St Johnstone leapfrog Hibs even though they've not been in the top six all season, so they obviously get a bigger share of prize money. Also, if - and it's a big IF - the remaining Scottish Cup fixtures are played and if Hibs win it then we can't get the European place as that's been allocated to the league.

[Driver101]

abzmike said:

JuniorD said:

Also surprised it was a unanimous decision, quite magnanimous of Hearts to accept their fate. They had a terrible season, but did get some decent victories in it. I’m happy with the result, but overall a very disappointing way to end the season as I’d hoped to get to a few games during the run in.

I agree - but eventually reality had to bite.
Hearts however are still banging the drum for a resolution, presumably about reconstruction, and have not ruled out legal action, so this will rumble on, despite everyone else realising the focus should be on getting the new season underway somehow.

Just read the Hearts statement. They know that reconstruction isn't going to happen. They won't go down the legal route either. It's just all noise to appease fans. Stop making idle threats trying to bully people into something they don't want to do.

Even Hearts don't want permanent reconstruction. Why end up doing something that you're against just for short-term gain?

Got to applaud Rangers for their game. They've managed to milk fans for season tickets and paying to join waiting lists on the back of their war cry.

Right back at the start of this everyone knew they were the club most desperate for the league to stop. They had every excuse to not play again. After 2 months of bitter fighting against Scottish football Rangers have done exactly what was predicted. What a colossal waste of everyone's time.

When Rangers rushed out their new kit deal yesterday I knew they were brown nosing their fans before the vote today. Whoever wrote Castore's statement got in every single arse licking fans call. It was far too obvious.

What a pointless and totally unnecessary st storm for Scottish football.

[Scrubs]

What an absolutely horrible way to 'win' 9 in a row. Make no doubt about it, what should a very big moment for a club has just went by with a whimper. No one in Scottish football (outside Rangers and Celtic) could care less about it anyway. I look forward to the two of them now arguing about it from now till the end of eternity. Quite a few from the Celtic camp desperate to point out how it is not 'tainted' tells you everything you need to know about how it will forever have a stain on it due to C-Vid.

Can't see Hearts doing anything will their legal threat over reconstruction either, they don't have the money and Budge appears to get more out of her depth with every new statement they release.