David warns Scots clubs face lay-offs
BY ALAN MARSHALL
DAVID SOUTHERN insists it’s only “a matter of time” before a Scottish club goes into administration in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Southern was managing director at Hearts when the Gorgie outfit was plunged into administration in 2013 and, after nearly nine years at Tynecastle, subsequently moved to Dundee United as general manager and then chief operating officer
Having left United in the summer, Southern is now a football industry advisor and has issued a stark warning over the consequences of the suspension of our game.
He said: “The clock is now a timer on the bomb. It’s a matter of time before a club goes into administration.
“Next Monday is when the first PAYE bill is due to HMRC from the 42 clubs. Nothing is likely to happen next Tuesday but very shortly after that we will start seeing the effects of the lack of cash.
“The situation is absolutely critical, revenue-wise, for clubs. I’m afraid it will come down to what your cost base is as a business, look at that cost base and slash and burn as much as you possibly can to keep your club alive.
“There is a list at most clubs of where the cuts are going to be made. What do you do? You go to where your biggest cost is – and that’s staff costs.
“You’ll have to bring in players and say ‘I’m sorry, we can’t afford to pay you, can you take a wage deferral? Could you take a wage cut of some sort?’.
“And that’s down to the goodwill of the players.
“There might be some clubs shaken out from this but heaven forbid we’re talking about 20 or 22 clubs left.”
BY GARY RALSTON SCOTTISH football bosses have given an ‘F’ word reaction to the UEFA conference call that changed nothing.
As one leading chairman put it: “It’s worse than a fudge – it’s a farce.”
Euro chiefs in Switzerland confirmed the worst kept secret in football yesterday when it was announced in a video meeting with its 55 national members that Euro 2020 has been scrapped for 12 months.
The coronavirus has done for the event, not least as the 60th anniversary of the tournament was scheduled to take place in 12 cities throughout the continent in June, including Glasgow.
But it was the declaration from UEFA that domestic associations can now use the window of opportunity in early summer to complete their own league seasons that’s caused anger in Scotland.
There is as much chance of SPFL football being played in June as there is of Sydney Devine featuring on the legends’ stage at Glastonbury that month.
The SPFL is not alone as much of Europe is still expected to be in the grip of the pandemic, with the return of professional football in Scotland not anticipated until September.
The chairman added: “Everyone knows coronavirus is predicted to be at its peak in the UK in the second or third week of June – and it will still have a hold of huge swathes of Europe at that time too.
“It underlines the idiocy of UEFA’s statement. They’ve simply passed it onto the leagues and made it their problem. So much for leadership from the top.” Ross County owner Roy MacGregor was one chairman willing to go on the record yesterday as he called on UEFA to show the “degree of honesty needed”.
He has praised the SFA and SPFL for working together hand in glove through the Joint Response Group, but claims their cause isn’t being helped by the blazers in Switzerland.
MacGregor said: “UEFA are not giving our people a lot to go on. The casualty list is expected to be at 250,000, with the virus peaking in between 10-12 weeks. Do UEFA really believe we’ll be playing at that time?
“This virus is more serious than anyone thinks. There’s no way football could be finished by the end of June.
“Putting aside all other concerns, my football management team tells me that mental and match fitness goes from players within a couple of weeks.
“Players will need a pre-season of up to four weeks after this and I don’t think there’s any chance of playing in June. The debate requires greater honesty and leadership
ROY MacGREGOR