FICTION–THAT’S A STARK TRUTH
it shows that football will take a hard line against any breaches of protocol. “There’s a strong argument that, rather than postponing matches, playing these matches when clubs would not have those players available would send a real signal to every one and ensure compliance with the rules rather than postponing matches and playing them at a later date when those players are available.” There’s more than an element of common sense about that. Which, ironically enough, is what Doncaster is pleading for above all else.
He sums up: “What we need is proportionality and personal responsibility. Everyone needs to understand the amount of investment that’s gone into testing and the fact that it’s working.
“Clubs are doing their bit and we need to be very, very careful not to punish the whole game for the actions of a few individuals.
“In fact, it would punish the whole country because it would deprive the whole country of football entertainment due to the actions of a few rogue players not doing what they’ve been very clearly told to do.”
RAITH chairman Bill Clark insists Craig Levein was talking nonsense when the former Hearts boss claimed Rovers had played a part in getting Jambos training called to a halt.
Levein accused the Stark’s Park club and Morton of running to the SFA and SPFL after the Joint Response Group put back the Championship clubs’ return for pre-season.
Hearts were furious at being forced to shut down again, having been back for a fortnight while Raith and Morton had to shelve plans to return this week.
Clark was dragged in to the row when Levein accused the pair of calling foul on the Jambos but Morton slammed the suggestion in a statement and Clark told Record Sport the story was fiction.
The Rovers chief admitted he has been copping flak from Hearts fans in the wake of their controversial relegation to the Championship and Raith’s promotion.
But he insisted there is no grudge with the Jambos in Kirkcaldy and is sad to see so much bad blood between the previously close clubs.
Clark said: “It’s absolute nonsense. There’s not a shred of truth in it. I don’t know if there is someone trying to stir up trouble between the clubs at a time when we should be concentrating on getting back to football.
“We were supposed to come back on Monday past. We tested all of our players, at the cost of £2500, on tests that were not necessary.
“But we accepted the decision when the JRG statement came out. We took it at face value and got on with it. It’s a delay and an inconvenience but it hasn’t affected us too much, so we didn’t make a song and dance about it.
“We certainly didn’t complain about it to anybody. Anyone who says we have is building a story around a complete fiction.
“I know David MacKinnon at Morton spoke about the fairness aspect but it was just his opinion. They’ve said they did not complain either.
“He is entitled to his opinion but we haven’t even done that. We have said absolutely nothing.
“It just stirs up more trouble between us and Hearts. The unintended consequences of the kind of things said means that the Hearts supporters, who were already on my back, have been riled up even more.
“I just want us to keep our heads down but we seem to get dragged into things against our will.”
Clark also admitted that he’s disappointed to see the rift between the club develop in to a chasm over the summer.
He added: “We don’t have a grudge against Hearts – not at all. We’ve had a very good relationship with Hearts going back decades.
“It’s only since this all started it has soured that relationship and that is very regrettable.”