DON’T SHOW US THE RED CARD
Some clubs could go under warns Doncaster
NEIL DONCASTER last night pleaded with Nicola Sturgeon not to shut down Scottish football in the event of another Covid-19 rule break.
And in an exclusive interview with Record Sport, the SPFL chief executive warned one more government-issued postponement could have catastrophic financial consequences across the game that could force a number of leading clubs out of existence.
Relationships between Hampden’s sixth floor and
Holyrood have been strained since the high-profile protocol breaches involving the Aberdeen Eight and Celtic full-back Boli Bolingoli.
And the First Minister stressed the professional game could be placed on pause if there are further cases of non-compliance.
As part of a behind-thescenes plea-bargain deal to avoid having the plug pulled on two rounds of top-flight fixtures, four matches involving Aberdeen and Celtic were postponed and must be crammed into a busy schedule.
Doncaster now insists any further punitive strikes could endanger the entire league season – shattering the new £30million-a-year broadcast deal with Sky TV and plunging all of Scotland’s 42 clubs into financial meltdown.
He said: “There is a very real possibility, were the Scottish Government to decide to close down the entire league for any length of time, based on a very small number of infringements – that a number of our clubs will go under.
“Covid-19 has already wreaked havoc on the finances of the game. Any future government action must be carefully considered but also entirely proportionate. It would be unjustifiable to shut down the league over a few isolated transgressions.
“It’s not just an issue for the top-flight clubs, it’s all 42 clubs. They are all dependent on the money they get from the league, to a greater or lesser extent, and that is largely based upon the TV money that comes in from the Premiership.
“If we find ourselves in a position where we can’t complete this season we’d have a huge issue, not just with TV revenue but with all revenues.”