THE BACK PAGE WHYWE SAID‘YES’ TO SPFL Binos explain vote to end season
Stirling Albion have confirmed that they voted in favour of the SPFL proposal to end the season in the Ladbrokes Championship, League 1 and League 2.
The Binos are sixth in League 2, having finished in fifth place in 2018/19, and manager Kevin Rutkiewicz recently called for clarity on the 2019/20 campaign.
The SPFL resolution to call the season now and promote Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers and relegate Partick Thistle and Stranraer required the support of 75 per cent of clubs in the Premiership, the same percentage in the Championship, and across Leagues 1 and 2 combined.
That was achieved in the Premiership and bottom two divisions but it emerged over the weekend that Dundee had yet to confirm their decision.
The proposal was left one vote short in the Championship after Partick Thistle and Inverness Caley Thistle voted against.
Hearts, Rangers, Falkirk, Stranraer, East Fife and Edinburgh City have also said they were opposed to the plans but it’s Dundee who hold the power and it’s unclear what will happen next. Stirling chairman Stuart Brown confirmed the Binos voted in favour and admitted it wasn’t a difficult decision for the club, whose play-off hopes were hit by March defeats to Elgin and Cove. He said: “It was a bit of a no-brainer for Stirling Albion because, whichever way you look at it, we are where we are and if we were going up in the league at all it would be by a place or two maximum.
“We felt it was important we reached a conclusion on season 2019/20 as soon as possible to enable planning to take place for whenever season 2020/21 can commence. From our perspective, it’s not about the finance and getting the final payment from the SPFL, it’s more about being able to plan.
“We are not in a position where we have immediate cash-flow problems, although clearly the longer this goes on the bigger it becomes for everyone.
“For the sake of Scottish football we feel a resolution passed as soon as possible would be advantageous for everyone.”
Stirling would have been at home to Edinburgh City this Saturday and Brechin City on April 25 before concluding the season away to leaders Cove Rangers.
However, with the country still under lockdown, it was confirmed last week that all football has been suspended until June 10 at the earliest.
Scottish FA president Rod Petrie said: “The government restrictions introduced to save lives must be adhered to and there is no prospect of an early resumption of training let alone organised football in Scotland for several weeks.”
Central AC’s Jamie Crowe is celebrating after landing the Scottish Cross Country Grand Prix title.
Jamie, who won the Lindsays National Cross Country Senior Men’s race, collects the £750 first prize.
Points are gathered from six cross country events starting with the Lindsays Short Course Cross Country Championships at Kirkcaldy last November and concluding at the InterCounties Cross Country at Loughborough last month.
Jamie had wrapped up the win with points accumulated prior to Loughborough, a great testament to a superb season with points taken from the Kirkcaldy race, the British Challenge Cross Country in Liverpool, Lindsays East District Championships in Dundee, the Inter-District race in Stirling and the Scottish Championships in Falkirk.
Jamie won the men’s division with 222 points from Jonny Glen (Inverclyde AC) on 153 and Kristian Jones (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers) in third on 133. Lachlan Oates (Shettleston Harriers) was fourth on 120 and Jack Leitch (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds) was fifth on 115.
Making up the rest of the top ten are Ben Greenwood (Perth Strathtay), Andy Butchart (Central AC), Tom Martyn (Corstorpine AAC), Ryan Thomson (Cambuslang Harriers), Sol Sweeney (Glasgow Uni Hare & Hounds).
Of the 68 athletes who featured in the Grand Prix rankings, seven were from Central AC – Crowe and Butchart plus Hamish Hickey, Conan McCaughey, Alastair Hay, Cameron Milne and Matthew Sutherland. The Womens Grand Prix featured Central’s Morag Millar.