Murray: It’s either court, on the park or reconstruction
Ian Murray insists the SPFL are to blame for Scottish football’s civil war and says clubs brought a courtroom battle on themselves.
The former Hearts director and Edinburgh South MP launched a blistering attack on the lack of leadership from Hampden’s sixth floor that he says has made our game a “laughing stock”.
Murray hit out at sel fserving clubs after only 16 of 42 members backed a league shake- up that would have spared Jambos, Partick Thistle and Stranraer relegation.
And he blasted the SFA for waiting until the situation reached crisis point before getting involved.
Furious die- hard Jambo Murray believes there are now only three ways to end the ugly feud and that’s either in court, on the park or enforcing a new 14-10-10-10 set-up.
Lower league champions Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers released a joint statement accusing the Jambos and Jags of trying to ruin them with attempts to block their promotion.
But Murray fumed: “It’s incredible. We’ve got the SFA threatening to expel Hearts and Partick Thistle and Dundee United saying they’re going to go under if they don’t get promoted.
“That’s the argument Hearts have been making from the very start – that we need to protect Scottish footbal l clubs, players, jobs and for it to end up in cour t is a dereliction of duty at the SPFL who have shown absolutely no leadership at all.
“Scottish footbal l is a laughing stock and it has been brought on by itself.
“It’s a total mess of the SPFL’s own making and there must be another way to resolve it than the SFA – who have been conspicuous by their silence – threatening expulsion. The membership organisation was set up to look after the interests and be custodians of our national game and it seems everyone has voted on self interest.
“Dundee United could have had their promotion by either completing the season or reconstructing the leagues.
“The threat was always there that if there was no reconstruction to ensure there’s no detriment to other clubs.
“Then you’re going to end up in a situation where you end up in court which will cost money, cause delay or threaten your very promotion.
“There will have to be a compromise and we can resolve it by doing one of three things.
“One, take it all the way through the courts which will disrupt Scottish football even fur ther and cost clubs a lot of money or even go to the wall.
“Two, say to clubs they need to reconstruct because it’s the only fair way. Or, lastly, admit t he y me s s ed up t he (season- ending) vote f irst t ime around and get everyone’s fax machines up and running properly and have another vote on completing the season.
“That would be much more difficult because you’ve got players now out of contract and clubs who have essentially gone into mothball.
“But you could make it feasible now and I’ve no idea why the decision was taken so early to end the season.”