Drop hearing should not be allowed to be played out in shadows
It’s not just football taking place behind closed doors these days. The next battle in the SPFL civil war will be away from the prying eyes of the public as well.
Which is a real shame as we could do with having this unholy mess sorted out on the cobbles, for everyone to see.
Hearts and Partick Thistle’s case against the rest has been shunted back to the SFA’s independent panel to sort out. But unlike the Court of Session, this part won’t be open for folk to click a link and get bored listening to legal folk speaking in their own language.
At least we could have a peak though. Now everyone will be left in the dark – which means there won’t be a cosy resolution no matter what happens.
The panel has been picked but we’re left like Ally McCoist all those years ago, wanting to know who these people are.
And we would also love to hear what they will be told by the parties involved.
This is no time for a shadowy showdown – our game needs clear the air talks if we’re ever to get everyone pulling together for the greater good again.
It says it all about how people see the game in this country that when the courts kicked it back to football to deal with, everyone shrugged as if they already knew the outcome.
It’s depressing. Hearts and Thistle haven’t exactly made a lot of pals during all of this but they still deserve a fair hearing.
Especially as nothing has been particularly fair about this whole process.
There seems to be an acceptance it is a done deal.
The SFA panel will slap the pair down and the seasons will get up and running as planned in August and October.
Maybe they are right. But what if they are wrong?
If the panel – which has a pick from each party and another from the SFA – might just go the other way? SPFL chief
Neil Doncaster and Dundee’s stuttering voter John Nelms, among others, could be called to give evidence and will need to have their stories straight.
There are three outcomes and only one will suit the majority of the SPFL.
If the Jambos and Jags win, the clubs get reinstated, the fixture list goes in the bin and Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers don’t go up and undoubtedly start scrambling for dosh to pay the lawyers for another action.
Goodness knows where that would leave the season.
If the rebels do enough to show the entire process was a shambles, they could scoop millions in compensation, making the resistance to league r reconstruction on financial grounds lo look stupid as w well as malicious.
The only way o out for the SPFL is if the panel throw it out. Tell Hearts a and Thistle everything was above board and they’ll need to lu lump it. The smart m la money is on the latter. It is the e a easiest path after all. But where the h heck does that le leave Scottish football?
We’ve always known our clubs to be more self-centred than an Instagram influencer but it’s one thing going out to grab what you can for yourself, it’s another when it’s at the direct expense of others.
And the bitterness won’t go away regardless of the decision. That’s why the SFA has to make public every detail of the proceedings.
There needs to be absolute transparency. We can’t have another mysterious Five Way Agreement-type carve-up that leaves a cloud hanging over the game.
Scottish football will never see the light if it continues to hide in the shadows.