Deans calls for urgent change at top of game after leagues halted

Falkirk chairman Gary Deans called for urgent change at the top of Scottish football in the wake of the lower leagues’ fixture suspension.

The Scottish Football Association board announced on Monday that in the interest of public health, football below Championship level would be suspended for three weeks.

The suspension below the top two tiers will last until January 31 and be reviewed on a rolling basis by the Scottish FA board in partnership with the Scottish Government.

In a statement on League One Falkirk’s website, Deans claimed “this decision came with no prior consultation with our club” and that a virtual SPFL general meeting yesterday which SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell and president Rod Petrie were invited to attend, “did not provide any clearer understanding of the justification”.

It said: “Our staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure we comply with the varied and numerous pandemic directives and protocols from Scottish Government, the SFA and the SPFL.

“Quite frankly, our staff and supporters deserve greater respect from Scottish football’ s decision- makers who threaten their livelihoods and our club with decisions which we believe are ill- thought through and poorly communicated.

“We all recognise the wide-ranging and serious impact that the pandemic has had on every aspect of society and of course we commend and support the efforts of the Scottish Government to safeguard life and protect the NHS.

“Football has been granted unique concessions which reflect its importance to our national consciousness and we are all aware of recent failures which have brought these concessions into focus.

“Unfortunately, only some clubs (namely those in League One and Two and those outside the SPFL) have been made to carry the can for those failings, whilst those in the upper reaches of the

league pyramid have been allowed to continue on top of having been rewarded disproportionately with Scottish Government funding.

“The health crisis results in everyone – us included – having to make difficult decisions and that includes those in charge of our game, but some decisions, such as those to stop us playing and training while allowing other part-time clubs to continue are baffling.

“We will be accused of looking at this with the benefit of hindsight, but there were many medical and scientific professionals predicting a second wave of the virus last summer, and yet again Scottish football has proven itself unable to deal with undoubtedly difficult circumstances.

“The unfairness, inconsistency, and double standards on display is there for everyone to see.

“It is heartening to see other clubs express similar disappointment, but I know such expressions will ultimately fail to sway the decisions that are imposed on us and others. To not even be consulted is entirely unacceptable.

“Many of you will feel you have heard this record before, but the continued inability of our sport’ s most senior decision-makers to take decisions that seek to safeguard the future of all of Scotland’ s clubs continues to baffle but not surprise.

“We have called for change and we are ready to play a leading role in the much-needed reform that our national game requires. Change is required and urgently.”

SFA chief Ian Maxwell.