Goodwin has no issue with United being handed title

St Mirren boss Jim Goodwin says he would have no complaints if Dundee United were handed the Championship title.

The coronavirus shutdown could see the SFA and SPFL opt for an ‘as-it-stands’ finish that would see the likes of United, Celtic and Raith Rovers crowned champions.

Voiding the 2019/20 campaign remains an option, as does restarting the season behind closed doors when the football suspension ends.

Goodwin sympathises with Hampden chiefs Ian Maxwell and Neil Doncaster over what happens next.

He said: “I wouldn’t want to be in Ian Maxwell or Neil Doncaster’s shoes.”

Goodwin added: “We’re all in a difficult situation and I can only imagine what clubs like Celtic, Hearts and Dundee United are going through.

“But if the season can’t be finished then I see no problem with Celtic or United being proclaimed champions – they’re so far ahead and have been out in front for months.

“Relegation would seem unfair on Hearts though as they still have a fighting chance of staying up.

“What do we do? I’m not in favour of playing behind closed doors because football without fans is meaningless.”

Goodwin, who began his managerial career with a successful stint in charge at Alloa before succeeding Oran Kearney as Buddies boss last summer, continued: “We’ve been off for over a week now and the players’ fitness levels will drop off dramatically in the next fortnight.

“We’ve been told we can’t train in groups but it would make no sense to put them at risk by doing that when they didn’t have a game to train for anyway.

“The lads are off for now then we’ll see where we are.

“In the meantime, they’ve each been given individual programmes to follow.”

Last week Dundee United managing director Mal Brannigan admitted the Tangerines wanted to win the Championship title on merit.

Robbie Neilson’s United are 14 points clear of John Robertson’s second-placed Inverness Caley Thistle, who have a game in hand.

Brannigan said: “My opinion and that of the board would be that we would like to see the season through.

“I think the most important thing is that the national leagues be completed.

“Null and void – I can’t see that happening. If the current positions were allowed to stand I wouldn’t like that either.

“We are top and we have been top since day one. We are 14 points clear and we are there on merit.

“We would like to see the season through and if we are still there by the end of the season then we have deserved to be promoted.

“It is much more important to us as an organisation to have that delivered because of what we have achieved rather than by default.”