‘Budge will be forced to go to court’
Lower league clubs have until lunchtime today to deliver their opinion on Hearts owner Ann Budge’s reconstruction proposal with Premiership sides scheduled back in training as soon as Monday.
One lower league club official has said it is “100 per cent guaranteed” Budge will be forced to take the matter of Hearts’ relegation from the Premiership to court, with her league plan unlikely to gain the support required.
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has asked for views on the temporary 14-14-14 structure as set out in Budge’s paper to be sent to him by midday. Budge’s dossier was sent out to clubs just under a fortnight ago.
Doncaster has pointed out that, with Budge having since stressed her focus is on a 14-club Premiership, the onus is on clubs in the divisions below to agree a revised lower league format – and schedule – which suits the majority.
It is understood a truncated Championship season consisting of 27 games – with Hearts at present included – is slated to start on 17 October, initially behind closed doors.
Doncaster will circulate feedback among clubs once he has received the submissions of all those who choose to offer an
opinion by today’s deadline.
The likelihood is that the comments will confirm there is no real desire for reconstruction, with time – certainly in the case of the top flight – running out in any case.
The Premiership season has a provisional start date of the weekend of 1-2 August. Top-flight clubs have been given permission to return to training next week.
“I think he (Doncaster) is predicting he will get a consensus opinion that it’s not going to go anywhere,” said one lower league chairman.
“Then he can say there’s no real desire for reconstruction in the lower leagues and Championship, so the focus is removed from the Premiership, which got the heat for the collapse of reconstruction talks last time.”
Another lower league official believes reconstruction is already doomed to failure and Hearts will be compelled to take the issue of their relegation to court in order to retrieve lost income.
“My gut feeling is we won’t be able to get agreement again on reconstruction and it is 100 per cent guaranteed Hearts will tell the SPFL: ‘see you in court’,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rangers will continue speaking to clubs about their own proposal, which includes the controversial issue of introducing colts teams to the lower tiers, having delivered a presentation to the SFA on Sunday.
The Ibrox club are bidding to win round hearts and minds by adopting a softlysoftly approach.