Will Doncaster be thrown to wolves?
LONG-SUFFERING readers of this column may recall a rather frivolous piece earlier this year, imagining a conversation between Neil Doncaster, portrayed as some kind of mafia lickspittle, and his Godfather, Don Pietro.
It was sheer parody, inspired by former St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour insisting Peter Lawwell was running Scottish football. A bit of fun, as one of my more demanding sports editors used to say.
It was no more than idle fantasy, though. Wasn’t it? Whatever, it is clear the recent spirit of full disclosure coursing through Celtic and the SFA’s letter-writing departments has come to a halt at the door of the SPFL.
Their chief executive Doncaster’s explanation of why he placed a headline in a letter of his own appearing to seek an independent review into the handling of Rangers’ EBT use, unbeknown to his board, is to be delivered in private.
The fact he did this around the same time Lawwell was making Celtic’s own, more explicit demands to the SFA has certainly put Rangers on the warpath. It has also put Doncaster under real pressure.
Takes me back to that initial interview given by Gilmour, in which he claimed several big bosses once decided at Gleneagles to sort Doncaster out when the time was right.
Who knows how Thursday will treat him? It is feeling a little like the last scene of The
Sopranos, though, isn’t it?