Hartson urges Rangers to concede title

Hartson believes that Rangers will receive credit by conceding flag if season is over OLYMPICS CHAOS – See Page 81

JOHN HARTSON last night told Rangers they should consider conceding the title to Celtic if the season comes to a premature end. The Scottish government are likely to be handed the powers to lock down football grounds until further notice this week as the coronavirus pandemic tightens its grip on the United Kingdom.

Any Holyrood decision to use the new powers could see the SFA and SPFL joint response group move quickly to call the current football season to a halt and award the title to a Celtic side sitting 13 points clear with eight games to play.

Rangers and Hearts have already challenged the plan, the Ibrox club insisting all 38 games should be played to a finish, or the season declared null and void, in the interests of sporting integrity. Speaking after Brora Rangers were awarded the Highland

League title on Saturday by virtue of a 13-point lead with six games to play, however, former Celtic striker Hartson claimed Rangers would earn ‘huge credit’ if they surrendered their claim to the league title.

‘We are in uncharted waters,’ Hartson told BBC Radio Scotland. ‘We don’t know when we are going to get going again.

‘If the season doesn’t get going again, then I think Rangers would come away with an awful lot of credit for great sportsmanship with the lead that Celtic have if they were to say: “Okay, you have been worthy champions, you’ve got a massive lead and, if the season was to stop now, Celtic should get handed the title”.

‘I can honestly say that I would say exactly the same if Rangers had the lead that Celtic have now.

‘I know this causes a little bit of controversy. What happens with Hearts? Do they get relegated when Ann Budge is coming out and saying: “We would take legal action because we feel that we have got an opportunity if we play the league out to get ourselves in a safe position and get off the bottom of the table?”

‘Everybody has to come together here. None of this tit for tat.

‘There are certain cases when you just go: “Let’s have a bit of common sense here”.’

Rangers and Celtic were scheduled to meet twice before the end of the season — with the Ibrox side having a game in hand.

Claiming Celtic would be highly unlikely to lose five of their last eight league games, however, former Wales international Hartson added: ‘If Rangers were to do something like that as a club, then I think it would bring football together, I really do.

‘I would be saying the same were it Celtic. With all this negativity round the world right now with this coronavirus, I really think they would come out of this with huge respect and gratitude from the other clubs.

‘It probably won’t happen and I’ll probably get shot down for it. But it would be unbelievable if something like this was to happen.’

In a statement last week, Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson, a member of the SPFL board, said: ‘It is our firm view that this season’s league competition is only complete when all 38 games are played by all teams.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, we believe that final standings can only be confirmed when all games have been completed, not before.

An attempt to finish the season with a significant amount of games still to play impacts upon the integrity of sport in Scotland.’

With Covid-19 tightening its grip on the UK, the SPFL believe football is unlikely to be played in Scotland before August or September and favour calling the league’s major issues early in order to distribute much-needed prize money to stricken clubs based on current standings.

Hearts owner Budge has already threatened legal action if the Gorgie club are relegated on that basis.

However, Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell issued a statement warning that ‘the season cannot be voided,’ calling for a ‘fair and reasonable solution’ to the stand-off.

Former SFA chief executive Stewart Regan also argued that the season must be played to a finish.

Insisting any moves to null and void the season would be a ‘fudge’, Regan said: ‘I don’t envy the job the board of the Scottish FA and the SPFL have to do. But I strongly believe you cannot end the season almost completed.

‘I think the most pragmatic outcome is to treat this period as a pause and, when it’s safe to come back and start football again, you recommence the season at that point and finish it.’

Meanwhile, Brora chairman William Powrie believes the unanimous decision of the Highland League clubs to declare his team champions for the third time should be replicated throughout the country for the good of the game.

The Cattachs were 13 points clear of Inverurie Loco Works when the Scottish FA and SPFL suspended all football on March 13. The Highland League have become the first organisation to use the positions on that date as the finishing places after deciding to end the uncertainty over the remaining fixtures.

Powrie said: ‘We welcome the decision. It was a decision based on where we were when they decided to draw a line in the sand and we were top of the table.

‘It is nice to have closure in terms of the Highland League and they should be applauded for making the decision and making it early.

‘It is good firm management from the league to make that decision. They have grasped the nettle for the good of everybody.

‘There are lots of other issues appertaining to football and the finances of clubs and to draw stumps on the current season allows clubs to face their financial challenges. I hope other leagues will follow suit.’