SPFL IS STUCK IN LIMBO
Dundee delay as Thistle threaten legal action
DUNDEE last night backed away from a vote to end the SPFL season after Partick Thistle threatened legal action.
An SPFL resolution to call the lower leagues and distribute the prize money to clubs stricken by the suspension of the current campaign by coronavirus hinges on the Dark Blues after they retracted their original ‘no’ vote on Friday evening.
Pursuing their new-found bargaining power to pursue league reconstruction, a U-turn by Dens Park managing director John Nelms would condemn Partick Thistle to relegation. And, after taking legal advice from a Queen’s Counsel, the Firhill club insist Dundee’s ‘no’ vote should stand — thereby defeating the proposal.
A crisis meeting of the SPFL board broke up last night with no response to the Thistle legal threat.
With pressure growing on Dundee to make up their mind, however, Thistle moved quickly to warn of possible repercussions.
‘The original vote by
Dundee was cast in line with the SPFL’s own rules and must stand, meaning that the resolution falls,’ read a Thistle statement. The Firhill side claim the league failed to ‘provide sufficient information’ for clubs to make an informed vote and added that they ‘could be in breach of duty’ because the resolution claimed the only way to release funds to clubs was by declaring the season over. ‘As it now transpires, there was a vehicle to release monies in the shape of loans, quite apart from the possibility of changes being made to the SPFL articles to allow the payments normally made at the end of the season to be made now,’ added Thistle. ‘We would urge the SPFL to move immediately to approve loans to clubs against the monies owed to them at the season end, based on their current position in the league.’ The legal advice to Thistle directors left the way clear for the club to pursue an interdict preventing the leagues being called early. ‘We have been advised we have a number of options open to us,’ added Thistle. ‘We will make decisions based on the response from the SPFL.’ Despite reports of an imminent Dundee U-turn yesterday, a statement from the Dark Blues shed little light on their final intentions. ‘It is a time for integrity and impartiality,’ it said. ‘Over the past few days, we have entered into various positive discussions with reconstruction at the forefront of these. ‘Given our discussions and considering all aspects, we don’t feel we are in a position to comment further on the resolution that was put forward.’ Last night, the SPFL were coming under increasing pressure to provide answers over the Dundee vote fiasco. Stenhousemuir chairman Iain McMenemy, a member of the SPFL competitions working group, told Sportsmail: ‘There are clubs, like ourselves, who really need to have answers to questions we have over whether the league has followed all the rules. ‘There’s no doubt that when you have QC opinions and serious accusations on Radio Scotland, you ask if there is more we need to know about what’s going on here? ‘They need to let us know exactly what has happened with the Dundee vote? ‘What is the response to Partick’s legal challenge? What is the answer to the QC opinion on whether the voting procedures were correctly followed. ‘Is there substance to what Rangers say about the whistleblower and deeper issues? ‘I also have concerns about WhatsApp messages saying big hitters are now on the phone to Dundee. ‘Who are the big hitters? What are they saying to Dundee? ‘There seem to be more and more issues coming out of the woodwork and causing us all to seek more clarity.’