SPFL toils Infighting in Scottish football has to stop – Rab Douglas. See page 43

We’ve only got a couple of weeks until it’s put your cards on the table time for Stewart

Robertson.

Mind you, I say “only” but I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that the statements and briefings about the SPFL voting process are becoming tedious.

At the EGM on May 12 the Rangers managing director is going to have to show his hand.

We’re either going to become embroiled in even more statements and investigations or he’s going to look very silly.

Certain clubs have been shouting the loudest but you have hardly heard anything from Celtic.

People forget that they are going for a historic quadruple treble so it’s not as if they’ve got nothing to lose from all this.

The open letter from a few of the SPFL board members brought it home that there is no agenda being driven here.

Guys like Peter Davidson at Montrose and Ross Mcarthur at Dunfermline want the best for their own clubs – but they also want the best for Scottish football as a whole.

As they pointed out, they give up their time to be part of the board.

World leaders are struggling to deal with the consequences of this pandemic so directors of football clubs need to be cut a bit of slack.

That’s not to say we don’t need strong leadership. We absolutely do. But the infighting has to stop. Let’s bring it back to what would represent success when we’re able to play football again.

For me, it will be if all 42 clubs – or 44 if that’s the way we decide to go – are still standing.

At the moment that’s by no means guaranteed.

Closed-doors boost?

A lot of people are talking down the prospect of the English Premier League coming back in June behind closed doors.

As long as the testing of players and the limited number of people who need to be in a stadium doesn’t cut across what’s happening for members of the public who need those tests, I’m all for the idea.

It will be a big boost to see football on our TVS again and, although Scottish football operates in a different

“World leaders are struggling to deal with the consequences of this pandemic so directors of football clubs need to be cut a bit of slack

financial world to English football, there will be some lessons we’ll be able to learn if our game is to come back behind closed doors as well.

Gayfield feelgood factor

You’ll read Mike Caird’s thoughts on Arbroath and the next few months elsewhere in The Courier.

In all my time in the game, Mike is one of the best chairmen I’ve been involved with.

He’s played a big part in fostering the feelgood factor that has been building at Gayfield for a couple of years.

With so much uncertainty in Scottish football and tough times in front of us all, that feelgood factor will be a crucial advantage at Arbroath.

To have directors, management, players and fans all pulling in the same direction and being positive about the club and where it is going will be huge.

Knowing that all the decisions being made will come with fairness and good intentions is something you can’t take for granted in this game.

Picture: Stewart Robertson: Time to show his hand. SNS.