SET UP FOR A LET DOWN

Peter head boss McIn ally believes failed reconstruction only show show selfish football is

Peterhead manager Jim McInally believes Scottish football has let itself down in recent months.

Hearts and Partick Thistle taking legal action against the SPFL in a bid to overturn their relegations is the latest twist in a turbulent three months for Scottish football.

Since the coronavirus pandemic resulted in football being stopped in March there’s been a mishandled vote to end the 2019-20 season, which eventually passed.

Reconstruction was discussed with the aim of ensuring no team would be adversely effected by the campaign being cut short.

However, no consensus could be reached with one final proposal of 14-10-10-10 rejected last week and now legal proceedings have started.

McInally, Scotland’s longest serving manager having managed the Blue Toon for almost nine years, believes it’s been an embarrassing period for football.

He said: “Scottish football has let itself down massively, right from the start.

“We needed strong leadership and guidance. Look, everybody has been thrown into turmoil to a certain extent, but we still didn’t get it.

“But after everything that went on over the last few months for only 16 to come out in favour of reconstruction to 14-10-10-10 shows how selfish football is.

“It’s probably going to get even more ruthless going forward because of the teams that have been scorned.

“If reconstruction is ever mentioned again who knows how that’s going to play out because people have got long memories and the division surrounding reconstruction will only deepen.

“For the teams that have been relegated – especially Partick Thistle with their game in hand – it’s not right.

“Scottish football had a chance to make things OK but we didn’t do it.”

With clubs often shown to be divided in recent months McInally would like to see a change in how decisions are made.

He would advocate either giving the head of the SPFL the power to make decisions or putting an executive committee of people not connected to clubs in place to deal with the big issues.

He added: “For me going forward I think somebody’s got to be given the power to make decisions.

“Whether it’s Neil Doncaster or an executive committee somebody needs to be given the power.

“I think the SPFL after what’s gone on over the last few months need to alter how decisions are reached.

“Why not put an executive committee in place to make the big decisions and take it out of the hands of the clubs.”

NOT IMPRESSED: Blue Toon boss Jim McInally says Scottish football had a chance to make things right but ultimately didn’t do it