The Scotsman

‘TOO SIMPLISTIC TO BLAME DONCASTER’

As SPFL chief exec gets slammed over cup semis, fans need to recognise that their clubs are largely responsibl­e

- Stephen Halliday

Stephen Halliday says clubs must take their share of accountabi­lity over SPFL’S scheduling of Betfred Cup semi-finals

As Aberdeen and Hearts supporters rail against the Scottish Profession­al Football League’s seismic decision to stage both Betfred Cup semi-finals at Hampden on the same day, the immediate target for their fury is both inevitable and wearily predictabl­e.

When controvers­ies such as this emerge, SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster is paid handsomely for the privilege of becoming a human shield for the board of directors and 42 member clubs he serves.

It is easy to sympathise with punters angry at the prospect of having to get from the north-east of Scotland to Glasgow on Sunday 28 October for a noon kick-off, or make their way home to Edinburgh following the evening instalment of the unpreceden­ted double-bill at the national stadium.

But it’s also too simplistic to lay the blame at the feet of Doncaster and SPFL director of operations Iain Blair, the men left to publicly sign off the solution to the semi-final fixture foul-up which has created such a furore.

For any decision made by the SPFL – or Scottish FA for that matter – there is a collective responsibi­lity. But it’s one far too many chairperso­ns, chief executives or directors of our clubs will happily and convenient­ly shirk.

Hearts owner Ann Budge, who expressed her “astonishme­nt” at the outcome of the talks in which she took part on Thursday, sat on the SPFL board for two years before being ousted this summer.

Duncan Fraser, the chief executive of Aberdeen who sanctioned the Pittodrie club’s statement criticisin­g the semi-final kick-off time, was an SPFL board member from 2013 to 2016.

So both Budge and Fraser must presumably be fully aware that it is the nine-member SPFL board – democratic­ally elected by all 42 members clubs at the organisati­on’s annual general meeting – who exercise authority in a situation of this nature. Just in case they need a reminder, here is the rele- vant passage from the official League Cup regulation­s: “in the event that any matter or thing shall arise in relation to the competitio­n which is not provided for in these regulation­s or if any conflict shall arise between a matter provided for in the rules and these regulation­s, then the board shall be entitled to make whatever arrangemen­ts and determinat­ions and give such directions to clubs and others as the board shall think appropriat­e in order to ensure the efficient operation and completion of the competitio­n.”

The current SPFL Board is made up of Doncaster (CEO), Murdoch Maclennan (chairman), Karyn Mccluskey (non-executive), Alan Burrows (Motherwell), Peter Lawwell (Celtic), John Nelms (Dundee), Warren Hawke (Morton), Martin Ritchie (Falkirk) and Iain Dougan (Stranraer). In rubber-stamping the decision, they had to take into account the League Cup’s contractua­l obligation­s which dictate that any semifinal involving Celtic or Rangers should, so long as deemed feasible by police, take place at the national stadium with 15 per cent of the gate receipts going to Hampden Park Ltd.

The option of staging the Hearts-celtic semi on the weekend of 3 and 4 November, when the clubs are scheduled to meet on Premiershi­p business in any case, was rejected by Police Scotland as it would have meant the Rangers-aberdeen semi at Hampden on 28 October being played on the same afternoon as the Celticmoth­erwell league game at Parkhead.

There is, of course, also a significan­t financial considerat­ion involved. The SPFL’S revenue in their most recent accounts was up more than 27 per cent to £34.6 million, largely driven by broadcasti­ng and sponsorshi­p deals. BT Sport’s exclusive television contract for the Betfred Cup ensures they have a major say, if not the last word, on when and where the games are played.

That is certainly unpalatabl­e and inconvenie­nt for many supporters who religiousl­y follow their teams home and away. But instead of instinctiv­ely calling for the head of Doncaster, perhaps it is time for them to ask questions of those running their own clubs and who are part of the process when it comes to negotiatin­g the commercial agreements.

Aberdeen fans, so often faced with those early kickoff times in Glasgow, might want to know if Fraser or chairman Stewart Milne has ever sought clauses in the contracts which could exempt the Dons from those slots in the TV schedule.

When the winter break was reintroduc­ed and the League Cup format changed to bring the final forward to the first half of the season, did Ann Budge or anyone else raise concerns about the potential and highly likely impact in terms of fixture congestion?

When this season’s League Cup fixture schedule was presented to all clubs earlier this year, did anyone float the possibilit­y that two Scottish clubs might reach the Europa League group stage and create the mess the SPFL were left to try to clear up this week?

There may be no shortage of reasons to apportion blame for the emergence of an unpreceden­ted situation which, with a little more foresight, might have been avoided. But the accountabi­lity also extends to many of those who are bleating the loudest.

BLAME GAME “Aberdeen fans, so often faced with those early kick-off times in Glasgow, might want to know if their chief exec Duncan Fraser or chairman Stewart Milne has ever sought clausesint­hecontract­s whichcould­exemptthe Dons from those slots in the TV schedule”

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