Budge puts Hearts on a war footing
ANN BUDGE last night left the door open to legal action against the SPFL over Hearts’ imminent relegation from the Premiership.
In a lengthy statement, the Tynecastle owner accused her fellow Premiership clubs of giving up on planned reconstruction talks due to a fear of negotiating with broadcasters Sky, whose new five-year £160million deal is due to kick in at the start of next season.
Budge had been placed in joint charge of a task force designed to expand the top league to 14 clubs. But the plan was sunk on Friday as it emerged half of Premiership clubs were not prepared to back change this summer.
Consequently, Hearts’ demotion to the Championship is now a formality.
The suspension of the season due to coronavirus occurred with Hearts bottom of the table, four points adrift of Hamilton with eight games to play. Estimating losses of £3m, Budge condemned moves to
pursue a course that will relegate clubs early.
She said: ‘To pour more financial hardship on specific clubs, given what we are all going through both now and for the foreseeable future, is both outrageous and shameful.
‘We should be standing together to help clubs survive and to save jobs. This decision simply flies in the face of all of this.
‘Fundamentally, the main reason clubs are not prepared to consider a restructure is because of the Sky contract. It is well known that Sky would have to agree to a restructure. Without any discussion with Sky, there is a totally incomprehensible assumption that we would be unable to navigate successfully through any such negotiation.
‘What does that say about the strength or otherwise of our “partnership”? Perhaps more tellingly, what does it say about the confidence our clubs have in the ability of the SPFL to negotiate? The message is clear.
‘This could be difficult so let’s not bother trying. It’s too risky!’
Earlier in the day, former Tynecastle chair Leslie Deans took to the airwaves to encourage fans to crowdfund a legal challenge to relegation.
Budge, who had previously admitted to cooling on the idea of pursuing Hearts’ cause through the courts, insisted the matter may not be at an end.
At the end of her lengthy missive to supporters she stated: ‘While the Premiership has not yet been called, should it be so, with Hearts expelled as a result, we will be taking further advice on what options are open to us to formally challenge this outcome.’
Co-chair on the task force, Les Gray of Hamilton has insisted that reconstruction will be revisited as an option in time for season 2021/22, too late to alter the immediate plight of Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer, who also face demotion after an incomplete campaign.
It’s understood that Budge’s decision to sign up to Rangers’ resolution calling for an independent investigation into SPFL governance played a part in some clubs’ decision to sink the reconstruction plan. Budge denies that her own actions were motivated purely by self-interest.
‘The suggestion was also made at yesterday’s meeting that the only reason that this is even being discussed is because it is one of the larger clubs, namely Hearts, that will be affected,’ she continued.
‘Not only is that statement hugely disrespectful to those other clubs in the same position, it flies in the face of the view expressed by so many that no club, however large or small, should be disproportionately disadvantaged because of this crisis.’
Budge went on to refute the suggestion that reconstruction needed to be shelved in order to address the bigger picture of restarting the game.
‘This is incredibly sanctimonious, suggesting as it does that those of us involved in looking at this issue are failing to recognise what “the real issues” are,’ she countered.
‘Or perhaps it suggests that we are all incapable of considering more than one challenge at a time. Speaking for myself, I am pretty good at multi-tasking.’
Budge insists she had worked hard to prepare a paper outlining the benefits of reconstruction, and entered Friday’s video call confident her plan had a chance of success. The document was dismissed before she had had a chance to circulate it to member clubs for assessment.
‘While discussions were by no means concluded, there was a genuine optimism that agreement could be reached,’ she added. ‘Yesterday (Friday), it was made very clear that a number of clubs were not prepared to agree or discuss the matter further.
‘The total disregard for the members of the Board subcommittee and the efforts they had put in was quite staggering.
‘I intimated at the start of the meeting that I had prepared a paper, which I planned to send to them following the meeting, which outlined my arguments in writing as to why the clubs should agree to expand the League.
‘They were determined, however, to take “a vote” as they didn’t want this topic to carry forward to the next meeting. This is so appallingly disrespectful to everyone on the Task Force.’
In a bid to stave off the threat of legal action, the SPFL could now propose a compensation package for Hearts, Partick and Stranraer.
Inverness, Falkirk and Edinburgh City stood to gain promotion from an enlargement of the leagues. And Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts have been denied a shot at League Two.
‘If we are ever going to make any meaningful changes to improve Scottish football, we have to find a way of forgetting what has gone in the past,’ continued Budge.
‘We must also stop hiding behind what the current rules say and be prepared to take a pragmatic, fleet-of-foot approach to dealing with change.
‘Fear has also played a part here. Clubs are worried. The value of the Sky contract is being held out as being under major threat if any changes to the league are made.
‘Personally, I do not accept that this is the huge problem it is being assumed to be.’