Yes, we said it in the heading. This season needs to be made null and void by the SPFL. Four days back, we were not sure. Now, we have no doubt that any other course of action is not only morally wrong but can also open more cans of worms than what is already out in the open. First things first, read everything that happened on Friday here as we made a timeline of the SPFL incompetence. All caught up on Friday’s shenanigans by the SPFL? Blood not boiled yet? Well, try reading a recap of our column detailing everything that happened on Saturday and highlighting a decade of Neil Doncaster ruining the ethos of Scottish football.
For any other federation, this could have been the end of how the votes were conducted and maybe a deep reflection of what and how things got so out of hand. Well, not SPFL, that’s for sure. A little background of what happened yesterday can be found in detail here and here. From the skullduggery of SPFL making it clear in the rules that you cannot revoke a yes vote but no such guide for a no vote to Hearts chairman Ann Budge accusing SPFL of trying to ‘unduly influence’ the ballot, the situation unravelled even more on Sunday.
There is seemingly no end in sight with Sportmail now reporting that several clubs are prepared to take their concerns to the police. It is just about now that you need to ask questions regarding why exactly this resolution is still pending. It is akin to flogging a dead horse at this point, and even if Dundee changes their vote, it will lead to a massive backlash. For most football fans, SPFL have delegitimised the whole process so much, that you have to ask if winning the league or even promotion/relegation under this current climate means much?
Also, let us not kid ourselves! It’s not as if Celtic are the runaway champions at this point. Celtic might be 13 points ahead of Rangers, but the Gers have a game in hand, and there are two Old Firm derbies yet to be played. You cannot hand over the title to any team in these circumstances if you don’t want to put the entire ‘sporting integrity’ of the league in question. So this leads us with no choice. SPFL needs to make this season’ Null And Void’ to put an end to this drama and move forward with better clarity.
Null And Void Season Is The Best Choice Out Of Some Really Bad Options
We did not arrive to the conclusion of asking SPFL to make this season null and void lightly. We need to put this behind us and making this season’ null and void’ would allow us to move on without most of the toxicity. SPFL had this to say when rejecting the initial proposal by Rangers, “The alternative is further weeks, and possibly months, of uncertainty and financial hardship for dozens of clubs which are desperately looking for a way to survive.”
However, now by their own standards, they are held hostage by Dundee and are no closer to avoiding the “further weeks, and possibly months, of uncertainty and financial hardship for dozens of clubs which are desperately looking for a way to survive.”
Yes, you have to excuse our snark as at this point, but we are simply exhausted. While we are sure SPFL would rather have had the vote go their own way, railroading all the opposition to this resolution, we are in a situation where Dundee are the kingmakers in Scottish football as of right now. However, whichever way Dundee decides, you can be sure that there would be an array of litigations incoming which would again not do any good towards the speedy resolution that SPFL are after.
Also, let us address the elephant in the room. Rangers are already disputing massive irregularities and the Hearts chairman has accused the SPFL of unduly trying to influence the ballot. The best thing SPFL can do now is to take a step back. They have to now announce that past a cut-off date (let’s say 31st May 2020), they cannot complete the season. In such a scenario, SPFL needs to make this season ‘Null and Void’.
Distribute the prize money at the same time the season is declared ‘Null and Void’
The SPFL needs to ensure that they distribute the prize money to the various teams based on the positions they are in currently. While this is not entirely fair, it would be simple and would not overly complicate things. We can only distribute the prize money based on what it is today and not tomorrow. You have to be fair that way.
Just as you cannot hand over the title to teams that have not won it, you cannot entertain thoughts of resuming a sporting competition with a global pandemic going on. Also, you cannot relegate or promote teams based on an incomplete season. Yes, it would mean no nine in a row for Celtic, or promotion for Dundee United and Cove Rangers but that’s the way the ball rolls sometimes.
