I just spoke with a very well-placed source within the administration of the professional game in Scotland.
He shared with me a very recent Hampden whisper that he had been privileged to hear.
Firstly, though, it was useful to start from the same page.
We both accepted that after the last round of fixtures there wasn’t anyone who doubted that Celtic had the league title in the bag.
Indeed, he related to me a conversation he had with a senior Sevco source in the days after their defeat to the Accies.
Put simply the autopsy of another failed domestic season had already started at Ibrox.
That ties in entirely with my own information of the goings-on within the Sevco High Command at that time.
Today he said to me that there was a possible way out of the current pandemic imposed impasse.
My takeaway from our conversation is that this was being quietly discussed in the corridors of power at the moment.
If we take the Celtic issue off the table then I believe that it has real merit at the bottom of the table.
A league that concluded at 33 games would allow Hearts to have a fighting chance of staying up.
Of course, that would give second-placed Sevco a maximum of 12 points given their game in hand.
That would put them on 79 and Celtic already have 80 points.
Agreeing to a 33 game league would, therefore, concede to the title to the Parkhead club.
However, it would allow bottom-placed Hearts the opportunity to save their place in the topflight.
In this possible solution, there would be no playoffs, Dundee United would be promoted and the bottom team in the SPFL Premiership would be relegated.
Not ideal, but we are not in ideal times.
Moreover, it is certainly better than the null and void option that has been shamefully seized on by the basket of assets and their shills in the stenography corps.
Let’s just suppose we do manage to get things moving again and we start in June and let’s say the first couple of games reflect the form of all clubs prior to the enforced break.
Whom do you think is then most likely to declare that one of their players or members of staff has tested positive for Coronavirus?
This will then bring the season crashing down again.
It couldn’t possibly happen could it?
I really enjoy SCUDMISSILE s posts keep them coming please.
Phil there is an article which may interest you here. https://swprs.org/a-swiss-doctor-on-covid-19/
Stay safe everyone.
I agree with Tupper of the Track, that football as a mass spectator sport must surely be considered over until there is an effective treatment for this virus (that could take 14 months, and longer). For anyone grieving a loved one, there will be little comfort in who does or does not come second in the league (perhaps, after penalties for going into administration are factored in). It is quite obvious that there are many squirrels being let loose to allow Sevco to secure second spot and safely go bust (this could be a little cynical, but without match income, they do not have the proverbial pot to….)
Meanwhile, the dual track approach of the Tories to how WE should respond to COVID-19 continues. The rich and famous get tested; NHS staff share masks and complain about the absence of basic protection. Construction companies order their contractors to keep on working; people who self-isolate join the 500,000 plus queue for Universal Benefit (an oxymoron if there ever was one). The vulnerable are told to self-isolate; the old and sick wonder when they should stop self-isolating, since this has been Tory-Liberal health policy since 2008. We all in this together, apart from those who can retreat to their Aberdeenshire mansion while the self-employed stay at home, searching for Ray Mears’ survival tips online, as another employer cancels their year ahead.
This is a historic, once in a century, event. There is no doubt that, regardless of the science, the vulnerable in our ranks are at high risk. As Phil said in an earlier post, even Bill Shankly’s famous quip is overturned… human lives are far more important than sport.
Keep safe, everyone.
HH
FWIW my take on this is that the current season will be played to completion, however long that takes. Any changes to cater for number of games etc will be put in place for next season. So we may see next season starting later and being curtailed to fewer games to allow the current one to complete.
If I had a magic goat/wand and controlled what was happening in Scoddish Football I would do the following:
1 Restructure the League to a 3 Tier Setup with 16,16 and 10 Teams in the Top 3 Divisions in that order.
Each team would play each other Twice in the top Two Leagues and 4 Times in the 3rd.
2 Move the League Season in line with the current Swedish setup which starts end of March and ends in November
3 I would run both Cup Competitions PRIOR to the start of Next Seasons League campaign ensuring all fixtures are completed on the day with extra time and or penalties deciding the result.
This could start in August when the traditional League starts.
Restructuring the Leagues would reduce the games from 38 to 30.
It would also negate the need for Relegation whilst promotion remains not only intact but also a bonus for the other sides lucky enough to gain it.
Bringing the League start in line with the Swedish Top Flight introduces Summer Football and ensures our Clubs who are involved in European Qualifiers are already 3 months into the League Season when these tough but important games come round and not as is the case at present the middle of pre Season playing catch up with those who are are.
Which as Celtic fans we are all too familiar with.
Playing the Cup Competitions simultaneously alongside each other before the start of the next League Campaign (Which is now put back to March/April) would I think bring in interest from Sponsorship and perhaps even increase attendances as Supporters get their fix due to the delay in starting the League.
All of these changes would create the window required to finish the current Seasons League and Cup Campaigns and also give Clubs and Managers time to resolve the issues created by this Outbreak.
I think less Domestic games and Summer Football would benefit our game no end as would getting pretty Season out of the way during an extended winter break.
Removing the spectre of Voided or incomplete Campaigns,Tainted Titles and Relegation would suit all I think.
Oh dear what a belter of an article in the Daily Ranger today once again nobody brave enough to put a name to it as it’s posted as Daily Ranger online . They have gone through each team and examined the state of the finances each club . Only one team picked out to be in good health and who can sustain the financial impact of the Coronavirus and believe it or not it’s not Celtic but sevco . Oh dear no wonder there is no name on this what an embarrassment and an insult to anyone’s intelligence. Sevco needing £10 million to see out the season no income since the start of March coming through their turnstiles but all is good at ibrox . Meanwhile Celtic have almost £40 million in the bank but they are the club in trouble . Once again another squirrel story to keep the tea-cosy beanie wearers on board and all is good and well at sevco . So once again no name on the article so nobody to be called out on the FAKE news story or even a freelance so called journalist to blame it on . What a disgrace for a newspaper and what a disgrace for an editor to approve such dross .
Pre Season ‘ not Pretty Season.
And what exactly is wrong with having a PRETTY season??
Seriously though I agree with a lot of what you said, particularly moving to a summer season. Although I’d put the LC at the front and the SC at the end for a showpiece finale.
Where I think it falls down is financially. Season ticket prices would have to be reduced by 20% to reflect fewer games plus four less rounds of walk up sales. We can see the effect that alone is having this season.
As someone in his 70’s who has been “advised ” that over 70’s are “expendable ” with DNR being suggested if required.
I’ve just heard that Lizzie’s oldest child has tested positive for the virus…and he’s just a year younger than me.
Will he be subject to DNR if required..?
Answers on a pin head.
PS: I wish the guy no ill will…just asking for a friend.
He, prince Charles is now in balmoral in isolation with covid 19
His wee brother Andrew is also in isolation at Windsor castle with Jennifer 14
So whoever may or may not replace Hearts at the bottom would then have a legitimate claim that another three matches could change their circumstances !!!
Absolutely nonsense, give Sevco all the victories up to 33 games. With Celtic not winning any of them. Once you agree, then you tend to lead to the Sevco persuasion. I do not trust any of them. What i am saying, how can you give Sevco victories on current form. Really.
I see the Evening Ranger has found someone to say a few good things about the PR DISASTER GURU taking over at sevco . Watch in the coming weeks as he shoots straight from the hip about all the injustices the new club has suffered over the last 8 years though he will tell people the club is heading for its 150th anniversary. Don’t be surprised if you hear him preaching from the steps of ibrox the way John the Alkie did previously with the no surrender shout and another pop at Celtic . He and the club need the Klan onboard like never before .
Test
I don’t mean to be a killjoy but there is no doubt in my mind that football ⚽ is over for at least a year or longer, until they scientists find a vaccination…. You know the ones that are paid for it….. Just saying 🙄
As things stand ST renewals will be slow, at the very least, all round, Celtic included.
Fans will want to know what they are buying into and any club being relegated will take a hit at the turnstiles.
What about the home games on the ticket for the current season? If they are not played will clubs reduce proportionally next seasons tickets and take another hit?
Another couple of months without walk up revenue and a major reduction in ST uptake will kill all the clubs in the SPFL as well as most of those in the lower leagues.
Celtic might be the only club left standing by the time the virus has gone, what then for Scottish football?
In such a scenario a right few major clubs in England might go to the wall too. That could leave an opening for a financially stable club as big as, and bigger than most, of those left.
Just a thought.
No more football will be played this season. At a push some matches could possibly, and that is only possibly, be played In the summer.
My club is still in the cup and in the running for a uefa place, but realistically the season’s a bogey.
As for the title. If the club currently playing at ibrox won their game in hand and the two old firm ties then there would only be four points in it. 1 draw and one loss from six ties at the business end of the season and that could see it slip away for Celtic. As much as I can’t stand the orcs you can’t award a title when it isn’t a mathematical certainty.
It’s on FF just now they are discussing sevco players taking a pay cut . A think this could be a wee tester of the toe in the water with someone in the club to see how the fans react if it goes down ok and seems acceptable BOOM it’s out there before the weekend . Hence the feelgood factor story in the Daily Ranger earlier today that their club is more than capable of steadying the ship through these stormy few months .
Would be the chance to join the game down south
I don’t believe anyone knows, at this precise moment in time, what’s going to happen.
And the suggestion of 33 games is kite flying imo.
The key to everything is when the Scientists say…The pandemic is over…and nobody has a clue when that will be.
At this time I see no prospect of football being played in the next 3 months at least.
Every league in Europe has now to plan for…Leagues being completed…Cup Finals taking place….European trophies to be decided and qualifiers for next year’s Euros.
This is a mammoth task…
It would take a brave man to make a forecast.
There won’t be any football played this side of Easter 2021 if we’re lucky.
The sevco board and the Klan will be desperate for every game to get played they can’t afford for any games to be cut short that’s why their friends in the press are pushing for the season to be completed . This is all about money desperate for their game to take place with Celtic for a full stadium pay some serious debts and whatever can come in for their other nickel & dime games that are left .
If the season is not played in full, it does not matter how it is figured as a Celtic win will always be known as “the controversial 9th” title”, ” the disputed 9th” etc.
I am sure the media have some stingers already prepared and it will never be awarded in spirit.
John Hartson is right when he says Sevco would grow in many peoples estimation were they to concede graciously ( I know). Can you imagine how many wrongs that would put right?
As others have pointed out, the problem is that many of their supporters and many of Celtic’s would predict a Sevco victory in the remaining two fixtures between them and given Lennon’s tactics and team selection in the past it cannot just be dismissed out of hand. Form is not the major factor in these games. Win their game in hand and it is down to 4 points, I believe. It’s all ifs and buts but…
When the tenth, eleventh and twelfth titles are put to bed very few will be even remotely thinking of the ninth.
I just hope we’re ALL still alive to witness it.
Talk of any football at the moment is wildly inappropriate as we really don’t know how long the current situation will last, probably months, so next season is almost certainly going to be affected as well.
I also can’t get my head round playing games behind closed doors. This is a highly contagious disease and we’re talking about playing a contact sport, how is that in anyway safe? We often see players clearing their throat of mucus etc due to the build up through exertion so in a head to head collision surely there’s got to be a transmission from the one to the other?
The only way I could see that being safe is if all players are test negative and are then quarantined with only contact with others that have tested negative, which probably means being away from all family and friends for weeks or months, which is surely going to be impractical?
Have said that, if its safe to restart this season then the 33 game solution seems reasonable but should be used in conjunction with a similar one next season so that teams play each other 3 times at home and 3 times away spread over 2 years.
The league is over and Celtic have won,any doubts should have any remaining games played on a closed door agenda,if sevco are defeated in next match season over as far as title decision goes and bottom of league games played till team dropping from the league decided,all money’s should be divided approximately,E.N.D. of season!!
I am not sure Hearts would regard that as much of a chance given the fact that they are 4 behind with only 9 points at stake. Still, it would allow the clubs to sell season tickets for the new season which is what this is plainly about. Null and void aint going to happen. But I am not sure that clubs should even be selling season tickets for 20/21 if there is a distinct possibility (and there is) that the season will either not begin at all or played behind closed doors in August. It may be sometime before the authorities feel confident in allowing 60k people in a stadium. I would be curious to know the legal position
Suppose it’s another option.
But, who decides the league is to be 30 games, why not 32, etc.?
And if it was Hamilton rooted to the bottom of the league instead….would there be a preference NOT to play any more games?
To be seen to be fair, it has to be play all games remaining – or none at all.
Suppose the starting point at Hampden should be: are we seeking the fairest solution – or, potentially, the best commercial outcome?
I think we’ve all seen a variation of this movie before… 😦
The point of thirty-three games is that everyone would have played everyone else three times. Not ideal. But the closest possible in current circumstances.
I also believe Celtic would have played more AWAY games than any other team in the top six, thus making it difficult for ANYONE to argue against their right to be crowned champions.
33 games is EOS pre split. I gather that’s were they are coming from!