It seems that the continuity myth preached by Neil Doncaster has the silent support of every club in the SPFL.
The champagne had barely gone flat after Sevco’s promotion party last week when the elusive chief executive of the SPFL was putting his delight on record.
Doncaster isn’t a one man band, he is the public face of a group of clubs and answerable to them at all times, if his message isn’t agreeable he’ll quickly be brought into line.
Sitting alongside the former Norwich chief on the board of the SPFL are representatives from Aberdeen, Dundee United, Raith Rovers, Alloa, Brechin and Celtic’s Eric Riley.
Having lost out on at least five SPL titles to a ‘rival’ that failed to declare in full the payments being made to players you’d expect that Celtic would be keeping a close eyes on all governance matters.
Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case with Scotland’s biggest club falling silently in line with those misguided types that seem to think that all will be well with the game as the ‘blue pound’ returns to what they believe to be their rightful place.
Celtic’s faith in Doncaster was confirmed in October 2014 when he joined a delegation headed up by Peter Lawwell that met with the Qatar Football Association and Aspire Football Academy.
After signing up to the Five Way Agreement in 2012, which no member club has questioned, Doncaster and his friends at the BBC were last week laying the groundwork for the ‘return’ of a club from Ibrox that is likely to tear clubs apart during the upcoming summer of discontent.
For every five blue pounds being put into the game next season, more than ten pounds could be walking away as the farce of continuity is given greater credibility by short sighted clubs and administrators.
“There’s no question Rangers being back in the top flight will help Scottish football,” Doncaster claimed after the promotion to the Premiership was secured.
“It creates the return of Celtic-Rangers matches in the league, we’ve got an appetiser in 11 days’ time and up to four main courses to follow next year in the league.”
In the circles that Doncaster moves in the menu may be appealing, out in the real world the re-writing of The Journey is causing many fans to think long and hard about whether they should renew season tickets.
With the exception of Tynecastle you can pay at the gate to get into any Premiership fixture, with television companies dictating the fixture list not many season ticket holders are able to attend all 19 of their club’s home matches.
Buying a season ticket is a vote of confidence in your club, value is marginal but the up front cash provides the bedrock support to plan for the campaign ahead.
Having backed their clubs after reluctantly finding a backbone in 2012 the past four years have been concerning and challenging.
The air brushing of liquidation, when 267 creditors lost out to the ego of a club that considers success to be their birthright, has been watered down to financial meltdown.
With IOU’s exceeding their turnover every club in the Championship has been penalised for keeping their house in order while Sevco do as they please. Sadly there hasn’t been a single voice of protest, no none prepared to question the morality of the competition.
Celtic, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Raith Rovers, Alloa and Brechin are represented on the board of the SPFL. As they nod their approval for Doncaster and the glory of the journey their silence could have disastrous consequences on the loyalty of supporters no longer prepared to play a supporting role for a pantomime that won’t be tolerated at the turnstyles.