As he swoons for the cameras enjoying the ‘return of Old Firm’ fun and games Neil Doncaster likes to shrug off the Armageddon quote that has stuck with him.
While not mentioning the A word in any public interview it is very clear what the then SPL chief was warning of during the dark summer of 2012.
Having reluctantly accepted that SPL fans wouldn’t allow their clubs to parachute Sevco into the top flight Doncaster was horrified to find similar feelings throughout the SFL.
One season without his beloved Old Firm toy was almost bearable, a minimum of three seasons without the Sky Sports backed freak show was too much to bear, a word beginning with A came to mind.
Behind the scenes all sorts of warnings were issued by Doncaster and his SFA counterpart Stewart Regan.
The late Turnbull Hutton went public with his opposition, in more detail Clyde explained exactly what was going on as they resisted the arm twisting and threats to place Sevco in Division One of the SFL.
On 10 July 2012 Clyde stated: “We first concluded that there was limited risk to the SFL from the ‘Armageddon’ theory, as depicted in the detailed presentation by Neil Doncaster and supported by Stewart Regan, which had prompted fears of cash flow loss to the SFL next season.
“We have obtained a copy of the Settlement Agreement signed up to by the SPL and the SFL in April 1998 – it is clear that the agreement is not ambiguous in this regard and there is no scope for the SPL to fail to meet the obligations to the SFL except by deliberately breaching the agreement.
“Neil Doncaster was unequivocal when he said that there would be no payment under the agreement and stressed that it was not the board of the SPL that made big decisions, it was the clubs themselves. We have concluded that it defies credibility that the SPL clubs would instruct the SPL to deliberately breach a legal agreement.
“To assist the SFL clubs to take decisions in the right manner then the external threat should be removed by the SPL clubs, confirming to the SFL that they have not and will not instruct the SPL to breach the Settlement Agreement.
Two days later another club statement added: “We have received absolutely no information on the organisation Sevco Scotland Ltd whom we are being asked, and encouraged, to vote straight into the top division of the SFL under resolution 2 and possibly into SFL3 under Resolution 1.
“We have no business plan, list of directors, details of ownership, statement of capital adequacy or any proposals relating to the provision of any similar information in the near future. David Longmuir has clearly stated that he will distribute all the information he has got or is able to distribute.
“Whilst the notion that there is a leap of faith to be taken in terms of some of the matters, there can be no leap of faith with something as fundamental as knowing who is being admitted to the league. The very fact that there is no information of any kind being made available on this company undermines the authorities efforts to direct the new entrant to SFL1.
“It is actually impossible for any member of the SFL to make an objective assessment of the proposals under Resolutions 1 and 2 and could be seen as irresponsible to support either proposal in such a void of information.”
Four years on from his Armageddon threats Doncaster is now chief executive of the SPFL, with then.”