The SPFL are reported to to have asked Holyrood to close football grounds until July 1 in order to unlock Insurance pay-outs.
Ian Maxwell and Neil Doncaster are heading up a Joint Response Group but on past records neither is likely to take decisive action.
After one week without any meaningful income Scottish clubs are starting to feel the impact of the Coronavirus with little prospect of the game resuming in the next two months.
That will delay or deny clubs four pay days with matchday hospitality as vital as turnstile income at a critical stage of the season. Clubs are also left in a conundrum over whether to sell season-tickets for the 2020/21 campaign.
Hearts are the first club to impose pay cuts, that measure could be repeated across many clubs unless there is a resumption of play or Insurance pay-outs.
The Times reports:
The Scottish Professional Football League has asked the Scottish government to consider utilising new emergency powers to impose a closure order on grounds until July 1.
That option effectively would mean the season was over unless the Scottish FA agreed to an extension. The SFA rules state that leagues must finish before the governing body’s annual general meeting, which this year is scheduled for June.
There are conflicting views but there is a growing body of opinion within the SPFL that the season will have to end rather than being postponed in order to release crucial funding for clubs coming under growing financial pressure. All games in Scotland were last night postponed further, until April 30, although there is no prospect of play in May or June either.
Only by stadiums being closed by government order could clubs trigger insurance claims for business interruption, which could unlock precious pay-outs as they otherwise consider months without significant income. Calling the winners and losers on the basis of the current standings, or even declaring the campaign null and void, also could enable league placement payments to be made although there would be the risk of clawback claims from sponsors and broadcasters Sky Sports and BT Sport.
On Tuesday UEFA announced that they hoped domestic leagues could be completed by the end of June but with each passing day that appears to be more and more unlikely.
