Soon after Murdoch MacLennan sent out a letter to all 42 SPFL clubs Hearts issued a statement backing the views of Douglas Park and the club from Ibrox.
Apart from those two, all 10 other Premiership clubs backed the resolution that would have prepared the way for the division to be concluded with prize money paid out on the current standings.
The vote from Dundee is still needed to conclude the vote despite more than 80% of the 42 clubs already voting in favour of the proposal. Had it been carried clubs in The Championship, League One and League Two would be banking their prize money on Tuesday.
After winning four out of 30 SPFL matches this season Hearts are staring at relegation whatever way the season is concluded but this afternoon the Edinburgh side came out with a show of support for their friends at Ibrox
Budge’s club statement read:
In my earlier statement, I also indicated that I did not accept the position being argued by the SPFL that the only way to make much needed funds available to members was to pass this Resolution. It is difficult not to argue that linking the vote in this way to releasing funds, was an attempt to unduly influence the outcome of the vote.
A number of Clubs were angered by this approach, and as has been well publicised, Rangers promptly pulled together a Resolution, which if passed, could have seen funds able to be released to Clubs immediately. This would have removed any suggestion that a Club’s financial situation could be a possible influencer in the vote.
The fact that such an important matter was not properly addressed by the SPFL, in advance of the vote, is hugely disappointing.
Rangers submitted their paperwork to the SPFL on Thursday 9th April and were advised that the Resolution required the support of 2 further clubs, before it could be considered. We had already publicly stated that we supported Rangers in this matter and duly, at 3.47pm, submitted an identical Resolution to the SPFL, receipt of which was promptly acknowledged at 3.50pm. We did not receive any subsequent correspondence on this matter until 11.57am on Friday 10th April, when we received an email from the SPFL notifying us that the Resolution was not competent. Our in-house lawyer contacted the SPFL to understand in what manner the Resolution was not competent, to be informed that the issue was the use of the single word “instructed” as opposed to “requested” (That the Board of the Company be authorised and instructed as follows:). I am not a lawyer but find it quite incomprehensible that this should hold up the whole process.
My observations are that if the SPFL genuinely wanted to work with member clubs to find a solution to the matter of releasing funds they could and should have reverted both more timeously and more helpfully. I have also been advised, from various reliable sources, that on a video call with the Championship clubs at approximately 4.30pm on Thursday, it was stated that the Ranger’s Resolution was incompetent. I would stress that I was not personally on that call. However, assuming, as I do, that this remark was made, I have to wonder why we were not so advised until lunch-time the following day. Once again, I strongly question the process.
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Inverness chief executive Scot Gardiner was previously employed by Hearts.