Celtic appear to have wrong footed their rivals from Ibrox ahead of Wednesday’s SPFL conference call.
Over the last week there has been comments from Derek McInnes, Tony Fitzpatrick and Gary Holt supporting the prospect of the SPFL declaring the current Premiership standings as the final places.
That would allow the SPFL to pay out the final portion of prize money for the season, believed to be around £8m, which would give most clubs the finances to see out the next month or two as thy embark on serious cost cutting.
Paying out on the current places would have prompted fury from Ibrox and an easy deflection from the club’s own financial problems.
Declaring Celtic as 2019/20 champions would have prompted a blizzard of statements and threats with a range of former players on stand-by to tell the media how the SPFL has acted unfairly with sporting integrity a casualty.
On the back of that decision/conspiracy, raising season ticket money for 2020/21 would be a lot easier with furious bears rallying to the cause. Now, however, it seems that no decision will be made during Wednesday’s conference call.
Catching their opponents off guard a ‘Celtic source’ has been speaking to their close friends at the Daily Record:
Celtic’s position is very clear. We have always wanted the league season to be completed and that remains our view. If there is any chance of playing the games and finishing the season over the summer then that’s what we would prefer.
But we also understand the financial problems are piling up for clubs all across the country the longer this crisis continues. If the season has to be ended early in order to stop clubs from going to the wall then, of course, we would go along with that. It has to be all about the greater good.
Putting a decision on the outcome of this season’s campaign back until the end of April will turn a sharp focus on to the lack of activity at Ibrox.
Since being appointed Interim Chairman Douglas Park hasn’t said anything other than a brief comment on a website statement about his promotion.
While almost every club in Scotland has put staff on the Furlough scheme no such move has come from Ibrox where there appears to be greater need for outside help than anywhere else.
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With a projected shortfall of £10m for the season and no sign of outside investment or a share issue some answers will need to come out in the coming weeks.
If the SPFL delay an announcement the ball falls into Douglas Park’s court as the clock ticks towards April pay-roll with no obvious sign of income.