Two days after being appointed to the SPFL’s Reconstruction Task Force Ann Budge doesn’t want to see any title handed out without the full fixture card being completed.
On Wednesday the SPFL congratulated Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers for winning their divisions with approval now in place to apply the same formula to the Premiership.
That would see Celtic crowned as champions with Hearts relegated but it seems that Budge is going into Reorganisation with a very different goal, completely at odds with the SPFL vote.
Picking up on an interview with BBC5 Live The Sun reports:
You shouldn’t be awarded a title if you haven’t played 38 games; you shouldn’t be relegated if you haven’t played 38 games, and all sorts of other things in between. Some rules were changed, others weren’t.
It’s not yet applying to the Premiership but, the fact it has now been implemented for the other three leagues, I can’t see how they can possibly apply one set of rules for the Premiership and a different set for the other three.
Almost by definition, the decision has been made. The only reason the Premiership hasn’t been included is to keep options open for UEFA – to ensure we don’t fall foul of calling the league early and ruling ourselves out of European competitions.
Raith Rovers, Dundee United and Cove Rangers have been awarded their league titles without completing the full schedule, in the case of the Kirkcaldy club they are just one point ahead of Falkirk who they were scheduled to face again.
In the Premiership Celtic are 13 points clear with 8 matches left to play. With the precedent established in the three lower divisions the same principal will be applied to the top division.
In order to carry through reorganisation an 11-1 vote is required in the top flight, it’s hard to see Celtic approving any Budge plan while diluting fixtures and prize money between 14 rather than 12 clubs isn’t likely to appeal to many top flight clubs.