Scot Gardiner has been exposed as the architect behind a Null & Void plan for all four SPFL divisions.
That plan would have written off the 30 matches players by 10 of the 12 Premiership clubs with no club awarded the title of champions or relegated.
A report in the Daily Record names five Championship clubs that will back the claim after Inverness Caley Thistle were named in two separate club statements on Monday.
At lunchtime Dunfermline chairman Ross McArthur stated:
Turning to the “allegation” regarding the information that was conveyed by me to Inverness FC, on Friday 10th April 2020.
As confirmed by their own leaked What’sApp message group, I clearly did so as Dunfermline Athletic FC Chairman and NOT as an SPFL Board Member (as was expressly agreed and verified, before the call with other Championship clubs).
It most certainly wasn’t a threat, simply a potential consequence of their action not to back the SPFL resolution currently put in front of them, in favour of a counter resolution which was being mooted at that time.
This resolution would effectively have the same consequence as a “null and void” conclusion to the league season, but the SPFL central distribution monies would still be provided to clubs on their current standing. This was not going to be acceptable to Dunfermline Athletic, Alloa Athletic, Greenock Morton, Queen of the South and Arbroath.
That was followed by Brechin City who completely refuted the dossier claim that they contacted all League Two clubs to inform them that Inverness Caley Thistle had changed their mind and would vote in favour of the resolution to decide the season based on average points per game.
Those two statements have put the spotlight on Inverness, today the Daily Record has further details on Gardiner’s motives.
Record Sport has learned in the build-up to that vote Gardiner had informed other Championship clubs he had drawn up a counter proposal which he intended to table had the Dens Park stuck to their guns and brought the SPFL’s survival plan crashing down.
And we understand that plan would have seen the season null and voided, preventing relegation for Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer while also potentially stopping Celtic, Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers from being crowned champions of their respective divisions.
One Championship club told us: “Scot’s proposal was to effectively null and void all four divisions. When you consider the catastrophic financial ramifications for all clubs it was hard for anyone to understand his motivation. Even now it’s still impossible to figure out what Inverness Caley Thistle thought they would gain from doing that.”
Later on the report adds:
Record Sport has received confirmation from five other Championship clubs – Alloa, Arbroath, Ayr United, Morton and Queen of the South – that they ‘fully endorse and support’ McArthur’s version of events.
Null & Void has been ticking away in the background throughout the so-called debate to finish the season.
Media placemen like Ally McCoist and Alex Rae have used their broadcasting roles to criticise the SPFL at every turn with their comments picked up and used by traditional publishers. Other than deciding on current placings or average points per game Null & Void is the default option.
For finishing in second place in The Championship Inverness collected £475,000. Null & Void would have seen every Championship side collect £300,000 although it’s understood that the Gardiner plan for Null & Void would also have paid out on league positions.