Season looks all over
No way to complete fixture list says chairman
Hamilton Accies chairman Allan Maitland reckons there is no way the Premiership season can be completed on the pitch.
The SPFL crisis plan looked set to be passed despite delays over the 75 per cent carrying vote in the Championship.
The proposal would see league titles and relegations decided in the lower leagues and grant the governing body the power to end the top flight season at a later date.
Accies were among the teams to back the plan and supremo Maitland warned there is no logical way to complete this seasons fixture list.
The New Douglas Park chief has concerns about players expiring and the chance to offer new terms. He believes it won’t be suitable for the club to put season tickets on sale until any reconstruction talks are concluded.
“Regardless of what the final outcome is of the vote the thing we need most is clarity,” he said.
“The season as it stands has got to be finished; it’s done. I can’t see any way that they can get back by the June 10 deadline and our vote reflected that.
“People are out of contract and won’t even have trained before
June 10, so I don’t see a possible way this season will resume on the pitch.
“There are bigger things to worry about at the moment, and the SPFL board have a tough task.
“Clubs are voted for what suits their position, which they are entitled to do. For us the most important thing is being able to plan.
“We want to allow Brian [Rice] to plan for next season, to re-sign players and look at other players. That’s not possible if we don’t know what the budget will be for next season.
“We try to sign up our players so that we only have around a third of the squad leaving at the end of a season. That is the case this time, with around a third of our team leaving in June.
“That’s why we need a certain degree of certainty.”
He continued: “I have seen people talking about offering season tickets for next season, I don’t know how that is possible.
“We don’t know what the format of the league will be or who will be in it. We don’t know how many games there will be, and if there will be a vote on it.
“The biggest thing for this club is the supporters. A number of supporters will have had changes to their income, and when we don’t know the league how can we ask for extra money?”