The latest noises coming out of the Scottish Professional Football League are that the league could be suspended after April 23, with the Guardian reporting that Celtic are set to be given the title and Hearts are to be relegated.
As you would perhaps expect, Hearts are already discussing the possibility of legal action and whether the SPFL decide to follow through with this plan or not, litigation and moderation looks set to continue for years following the disruption to the football season that has occurred.
At this stage there really is no simple solution. While offering Celtic the title may appear an easy decision to make, Neil Lennon’s side after all have a 13-point gap to Rangers in second and you’d have been foolish not to have used your Betfair bonus on the Bhoys, ending a season early will have a whole host of knock-on effects. Most notably Hearts will be relegated, but there also needs to be a consideration over how it will affect things further down the pyramid.
Promotions and relegations are riding on this decision, while there is also European competition to take into account. With the circumstances different in each individual country, it is unlikely that football will restart uniformly across Europe. It also unlikely that all leagues will take the decision to judge their season’s null and void, with FIFA issuing an update stating that it will allow league season’s to be extended indefinitely, in an attempt to get all the matches completed.
Therefore, the SPFL may want to think twice about ending their season prematurely, and leaving them out of sync with much of Europe. If Scotland end their season now, they could be starting a new campaign in August while England, Spain, France and Italy are still finishing theirs.
The obvious concern here is European competition, which would likely continue to run in tandem with the bulk of the major leagues. Were Scotland to fall into a different schedule, their clubs would be disadvantaged and could end up playing fixtures during non-peak periods in their season. There would also be concern around transfer windows, which could be adjusted as a result of the readjustment in schedules.
This situation is unprecedented and the outcome is unknown. No one knows how long this will take and therefore the best solution for now is to wait and come to a collective decision. Now is not the time for the SPFL to declare their season null and void unilaterally. Instead, they must wait and see and cooperate with the rest of Europe, in order to ensure they aren’t left behind.