SPFL-Who Is Telling The Truth ?

Few of us know Alan Burrows (Motherwell), Les Grey (Hamilton Accies) , Ewan Cameron (Alloa Ath), Ken Ferguson (Brechin City) or Peter Davidson (Montrose).

However, all Dunfermline Supporters know of our Chairman Ross McArthur. Many of us know him, for example, from attendance at the Supporters` Council Meetings.

He is warm and welcoming, intelligent and articulate, caring and compassionate, conscientious, businesslike but transparent and has played a major role in ensuring we still have a club to support. Most significantly, he is truthful.

He and the other five SPFL Blazers have signed the open letter to stop the current in fighting before it causes incalculable damage.

Rangers, Hearts and Stranraer will need the support of 75% of the clubs in each of the four tiers to get an Independent Review. Should they fail but go to Law it will cost an eye watering sum in Legal fees and distract the clubs away from all their work on Seasons 2019/20 and 2020/21, League Reconstruction, Income Distribution, Welfare, Contracts, Sponsorship and Broadcasting.

Of course, we, as ordinary fans, have no idea what really happened when the clubs voted on ending the season outwith the Premiership, but it has taken the breath away to hear accusations of dishonesty and attacks on integrity.

Given the Board give their time and expertise freely they do not deserve that. They are also coping with just a skeleton staff. The circumstances are uniquely challenging. The SPFL have furloughed staff and the Executive voluntarily accepted salary cuts. Their workload, liaising with the Scottish and U.K. governments, UEFA, PFA, Commercial partners, Medical Officers etc, rocketed.

At the time of "The Dundee Vote Row" there were many articulate concerns raised on the Pars Fans` Forum. Many of these have now been answered in the Q and A Open Letter by Murdoch MacLennan, SPFL Chairman, to the 42 clubs. These points were also discussed and analysed on BBC Radio Scotland "Sportsound" by Richard Gordon,Tom English, Michael Stewart, Willie Miller, Brian McLauchlin and various Club Chairmen on April 18th and 25th.

The Dundee vote was the best pantomime we will witness this year. Dundee voted "No" at 4.48pm. The vote, allegedly, was never received. They subsequently changed their mind, allegedly, after phone calls from "Neil" and "Peter".

Phone calls between club officials is commonplace. Some on the PFF have argued that an independent body should have taken charge of the vote yet an intelligent class of High School students could have counted accurately to 41 (one never came in, strangely).

Neil Doncaster has pointed out that there is nothing in Company Law to preclude you giving an update on returns made. I have been at many Parliamentary counts in my life which are extremely accurate and very secure till the result is announced. It has not been adequately explained why, all week, Aberdeen and Hibernian went public saying they were to vote "no" then voted "yes" at the eleventh hour.

There were many accusations of bullying and coercion though De Loittes auditors had access to Neil`s phone and E Mail records and found nothing untoward. Some argue that their remit was far too narrow. The SPFL is adamant that Dundee were not offered a sweetener as some had argued on the PFF.

It remains unclear why Rangers` attempts to have a motion discussed were repeatedly deemed invalid, even when Rangers asked for help with the wording. As others on the PFF correctly explained Loans were out of the question after the costly Gretna experience. The SPFL have freely conceded that handing clubs a 105 page document with just over 24 hours for Club Boards to digest it was just plain wrong. The SPFL are about to meet with the Scottish Sports Minister to plot the way forward.

Will Rangers end their campaign against the SPFL on 12th May at the EGM ?

The very fact Mr MacLennan has published the Q and A to clubs smacks of concern. If the requisitioneers lose but still go to the Court Of Session the cost will be incalculable. Whether they have a smoking gun or a water pistol (as the "Scottish Sun" wonderfully put it), they really should consider how this looks to the outside world as Scottish Football is brought into disrepute.

SP.