Andy Walker
Football Expert & Columnist
Last Updated: 26/05/20 10:43pm
The Scottish government will meet on Friday with leaders of various sports in Scotland to offer their up-to-date guidance on what the immediate future might look like.
I dread to think what’s on the agenda. Coronavirus is still dominating all of our lives and the brutal effects of it will clearly be at the forefront of any government minister or health expert as they look to save as many lives as possible and keep everyone safe.
Everyone involved in the meeting will understand the social and health benefits that football brings to so many people in Scotland but I’m sure they will also recognise we can only restart our game when it’s safe to do so.
Quite rightly, the government will decide when it’s safe to restart training and eventually moving towards getting the season up and running.
The second step to be given the all-clear by the government is the crucial one for every club in Scotland. Just exactly when will fans be allowed to attend?
Sadly, anyone who has an informed opinion on this crucial step will tell you it’s very unlikely to be anytime this year. It’s a massive problem for Scottish football.
Here’s what I think our game will look like in these most demanding of times.
Since the SPFL reached the controversial agreement that the 2019/20 season had to be called early, the debate surrounding the possibility of league reconstruction in Scottish football has been fierce.
Would a 12, 14 or 16 team top-flight be the best way forward? I honestly think the only way forward for this coming season is to question who can play, who wants to play and who has the facilities to play from (hopefully) August through to May.
1:02 Following his release by St Johnstone, Danny Swanson claims players were let down by the SPFL in the way the end of the season was handled
The harsh reality is there are teams who simply won’t be able to play a full season. Paying a squad of players to compete in front of no fans and empty grounds for months on end just isn’t viable for many clubs.
Normally, the League Cup – due to commence the group stages on July 11 – is an attractive tournament for all the lower league clubs to kick off the season.
They’re usually up against at least one bigger club in the group with a decent travelling support that can boost their coffers, but when you take into consideration the problems that I highlighted in last week’s column – namely the cost of testing players to ensure they compete in a viral free environment – I just can’t see the League Cup taking place in the format we have all recognised in the last few years.
Could it be delayed until January and a shorter knockout version be temporarily put in place? I doubt it. The Scottish Cup for the top clubs starts in January and is also in danger.
0:32 SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster says any legal action taken against the SPFL could have an impact on all members
The semi-finals of the 2019/20 Scottish Cup are still outstanding! It throws up the bizarre scenario where we could see a team in this season’s competition getting knocked out of next season’s tournament before those semi-finals have been played!
An important factor to remember in the plan for the final of the Scottish Cup or League Cup is that Hampden has to be given up much earlier in 2021 to UEFA to give them the time they need to prepare the ground as a venue for the already delayed European Championships.
Regarding the pyramid system that currently operates in our game, it’s highly unlikely there will be any Highland League or Lower League football this coming season. League One and League Two will also have a real struggle to commit to a full season paying players and other staff with no matchday revenue to keep them going.
The Championship? I think Scotland’s second tier could possibly survive in some form given that there are so many full-time clubs but it’s by no means definite.
0:43 Ayr United chairman Lachlan Cameron says he would not be in favour of a 14-team Scottish Premiership and says the best case scenario would be a 20-team Championship
Dunfermline have recently released 17 full-time players on the back of this health crisis whereas Queen of the South released 16. It’s hardly the sign of second tier clubs making strong plans for the season ahead.
Just recently, there was a suggestion that a short 18-game season playing each other home and away just once beginning in January might be an option for the Championship. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Hearts owner Ann Budge is leading the call for reconstruction, understandable given that her club may well have been relegated into a league that might not take place.
But it might just get to the point where if you’re a full-time club that can play, wants to play and have the will, commitment and facilities to play, you’re in for what promises to be a Scottish Premiership season like no other.
