SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all. 

A week ago today,it was Good Friday and we were looking forward to the the results of the SPFL vote to wind up the lower leagues for the season,based upon current standings and games played. Of course,we knew that whatever was decided that day,our own championship wouldn’t be-though that would have made it a Great Friday! But despite the attempt by the SPFL to push through a decision as quickly as possible,one club decided to drag its feet and have its one hundred hours or so in the spotlight. 

Dundee’s prevarication hasn’t made them any friends at all,but has probably cost them a few. Board chairmen the length and breadth of the country will have had one or two sleepless nights about the possibility of their club going to the wall before a life-saving £50k on average magically appeared against their overdraft. The fact that they finally decided to vote in favour has made them a few enemies too-those clubs which will be relegated as a result will take a long time to forgive and forget. And one club in particular-which isn’t even in one of the divisions affected by all this-has thrown its toys out of the pram in spectacular style,demanding this,threatening that,and behaving generally like a spoilt seven year old brat. 

While most of us think that a form of temporary League reconstruction will take place and prevent those relegations,the fact that responsibility for this has been handed to Ann Budge of Hearts and Les Gray at Hamilton should give them pause for thought. Neither has showered themselves in glory in recent years. One thought she could build a new stand without having to order any seats,while the other one thought that sending a cheque for the thick end of a million quid to a scammer was a good idea. It’s hardly a Brains Trust that we are talking about here,and the fact that they are considered to be just that is,frankly,frightening. 

But back to the destination of this season’s title. I think that much will rest on the decision to be taken next week by UEFA on the subject. And countries like Germany,which has already announced that they plan to resume playing in three weeks time,probably hasn’t helped them here. There are some countries too in the federation whose season had really only begun before the shutdown,such as the northern Scandinavian countries,while the likes of the Republic of Ireland play their matches in the summer. These are all added complications,as is the suggestion that UEFA still plan to have their remaining Champions League and Europa League ties played to a finish by the end of August. 

Those complications,however,could also be seen as an opportunity. From that,it is safe to assume that UEFA don’t envisage playing the qualifiers for next season’s trophies until after the current one is completed. And I’ll come back to that in a minute. Meanwhile,I would like to think that UEFA will announce that any national league competition which hasn’t already announced a firm date for a return to action AND cannot guarantee to wrap up their domestic campaign by June 30 or by its scheduled completion date must be declared as over. And that final placings are decided on an extrapolated points per game basis,assuming that individual leagues have completed an arbitrarily-decided percentage of games. My thoughts would be for that figure to be 70%,based on how far advanced most leagues were into their season,and that UEFA will want to as far as possible avoid the complications of null and void,and the legal challenges from the paymasters of the game-namely,sponsors and TV companies. 

Additionally,they will decree that this is a UEFA directive and is not at the discretion of individual associations. This will avoid the possibility of any unhappy clubs taking their association to court. Everyone knows what happens to clubs who take UEFA to court. It does not end well for them. Ask Syon. 

Now,the thing is that I very much doubt that UEFA will make any decision at all next week on those national cup competitions which are still to be decided. It would be rather difficult to declare a winner for these after all,and additionally they are seemingly intent on completing the remaining ties in their own flagship competitions. As I don’t foresee any European qualifiers before the start of September,this opens the door to the SFA-who have been curiously silent throughout all of this-to schedule the semi finals for the second Tuesday/Wednesday in August,with the final to be played on August 29 or 30. Told you I’d come back to that,didn’t I? And it ties in rather nicely with the title of the article too. Having fun with a hun. Also known as fucking with their heads,because trust me-if the SFA announce that they intend to play the Scottish Cup to a finish in the same way as UEFA have set their own precedent,it will put our Quadruple Treble back into play. And the huns will be bloody furious about it!

So watch them tie themselves in knots over this one. How the hell can they possibly kick up about a competition that they aren’t even involved in,and which is being rescheduled for a time that football is back in action? How can they do that and still retain any credibility? Because you can be absolutely one hundred per cent guaranteed certain that they will be releasing statements and issuing threats about all of this,like confetti raining down on a bride. 

Meantime,in this one they aren’t even the bridesmaids. They’re the antisocial neighbours who didn’t get an invitation and are hell bent on ruining it for everyone else. That doesn’t usually end well either!!!
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Above article by BMCUWP. Difficult times call for difficult measures. If you’ve run out of jigsaw puzzles,filled in all your sudoku tables,cleaned all your windows and painted all your walls,why not write us something for Article of the Day? It’s much more fun,I can guarantee that! Mail it to Mahe.

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