What Happens Next? Four Potential Scenarios As Rangers Fail To Stop SPFL Resolution

Content Editor

4 years ago

Tags: Celtic, Hearts, Partick Thistle, Rangers, SPFL

Dundee’s decision to vote in favour of SPFL’s resolution yesterday means that the Championship, League One and League Two have now had their seasons ended, with the Premiership likely to follow suit on April 23rd.

The way the whole situation has been handled has been described as a “mess” by Rangers manager Steven Gerrard and the Old Firm club have called for SPFL’s leadership to be suspended while an independent investigation is held.

As things stand, though, the SPFL resolution does hold up legally, but there are a number of possible outcomes; some of which could complicate things even further

Press the next page as we look at four potential scenarios for what happens next:

Legal challenges reverse the decision and cause chaos

Partick Thistle are said to be consulting legal advice after it was confirmed they would be relegated to League One despite being just two points off safety with a game in hand.

If they do go ahead and challenge the SPFL resolution, legal squabbles could delay next season from starting, and if they get the decision reversed in the courts, there is no telling how the Scottish game would cope.

UEFA reinforce their decision to play leagues to a conclusion

The European governing body’s president Alexander Ceferin has been insistent that leagues should not end their seasons early and has even suggested that countries could have European places withheld if they go against their wishes.

Whether this opinion is reinforced as an official policy, we shall have to wait and see, but if it is, the Premiership may have to continue, even if the Championship, League One and League Two end their seasons prematurely.

The season ends as the SPFL resolution intends it to

UEFA could allow countries to end their seasons early when they hold a meeting later this month, allowing the SPFL to carry out their plans without the threat of losing European football.

Rangers and Hearts who opposed the resolution may then consider their own legal challenges ahead of next season.

League reconstruction next season

Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist has suggested that the league structure could be adjusted for next season so that NO clubs are relegated.

The SPFL have already said that Hearts chair Ann Budge and Hamilton Academical chairman Les Gray will lead a “reconstruction task force” ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, which will consider expanding the Premiership, but the restructuring may need to go further than that.