Hearts chief Ann Budge speaks on SPFL resolution, league reconstruction, having time and 'not deserving' to go down

With votes due to be counted this afternoon on the future or, indeed, the lack of one for the stagnating Championship, League One and League Two seasons, Hearts boss Ann Budge believes that there are enough clubs concerned by the lack of adequate discourse to quash the SPFL resolution.

Arguing that the solution to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on football are not black and white, she says clubs should not be rushing into a decision before all the grey areas have been explored and everyone involved has had the chance to properly engage in problem-solving.

There is an apparent sense of urgency in respect to freeing up end-of-season cash pay-outs to league teams but, supporting a Rangers resolution backing the release of those fund immediately and buy themselves more time, she says that would any desperation from the equation and would allow clubs to mull over more equitable answers to an unprecedented conundrum with clearer heads.

We have time

“Time is something we have plenty of at the moment and to waste this time would be madness,” said Budge. “When the implications are so enormous, I cannot understand why people do not want to take the time we now have to discuss issues and work our way through them to see we can find a way round them.

“I have spoken to Neil Doncaster and made it clear that I believe that we need more engagement and that there are so many other options to explore and discuss. I have said before that I don’t believe that the need to free up money should be the driving factor in this as rules can be amended. I won’t use the word excuse, but I do think that the financial situation of clubs in the lower leagues is a bit of a red herring. If that is really what is driving this, then let’s look at other ways of making those payments now.”

Failure to vote down the resolution to terminate the lower leagues season would be ominous for the Gorgie club. While there are no immediate plans to call a halt to the Premiership, there is provision to do so at a later date, and that decision would also utilise the points-per-game metric, consigning Hearts to the second tier unless they can find a consensus for league reconstruction.

We don’t deserve it

“I know some people say we deserve it. But, no, you can look at results and say we deserve to be where we are but you can’t say we deserve to be relegated, not until all 38 league games have been played and we have been given the chance to save ourselves. If we are still there after 38 games you can say we deserve to be relegated. Not before. Not with eight games of the season remaining.

“We all know what football is like, those awarded titles will never get full credit for them, we have seen that before and that asterisk and the little comments will never go away.”

The successful Edinburgh businesswoman says she is frustrated by the apparent desire to find the quickest and easiest conclusion and an unwillingness to ensure proper engagement with all clubs to make sure they arrive at the fairest outcome.

Zoom calls

“I know face to face meetings are off the table but we can have Zoom calls. So far the approach has been to issue information but it hasn’t been a two-way street, there hasn’t been ample opportunity for everyone to discuss alternatives or see if league reconstruction is possible.

“I wrote to the SPFL when we shutdown and asked them to please involve all the clubs before making a decision on moving forward. It is far too big an issue not to involve everyone. That hasn’t happened. I said that in the event of relegation without being able to play all our games, I would take legal advice and, thirdly, I asked that we please use this opportunity to try to implement something for the better, something that can help us through this situation but also start a process that will improve things long-term.

“There has been a lot of legwork done on 14 and 16 team leagues that we can go back over, look at what were the stumbling blocks then and see if we can find a way round them now.

“I have heard a lot of negativity, people saying ‘that won’t work’, ‘that’s too hard’, almost like it is not even worth trying and I find that very frustrating.”

And, she says, it flies in the face of the pre-shutdown rhetoric.

League reconstruction

“I was at a professional game board meeting just two or three weeks before all this happened and the whole question of restructuring the leagues came up and they actually said, ‘let’s stop talking about it and actually do something’. The decision was taken to up the priority level and look at it seriously with a view to having a recommendation in place for the season after next.

“So there is a recognition that we have got to do something. Why not, with the extra time we have now, move that on and have it in place for next season.

“It is something we were looking to do anyway and would solve many of the issues we are facing around fairness and promotion and relegation. If we have a top league of 14 and three 10-team leagues below that also means we are being fair to the teams who are part of the pyramid system and allows our media partners to still have their four Old Firm games.”

Dialogue

But she admits that there has to be more talking before any conclusion should be reached.

“I am optimistic that there are enough clubs who feel the same way, in the Premiership and in the Championship. We need to take a breath and work together to find the best solution not the easiest or the quickest. We have an opportunity and as I said, it would be madness to waste it.”