'The whole thing stinks' - Ex-Hearts boss Craig Levein on Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer situation

The former Scotland boss has called for a complete overhaul of the game

Former Hearts manager and director of football Craig Levein has hit out at the SPFL over the situation which has seen Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer relegated.

All three clubs will play in a division below last season following the announcement that league reconstruction has not garnered enough support.

Hearts, who are now not expected to play in the league until the middle of October, were quick to confirm that they are launching legal action over their demotion to the Championship.

Craig Levein hit out at the current situation in Scottish football. Picture: SNS

Appearing on BBC Sportsound, Levein was asked if he reckons Hearts chair Ann Budge will look to stop the Premiership starting on time at the beginning of August.

“It’s quite a huge step in my eyes,” he said. “But if Ann, and she’s a very strong-willed person, feels it’s the right thing to do for her club, then that could happen.

“I think this is really, really unfair what’s happening to the three clubs [Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer], really unfair, and I think the whole thing still stinks. The Dundee vote stinks.

“There is a reason that this might happen, and the reason is the complete unfairness of what the SPFL have done.

“I’m not sitting in the middle of it, I don’t know all the information, I don’t know all the facts, I don’t know where the Foundation of Hearts are in all of this. But what I do know is the decision that Ann makes will be the one she feels is right for the club. She done that on every single occasion that I can remember in the last five or six years.

“It’ll be a big step for the club to do that but I wouldn’t rule it out.”

Levein, appearing on the show with Cowdenbeath chief Donald Findlay, suggested that some clubs may come to regret voting against the league reconstruction, including the Fife, especially when it comes to loaning players.

The former Scotland boss also called on Scottish football to be overhauled.

He said: “The game in itself needs a complete overhaul and it needs to be driven by independent people, that has to be the case. But it’s taken this pandemic and the situation that has arisen in Scottish football for people to be even talking about this.”