Alan Pattullo: SPFL Zoom call with all 42 clubs a recipe for chaos

Murdoch MacLennan will have a job on his hands trying to keep order at Tuesday’s EGM

Murdoch MacLennan will chair the SPFL's EGM on Tuesday. Clubs have been reminded not to turn up at Hampden. Picture: Craig Foy/SNS

After going out of their way to avoid all 42 clubs being involved in the same video conference call, the SPFL will be treading new ground at Tuesday’s EGM.

All meetings previously – and there’s been a few – have been 
organised on a divisional basis. This has reduced the likelihood of the proceedings descending into a bun fight.

So good luck to chairman Murdoch MacLennan as he attempts to keep the order on a Zoom call next week. His screen will be filled with the faces of 42 club officials, most of them big personalities with something to say, especially given the fresh rancour whipped up by events over the last few days.

All those who have experienced such calls over the last few weeks, where even interacting with three other friends is challenging, will appreciate the potential for chaos.

At least there’s not an issue over who sits next to whom. All clubs have been sent a reminder not to turn up at Hampden for the showdown. Instead they will be given log on details before being invited into a virtual waiting room. Privacy concerns are uppermost following the spilling of recent confidential details.

Only one representative or proxy from each club will be permitted to speak. But even if each of them allows themselves just three 
minutes to get their points across, the meeting will last over two hours. And that’s before a vote is taken.

How they do this remains to be seen. Hands in the air? Who knows?

Like everything involving the SPFL, it’s incumbent to look for an ulterior motive. Having all 42 clubs on the same call is likely to make it harder for Rangers to make their case for an independent enquiry into the recent vote to curtail the league season. We shall see.

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