Ann Budge: 'We will take legal action if Hearts are relegated by early finish to the season'

Tynecastle owner prepared to go to court if club are demoted prematurely

Hearts owner Ann Budge is prepared for a legal fight.

Hearts owner Ann Budge has confirmed she will take legal action against any decision to relegate the Edinburgh club prematurely, insisting nobody would benefit from such a scenario.

The suspension of all Scottish football indefinitely due to the Coronavirus has prompted suggestions that the 2019/20 campaign could finish now with eight league games remaining.

Hearts could then find themselves automatically demoted as the Premiership’s bottom club, but Budge is prepared for a robust challenge to any such move – as the Edinburgh Evening News first revealed on Sunday: Full story here

"It depends on how you read the rules and I don't read the rules that way," she told Sky Sports. "I think, if the season was deemed to be ended, then you have to go back to the rules and the rules very clearly state that the competition comprises 38 games. Clearly, we all know we have not played 38 games.

"I don't think it's as simple as somebody can say: 'Let's just deem everything to be as it is and take it from there.' I don't think that's reasonable."

Asked if she would take legal action if a decision is made which relegates Hearts, Budge replied: “Yes, I would have to because I fundamentally disagree with it.

"Because there are so many options, it's difficult for me to sit here and say 'we'd do this or we'd do that'. I am not of a view that it's a reasonable thing to do.

"Nor can I see who would benefit. How does that help anybody in a situation where we are all confronting issues that nobody ever imagined we would have to confront? Who benefits from it? I just can't get my head round that."

The Scottish Football Association and Scottish Professional Football League are due to seek guidance on how to proceed with domestic competitions during talks with UEFA on Tuesday.

“I'd love to be able to finish the season but, if we can't, I think we have to be pragmatic about it and take a view on a premature ending,” said Budge.