Moira Gordon: Reconstruction is not perfect but it is better than chopping off a limb

‘I’m appalled they made that decision’

Hearts haven't given up on league reconstruction. Picture: Ross Parker / SNS

An American cousin got in touch yesterday. The whatsapp message was brief: “What’s going on?” Attached was a link to one of many, many tales trying to make sense of the decision to bring a premature halt to the Scottish Premiership and crown Celtic champions and relegate Hearts.

“I’m appalled they made that decision. As if life wasn’t messy enough” was his follow-up.

As someone who grew to love Scottish football a long time ago, thanks to a bartending job and plenty of regulars who would gather for their weekly fix of the bonnie game, his passion has been fuelled by well-timed trips to Scotland, enduring the colder weather to ensure his stay coincides with the football season. He is knowledgeable and enthusiastic. But, just now, he is simply bewildered.

Growing up in a largely-capitalist nation with an, ironically. significantly socialist approach to sport, where promotion and relegation are not factors in most major contests and, despite all the cash, salary caps and the draft systems are seen as ways of at least trying to maintain a level-ish playing field, there are elements to our game that have long since provoked bemusement.

But, if he struggled with the concept of promotion and relegation previously, the idea of them being enforced without the completion of the campaign has reduced him to confused and outraged messages. He gets that Hearts deserve to be bottom of the pile. He had the misfortune of sitting through a couple of games earlier this season and he knows it has been a miserable season for the Gorgie fans – one which could become far more grim if there proves no way of staving off relegation and redundancies become necessary.

He has kept up with events since returning home. He has watched from afar on TV as those teams many expected to sink to the bottom have managed to rise to the occasion, and been as amazed as many others that a team with Hearts’ financial clout, fanbase and heritage have failed to solve their problems – and there have been many of them, some imposed on them but far too many self-inflicted.

But, if those goings-on left him incredulous, the events since 13 March, when football ground to a halt, have left him shaking his head and embarrassed for us. And, remember, this is a guy who is pained by Donald Trump’s antics on a daily basis!

What is going on? he asked, unable to comprehend the resistance to a reconstruction solution that would reset the clock and allow everyone fair warning and fair opportunity, rather than volley a handful of clubs overboard to save their own necks.

He is not alone in struggling to accept that people are willing to shuffle feet and sheepishly look the other way when they know that moving the goalposts part way through the season – regardless how difficult the circumstances – is just wrong. No-one believes the way Hearts can be catapulted from the league before all the fixtures have been fulfilled is fair, so why go along with it unless for selfish reasons. Not when Partick Thistle and Stranraer are being punished in the same way while others such as Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts are being written off as collateral damage.

Reconstruction is not the perfect cure but it is better than needlessly chopping off a limb. Especially as the situation could become even more desperate. Given recent history, few looking in will believe that a SPFL members’ resolution on reconstruction will pass but, to Hearts owner Ann Budge’s credit, she is giving it a go.

“This is possibly the final chance for our game to stand together, protect each other and not only survive but flourish in the aftermath of this terrible pandemic,” she said, without over-stating the situation. “Players from across all leagues have shown a desire for reconstruction and having already received support from some clubs we are hopeful that this resolution can positively progress Scottish football.”

Not quite the final chance. Even if reconstruction flops, there should be a last-ditch attempt at smoothing things over by understanding the financial and moral impact of an arbitrary relegation and agreeing a reasonable chunk of compensation for those capriciously chosen as the Covid-19 fall guys.

The way things are shaping up, adequate recompense could be the only real barrier to this debacle heading for the courts. It isn’t the route Budge favours but it is unlikely she is bluffing. Fans are already mobilising, backers are encouraging her to take action and, let’s be honest, having weighed up the relative cost of legal action and simply taking relegation on the chin, her peers have left her in a position where she has very little to lose. “We hope that the resolution being prepared will avoid the need to go down this route,” she added in Monday’s statement. “Legal action would be both time consuming and expensive. However, the cost to the club of relegation would outweigh these considerations.”

Which would see things drag on. The clubs who voted to call the season said they did so to free up monies and ease financial burdens. They also stated they wanted to draw a close to the bitterness and start looking ahead.

Just because they wish for something doesn’t make it so. If they want that there is still some way to go to make matters right. How long, how costly and how acrimonious is up to them.

But, rather embarrassingly, the world is watching.

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