JagsCG

Where did I say we had great form. We’ve not had great form in years I literally just said I agreed with you about Thistle’s season. Instead of trying to appease people maybe read what I said. I agreed 100% with you.

Agreed, it was always the plan of action (for Hearts anyway).

I didn’t ignore it, I asked what it was. For what’s it worth I actually agree with pretty much all of what you are saying.

You are 100% correct, we were terrible for most of the season, theres stacks of evidence of that in the Thistle forum, after several games, you'll see probably every Thistle fan agree with that. We actually were starting to look better before the lockdown (in the league anyway), as Queens looked hopeless, we'd probably have finished 9th, and maybe lost in the play-off. I accept us going down, I do think compensation is in order for the loss of earnings, but I can't disagree with most of what you said, especially the first bit you are bang on. Dreadful for 3 years straight.

Every club in every league will be getting on with planning as much as they can for 2020/21, including Thistle and Hearts, what's your point? This court stuff is about the businesses that are, Hearts FC PLC and Partick Thistle FC LTD, it's not relevant to the actual team. For simple clarification, Robbie Neilson and Ian McCall, have no relevance to any of this court nonsense, that's all to do with upstairs in the boardroom, so to speak, I'm sure they have accepted their relegation and are both building their teams for a Championship and League 1 title push, (just like us fans), it's Ann Budge and Jacqui Low, that are the only 2 relevant to the court case, and therefore your point.

What would cost clubs more, the potential of compensation to be paid in or out of court, or Reconstruction? and if we are referring to all 42 clubs here, court is also costing Hearts money, so money is being lost, time is been being lost, and more money could be lost in the future, with the potential (just going by the latest from the papers), of an interdict placed by the court, to stop the league from starting, which is then potential money loss from Sky Sports. So actually Reconstruction is much better than the unknown of compensation, of a court case, of an interdict or otherwise. I don't want any club (and you probably won't hear many Jags fans agree with this), to go under, I don't want any club to be in a worse position because they couldn't play their games, I don't mind clubs being in a better position (i.e Raith), but i don't want any club to be in a worse position. When I said no teams would be worse off, I meant through dropping a league (the exact same reason why 14-14-14, was a ridiculous proposal as it was unfair on the likes of Clyde, and Peterhead).

No it would be, it would just be a factor for a different two teams. You are genuinely kidding yourself if you think, other teams would sit and have their belly tickled and roll over (which is actually usually what Thistle do). If Rangers were 2 points behind Celtic with a game in hand, at the top of the league, or vice versa, do you think they'd just accept it, absolutely not, in fact the SPFL wouldn't even have called the leagues, they'd have either played it out or voided it (I'm no advocate of null and void), It should be no different for the big clubs in the league, to the smaller ones like Thistle. Baffling that people, actually have such a lack of understanding, really surprises me, especially certain people.

Who?

Our game in hand was against Caley Thistle, who we had beaten home and away, 3-1 this season. Alloa was the next game we had to play, but it wasn’t our game in hand.

I can’t disagree with you, it should have been 14-10-10-10 from the start. But to be fair on two points, they did consult with clubs, they (SPFL) set up a task force with chairmen/chairwomen from across the leagues, to get a broad opinion on it. And the colt team proposal, which I agree especially in the 14-14-18, was nonsense, was proposed by Rangers and had nothing to do with Hearts.

I agree, Directing blame at clubs who didn’t vote for Reconstruction, is wrong. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that had more clubs voted for Reconstruction, we wouldn’t have this whole mess. Hearts and Thistle didn’t and don’t want this to go to court, had reconstruction happened, no team would be worse off during a pandemic and the 1st place teams would have got promoted. Clubs didn’t want it, fine fair enough, but they knew what was coming if they didn’t want it, again, no one wanted it to come to this. It’s also laughable that some people think they have some sort of moral high ground when if their club was in the position of Hearts or in the position of Thistle, they’d be urging their board to do exactly what Ann Budge and Jacqui Low have done. No club would be happily accepting relegation when the season was halted, especially not in Thistle case, with a game in hand, it’s a lie and equally embarrassing (as the original point) if you think otherwise.

Hearts legal action doesn’t want a 14 team top league. So they aren’t okay with “unfairness to Dundee and Ayr”. That was my personal opinion surrounding a 14 team top league. Going by what’s apparently “Plan A” in the court petition, Hearts are happy for nothing to change promotion/relegation wise. I don’t think they are asking the courts about reconstruction. Although i imagine they hope an out of court settlement, regarding, reconstruction would be accepted. I agree with the last point, as would Ann Budge and Jacqui Low, they now aren’t even pretending they care about everyone, it was clear, they were to get a slap in the face, and were going to frowned upon if they gave one back, so they’ve joined the mantra of, looking after No.1, too hell with the rest. Like most other teams in the league has been doing too. If reconstruction can’t happen in a 14-10-10-10 which it looks unlikely, “dead” as you say, then, I’d be happy if Hearts and Thistle accept relegation but with a settlement of compensation. Although I reckon reconstruction is actually better for Scottish Football, if it was a choice between the two. Just my opinion though.

You could be right, but I’m not entirely sure after the last few months, that words of any CEO or Chairman, who have an agenda (which is every CEO/Chairman in Scotland), means much.

Okay Then......

What??? I take it you replied to the wrong comment

Did that not happen, last week when they announced it would begin in October.

Is that likely?

Couldn’t you argue as well that if Dundee United, Caley and Hearts weren’t in Championship it would actually be better for Ayr and Dundee, because they’d have far better chance (especially Dundee) at getting promoted.

That’s just an assumption, that would hardly stand up in court, if Caley Thistle got promoted, and Dundee/Ayr tried to challenge it. I wouldn’t quite say Ayr taking a hit for Scottish Football, for a start Lachlan Cameron said he tried to change his “yes” vote to a “no”.

About as fair as promoting Raith (in fact they were more clear than Raith I’m sure) Caley are promoted to make up the numbers, because they were sitting second when the league was halted, that’s all. ETA: Also the previous point about Ayr and Dundee’s vote, clearly they didn’t care much about their play-off position anyway. I doubt they’d challenge it if Caley Thistle got promoted for being 2nd.

If Hearts stay up but United also go up (which is reconstruction) it would be a 14 team top flight, Caley Thistle would join Dundee United in promotion. How will what fare any better? I’m not expecting another vote, I was suggesting that’s what I think would be the best solution for all the clubs mentioned in the original post. 20 odd clubs disagreed with me, (as seen in the most recent vote) that’s fine. But that’s what I think.

It would be a 14 Team Premiership.

Doncaster will have been making plenty phone calls I imagine. He doesn’t want this to go to court anymore than Hearts/Thistle do. The best thing for all parties is an out of court settlement. Be that compensation (maybe unlikely as clubs are skint at the moment and I don’t think he’s got a pot of gold) or some sort of forced reconstruction.

Doesn’t make him a Hearts fan because he had a less than memorable spell at Tynecastle. Maybe he is biased, who knows, but they aren’t many other sports lawyers who have spoken about this yet.

To be fair, I don’t think David Winnie is a Hearts fan.