st mirren chairman blasts the sfl

[ian1964 10,435]

Gilmour gutted by Gers decision

 

 

St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour has warned of "catastrophic" consequences for his club after Rangers were resigned to the Third Division.

 

Gilmour has accused SFL clubs of doing severe damage to the Scottish game by rejecting plans to put the Ibrox club in the First Division.

 

Gilmour, whose club were among 10 SPL clubs to reject Sevco Scotland's top-flight application, told the Paisley Daily Express: "This is horrific news for St Mirren Football Club. The consequences are terrible - catastrophic even."

 

The potential impact of the decision will be discussed at the SPL's annual general meeting on Monday.

 

"The St Mirren board will meet in the days after that SPL meeting and decide what is the best way forward but we are already looking at major redundancies," Gilmour said.

 

Gilmour was impressed with a document given to SFL clubs which proposed a merger of the leagues and top-flight promotion play-offs if they accepted the Ibrox club in the second tier.

 

"It set out changes to Scottish football that would bring in a fairer structure, fairer distribution system, fairer everything," the Saints chairman said.

 

"Unfortunately, the people in the SFL have not bought into that. I just hope they realise the damage they have done to Scottish football.

 

"Five clubs in the SPL could be in administration within weeks - and we will have to do everything we can to avoid being one of them."

 

Some believe an SPL2 could be in the offing, although a breakaway would be very difficult to achieve given that 25 SFL clubs rejected the First Division plan.

 

Gilmour said: "As for an SPL 2, I'm not sure that is any better than letting Rangers back into the top flight."

 

http://www.teamtalk.com/rangers/7901757/Gilmour-gutted-by-Gers-decision

[Guest Dutchy]

I hope Regan and Doncaster are long gone before we return. It's going to take a couple of years to get it sorted and running as a football proper football administration.

 

That my John Clesse moment, whatever you do, don't mention administration. lol

[Gribz 743]

I thought Dundee Utd were bad at statements but how dopey can St Mirren be blaming the SFL.

 

As Bluedell stated why didnt they just vote us in the relegated us and put Dunfermline back up. It was the SPL who opened this can of worms in the first place.

[ian1964 10,435]

Stewart Gilmour admits the Grim Reaper is set to come calling on an SPL that is

paying for sins of the past.

 

The St Mirren chairman could hear the death knell being sounded from his Troon home after Friday’s SFL vote sent newco Rangers into the Third Division.

 

At least five top-flight clubs now face being placed into administration due to the financial catastrophe created by a decision Gilmour believes was borne out of REVENGE.

 

The Angel of Death could get to work on those sides before next month is out and the Buddies supremo insists if a routine SPL income distribution payment of £645,000 isn’t made on August 6 then it’s a Doomsday scenario.

 

The SPL’s broadcast deals look set to be renegotiated now Rangers are no longer in the top flight so league chiefs are

predicting a huge drop in income.

 

He said: “Clubs were expecting to receive their commercial income as per normal in the first week in August but, with the way things are shaping up, that’s not going to be there.

 

“If you asked me whether a handful of clubs could be placed into administration by the end of August then I’d have to say it was very feasible.

 

“What we need to do in the next week is to investigate what cuts we can make.

 

“It won’t be the footballers who suffer as they have contracts.

 

“Clubs are now on life support and every team needs that payment on August 6.

 

“It’s as simple as that. Nobody wants to see teams going into administration and liquidation but the reality is that players have contracts. They need to be honoured and that brings its own problems.”

 

All SPL clubs will gather at Hampden tomorrow morning for an AGM which hopes to bring some clarity to the crisis.

 

But Gilmour is still baffled at why SFL outfits moved the goalposts for historic change in our game by reusing to allow Charles Green’s club into Division One.

 

He said: “This is uncharted territory for the SPL, I honestly don’t know what’s being put on the table on Monday.

 

“I don’t think many people know where they are with it.

 

“The SFA thought they were delivering Rangers into Division One as I believed that was the agreed arrangement. We had the announcement that the SPL would change next season into a bigger league and there would be radical reform.

 

“I was under the impression that was all part of the deal. I believed that was the right way forward for football.

 

“We now know the majority of SFL clubs didn’t buy into it and I just hope they haven’t cut off their nose to spite their face.

 

“They may well now have parked all of the commercial partners.

 

“The advice we were given from the SFL was to allow them to deal with this.

 

“Now we need to see on Monday

morning just what is being said.”

 

Gilmour will start implementing savage cost-cutting measures across the board at the Buddies but he is disgusted that innocent parties will be paying the price for crimes of others.

 

He said: “Everyone will immediately stop signing players.

 

“We have a board meeting arranged for Wednesday as there’s no point in having it before we hear what’s happening from Monday’s meeting.

 

“If the commercial income figures are as bad a people are projecting them to be then we will clearly have to make some serious cuts.

 

“It’s going to be the people who have played no part in this whatsoever and have done nothing wrong who are going to end up suffering.

 

“That is going to be the same at every club. That’s the really horrific aspect of this situation.

 

“Maybe some of the bigger clubs will have a benefactor who can write them a cheque for a million pounds to get them through this crisis. We don’t have that.

 

“We will have to make as many cuts as we can. But we will also be looking at our income streams to see where else we can get money from.”

 

SFL clubs voted overwhelmingly not to grant Green’s newco a place in the First Division.

 

But Gilmour is struggling to get his head around the logic of a decision which may have been clouded by bitterness at having the Rangers problem dumped on them by the top-flight clubs.

 

He said: “I fear some of the

lower-league clubs have made a vote of revenge against the entire SPL.

 

“Maybe there will be some people who woke up yesterday morning and said, ‘What have we done?’

 

“But I wasn’t at the meeting and I don’t know what went on.

 

“The decision surprised me. If the SPL don’t have any money then the SFL clubs won’t get any cash through the settlement agreement.

 

“The SFL receive £2m each year from the SPL so how is that meant to be paid if there isn’t any money?

 

“I am concerned the SFL have cut off the financial tap from where the money flows. It’s true the SPL get the biggest share of the money but there is still £2m going down into the lower leagues.

 

“If that is no longer there then what next for these clubs?

 

“If football in Scotland becomes like the Welsh League then half of the people

currently working in it won’t have a job.”

 

St Mirren were one of 10 top-flight clubs who voted against letting the newco into the SPL but Gilmour insists they were left with no choice.

 

He said: “We must not forget that

Rangers had to be punished. Let’s not kid ourselves, that had to happen.

 

“The way they ran their club before was unacceptable and if nothing else has been learned from this then we should certainly take that on board.

 

“The problem now is that clubs which have been run well have now been affected through no fault of their own. They are also suffering.”

 

Speculation is growing that an SPL 2 will be set up to find a solution to the crisis but Gilmour is adamant that must only be a last resort.

 

He said: “Creating an SPL2 and having Rangers in that division isn’t one of my favoured options. I have been a supporter of SPL 2 but not just to accommodate one team.

 

“As directors of football clubs we need to look at everything but I hope there are other options. The government needs to have a look at this. This is now a society issue and it’s time for government to take a close look and get involved.

 

“I’m not saying our clubs haven’t been run properly but we have become too dependent on our commercial partners. It’s such a difficult time for Scottish football and we need to look at the best way forward to get through this.”

[54andcounting 0]

The proper and decent thing to do is put Rangers back in the SPL and carry on as if nothing happened...best thing for Scottish football as everybody outside of Scotland couldn't give a f**k about our game....we've embarrassed ourselves enough, let's sweep it all under the carpet no-one will notice.

[andy steel 0]

But Gilmour is still baffled at why SFL outfits moved the goalposts for historic change in our game by reusing to allow Charles Green’s club into Division One.

 

But it was OK for the SPL, including St Mirren to move the goalposts over Rangers.

 

The SFA thought they were delivering Rangers into Division One as I believed that was the agreed arrangement.

 

But it was OK for the SPL, including St Mirren, to lie about integrity while doing deals.

 

The advice we were given from the SFL was to allow them to deal with this.

 

But it was OK for the SPL, including St Mirren, to punish Rangers for not dealing with Craig Whyte.

 

It’s going to be the people who have played no part in this whatsoever and have done nothing wrong who are going to end up suffering

 

But it was OK for the SPL, including St Mirren, to inflict this scenario on an alreadu suffering Rangers.

 

The way they ran their club before was unacceptable

 

But it was OK for the SPL, including St Mirren, to be run as a a parasite of the Old Firm, facing collapse without one of them. Acceptable?

 

The problem now is that clubs which have been run well have now been affected through no fault of their own.

 

But it was OK for the SPL, including St Mirren, to lecture and punish Rangers for failure to take responsibility.

 

“Maybe there will be some people who woke up yesterday morning and said, ‘What have we done?’

 

But it was OK for the SPL, including St Mirren, to lecture Rangers about lack of humility!

 

A classic post from FC Bernard Matthews.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

august 6th is d day then.