Chairman’s diary: Making football forecasts at a bleak time for the game

Stenhousemuir chairman Iain McMenemy gives his weekly look at Scottish football
Stenhousemuir chairman Iain McMenemyStenhousemuir chairman Iain McMenemy
Stenhousemuir chairman Iain McMenemy

Like most Scottish clubs, we’ve spent time this week discussing potential league reconstruction. We’ve also been trying to work out what in the world we can do about next season.

With regards reconstruction, many of us think that this isn’t the best time to be trying to carry out this important task. The Premiership clubs are only interested in talking so they can save Hearts from relegation. This isn’t the right basis to then impose important changes across all leagues.

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However, the talks are progressing, so we need to take part and try and secure the best deal possible for our own clubs and for the wider game. The outcome will no doubt be a structure of four leagues with 14, 10, 10, 10 clubs, or a structure of three leagues at 14, 14, 14, a 14, 14, 16 or indeed, no change at all.

Fans want change, players want change so I hope a solution can be found that can deliver on that.

We’ve also been spending some time trying to forecast ahead to next season. When will the season start, when can recruit new players? When will new contracts commence? What will the budget be to sign players? These are the questions we are struggling to find the answers to.

What I do know, is that we have tried to forecast ahead to the end of next season and are looking at various cash flow projections. Depending on when we start, one model suggests that we should survive as a club and a business. However, if football doesn’t start until next year, or if we cannot restart with supporters, with hospitality guests, and without our community programmes running, then some models show us running out of available cash.

It really is a bleak time for Scottish football.

Our supporters, both near and far, have been magnificent in their support. We want to get back up and running, but only when it is safe to do so.

We just hope it is sooner rather than later.

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