Chairman’s diary: Scottish football is all-action, without a ball being kicked

What an advert this past week has been for Scottish football. A farcical ballot on a resolution to end the season. Ballot papers allegedly going missing somewhere in the ether. Deals being cut behind closed doors, allegations against SPFL officials, legal opinions that call into question the whole voting process.

All this league action, but without a ball being kicked.For football fans, they are either loving the drama and intrigue, or they are holding their heads in their hands in embarrassment. Either way, these issues are going to last for some time to come.

In the ballot, Stenhousemuir voted to end this current season. This had nothing to do with the suggestion that clubs in the lower leagues wanted their final pay-out. The amount we are due isn’t going to make much difference to us financially. We voted because we want the season brought to an end. There is no chance whatsoever that we will be back playing football anytime soon, nor should we be. There is a massive human tragedy unfolding on our doorsteps and in our communities. That should be the priority.

Iain McMenemy (left) with Margaret and Billy Kilpatrick and then Stenhousemuir captain Mark Ferry. Picture: Stenhousemuir Facebook.

The next stage in trying to sort out this mess will inevitably be league reconstruction. What shape this takes is anyone’s guess. Our hope is that there can be meaningful reconstruction involving clubs from all leagues, and crucially, I hope that we find a way to give fans a seat at the table when those discussions take place. But I hope that we make decisions sooner rather than later. We don’t want this to drag on. It is becoming increasingly likely that this virus will be here for a while yet. We need to focus on that, and on keeping people safe.

Football can come later. As has already been reported, we lost a Warrior this week, one of our own. Our Club General Manager Margaret Kilpatrick lost her husband to this dreadful virus. Billy was a friend to the club, and more importantly, a friend to us all personally.

We all mourn his passing, and we will be there for Margaret and her family. Billy’s passing is a sobering reminder of what is really important.

Stay safe, observe the Government guidelines on social distancing, follow the rules, look after each other, and let’s beat the virus and worry about everything else later.