Football clubs must look after themselves: Opinion

Sports reporter Martyn Simpson reflects on the recent votes and talks in Scottish football and says turkeys won’t and shouldn’t vote for Christmas.
Martyn Simpson.Martyn Simpson.
Martyn Simpson.

The words “in the best interest of Scottish football” have cropped up in a few different places over the past few weeks.

Statements seem to have progressed from thinly veiled digs to full on naming and shaming of clubs and individuals as the debates regarding reconstruction and independent investigations have raged on.

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As supporters we all have our own opinions and naturally we will support any decision which results in the best possible outcome for our club.

Hampden Park.  Picture: John Devlin.Hampden Park.  Picture: John Devlin.
Hampden Park. Picture: John Devlin.

However, we are not the ones who have to make the decisions or cast the vote of our club in any resolution.

Some chairmen and boards have come under criticism for not acting in the best interest of the game in Scotland.

However, putting what they or anyone else may believe to be ‘the greater good’ over what is best for their own club would be folly.

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Those who sit at the highest level of a football clubs have no obligation to anyone other than their staff, shareholders and most importantly the supporters of the club they have the privilege of running.

No turkey will or should ever vote for Christmas.

To focus specifically on the resolution to end the season, it seems widely agreed that teams like Hearts, Partick, Falkirk, Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts have gotten the raw end of the deal but the fact remains that other member clubs have no obligation to not vote through proposals they may feel are unfair on other clubs if it benefits them in any way.

Of course, this kind of unilateral thinking could be described as inherently selfish but, at the end of the day, I would expect my club’s board to always put what is best for us above all else regardless of what it means for any other club.

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