As things stand, and unless any of them have their fingers crossed for an earthquake or some other act of God, the 12 of them will gather at Hampden – again – at 10am this morning.
Getting them around a table is the easy part. Getting them to a decision will be far less straightforward. What cannot be ruled out is that they will again defer a decision or a vote on some or all of the resolutions on a now wearingly familiar agenda around Financial Fair Play. That would provoke widespread criticism of the clubs for dithering, or bending over backwards to avoid "punishing a newco Rangers", not that such a thing yet exists. If it comes to that, they will take a negative reaction instead of being forced into a decision before they feel ready for it. Several club chairmen know that what are being seen as "sanctions against Rangers" could in future apply to their own, struggling clubs.
One complicating factor as far as some clubs are concerned today is the ongoing investigation into undisclosed payments by Rangers, which could have enormous repercussions if a guilty verdict is returned. The BBC investigation which claimed 53 players and staff had "side letters" from Rangers – in other words, dual contracts which contravene SFA and SPL rules – would, if proved, mean the club could be found guilty of fielding dozens of ineligible players between, at least, 2001 and 2010. Pressure would follow from rival clubs and supporters for Rangers to be stripped of titles won during "the EBT years".
The SPL's investigation continues into allegations of undisclosed payments by Rangers, via their Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs), dating back to 1998. Herald Sport understands that there has been an increased level of co-operation with the investigation by Rangers' administrators, Duff & Phelps, since the SPL publicly made it known that they were dragging their feet about helping with information. The background work is being done by the SPL's solicitors, Harper MacLeod, and a progress report may be submitted to the next meeting of the SPL board on June 18.
The investigation and the items on today's agenda have no direct link although some clubs may feel there is a danger of allowing a newco Rangers – if their current Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) plans are unsuccessful – into the SPL relatively unscathed only for there to be public uproar in a few weeks or months' time if the investigation finds them guilty of massive rule-breaking throughout the SPL's history.
For the moment, today's agenda is clear. Clubs will discuss the same items they did when, on April 7 and April 30, they twice failed to reach an agreement and requested more time and information. The proposals are to increase the sanction for going into administration to a points penalty of either 10 or one-third of a club's previous total, whichever is greater.
A newco club would potentially face a 10-point penalty for its first two seasons in the SPL. Another proposal is that a newco loses 75% of all SPL income for its first three seasons, which would need an 11-1 majority to be approved today. Other resolutions, more likely to go through without much debate, cover requirements to pay players and HMRC liabilities on time.
A separate proposal is that decisions on allowing a newco into the division are made by all SPL clubs rather than only the six-man board, currently consisting of chief executive Neil Doncaster, chairman Ralph Topping, Celtic director Eric Riley, Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson, St Johnstone chairman Steve Brown and Motherwell director Derek Weir.
Also being discussed will be a proposal to amend the controversial 11-1 voting majority requirement on major financial issues to 8-4, removing what has essentially become a power of veto for the Old Firm clubs, who habitually vote together. Any rule changes would apply imminently.
How will it go? It has been impossible to say. Every club has said something about the vote in recent weeks or days, although some have actually said next to nothing. Dundee United's Thompson said it was "stressful" trying to square commercial realities with the need for sporting integrity (ie if Rangers shed their debts and tried to return as a newco).
Rod Petrie, the Hibernian chairman, said "sporting integrity is beyond purchase" and, on a similar line, St Johnstone's Brown said he would vote for sanctions on any newco Rangers. On the other hand, Kilmarnock's Michael Johnson said commercial benefits may "outweigh" sporting integrity, and Sergejus Fedotovas of Hearts said that the authorities should focus more on learning lessons from the Rangers crisis than punishing the club. All other clubs have said little or nothing.
And what of the SPL's newest club? Ross County will take their place at an SPL meeting for the first time today. Veteran chairman Roy MacGregor admitted to being an open-minded interloper on it all. "I haven't had any briefings as such, I just want to listen to the arguments as the new kid on the block. People are probably hoping that a Rangers CVA will take away some of the problems if that can be sorted. No-one has tried to lobby me. It's been very quiet. That tells me that everyone is not quite sure about the commercial aspects against the sporting integrity issues.
"This has to settle with a degree of integrity and with some commercial sense. It needs to settle for the good of Scottish football. The difficulty is that if some of the SPL representatives vote for some of these resolutions they are going to put their own club at risk, so we are really getting to the heart of some gory stuff. "
Being in the SPL will be fun for MacGregor, but maybe not this morning.
