AFTER Rangers had suffered their cataclysmic off-field implosion back in 2012, the spokesman for one of their supporters’ organisations made a chilling prediction for the game in this country.
Doubtless irked by the pygmies who had been gleefully agitating for the Ibrox club to be stripped of every honour they had won since their formation in 1872 and consigned to the Highland League, he forecast a grim future for Scottish football without his heroes at its forefront. “It will become a wasteland,” he said.
His apocalyptic prophecy didn’t come to pass. Life continued as normal for those in the top flight. Celtic may not have faced meaningful challenges to their dominance in the four years their city rivals were absent. But no club experienced financial difficulties, never mind folded.
Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Ross County and St. Mirren all won the League Cup while Hibernian, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and St Johnstone prevailed in the Scottish Cup.
Meanwhile, part-time outfits like Elgin City, Peterhead and Stirling Albion all benefitted enormously from the presence of the Glasgow giants in the lower leagues. Their crowds shot up and their bank accounts swelled.
When Rangers finally secured their place in the Premiership back in 2016 everything looked pretty much the same as it had when they departed. Crisis? What crisis?
It showed that harbingers of doom can, like an Alfredo Morelos shot on goal in an Old Firm game, be well wide of the mark.
Yet, those who have warned of dark days ahead for Scotland’s provincial clubs when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the return of fans to stadiums would be delayed further last week should be taken very seriously.
The start of the Championship, League 1 and League 2 was pushed back to October 17 by the SPFL in the hope that lockdown restrictions would be relaxed and a limited number of socially distanced spectators could be allowed in.
That looks, with the number of people testing positive for coronavirus increasing alarmingly, some way off despite two successful “test events” at the Global Energy Stadium and Pittodrie.
How can Annan Athletic, Cowdenbeath and Stranraer survive without gate receipts? As Stenhousemuir chairman Ian McMenemy explained following the Holyrood bombshell “a number of these clubs have no way of generating other income”.
The members of the Scottish senior leagues rely on the money they take in at the turnstiles to stay afloat. It accounts for 43 per cent of clubs’ turnovers. You don’t need to be Warren Buffet to figure out what the outcome will be if that cash dries up.
It is, then, to be hoped that Nigel Huddelston, the UK Minister for Sport and Civil Society, is sympathetic to their plight and prepared to provide some sort of recovery package in the days ahead. Without it, many much-loved and historic institutions face going out of business.
Their demise may not impact on the performances of the national side or the standard of the professional game here. But their loss would be devastating to local communities.
Many areas of society are looking for aid from Westminster. But Scottish football is as deserving of it than any of them given the joy it gives to huge numbers. As Stephen Robinson, the Motherwell manager, last week stressed, it has an important role to play in raising the morale and protecting the mental wellbeing of the population.
If no assistance is forthcoming, many of the traditional heartlands of the sport are in real danger of becoming football wastelands.
AND ANOTHER THING
THE news that James Forrest may not be fit to play for Scotland in the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Israel at Hampden on Thursday week due to the ankle injury he suffered in the Europa League qualifier against Riga in Latvia last week is concerning.
The Celtic winger may not be suited to the 3-5-2 formation that national manager Steve Clarke experimented with in the Nations League matches against Israel and the Czech Republic earlier this month.
Having to play at wing back could well have been the reason he failed to make a significant impact on proceedings in the first of those outings.
Clarke has options if Forrest is ruled out. Liam Palmer took over from him in Olomouc and provided the pass that set up Lyndon Dykes for his first-half equaliser. Still, it will be a blow if he is missing.
But not having any fans in attendance will be far more damaging to Scotland’s chances of reaching their first tournament finals since France ’98.
It was certainly a significant factor in their subdued display against Willibald Ruttensteiner’s side three weeks ago and was one of the first points Clarke raised following the final whistle.
Andy Robertson and his team mates will have to raise themselves against opponents who have been handed a major boost to their chances of progressing without the Tartan Army roaring them on.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel