As the SPFL’s reconstruction proposal was being kiboshed at Hampden yesterday, four more Premiership clubs took their first steps in preparation for the new campaign.
Pictures emerged of stars from the likes of Rangers, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen who followed Celtic and Ross County in returning for pre-season training.
Yet just as they excitedly arrived in small staggered groups at their respective stadiums and training grounds with a view to kicking off on August 1, events elsewhere cast a shadow of doubt over that start date.
Those who were first out would have been put through their paces by the time the Hearts statement had dropped vowing to take legal action over their relegation with eight games of the season still to play.
But Kilmarnock chief Billy Bowie has called for a line drawn under the ugly episode of curtailing the season and for Scottish football to look forward.
Bowie was at Rugby Park on Monday to see some of his squad arriving and announced Alex Dyer as the club’s new boss on a two-year deal after a weekend which started with the launch of season tickets.
It is the first signs of getting back to some normality with a glimmer of light and hope that the game can emerge from the Covid-19 crisis.
Bowie told Record Sport: “I don’t know if Hearts taking legal action will mean a delay in the season starting but I really hope Scottish football can just move on.
“I’m sure the view a lot of clubs have taken is that they just want to leave it as it is so we can move forward and start back again.
“Maybe reconstruction is something for the future but not just now because the main thing is to get us back playing again on August 1.
“It’s a democratic process so you’ve got to accept the decisions that are made and, while it might not have been what we all favoured, if reconstruction had gone ahead then we would have got on with it.
“People want to move on – that’s certainly our opinion at Kilmarnock. We’re back training and want to get ready to kick off the new season.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t have sympathy for Hearts at the same time as wanting to draw a line under everything and start looking ahead.”
Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson led the Ibrox club’s fight against the SPFL with Ann Budge and Firhill chairman Jacqui Low also at war with Neil Doncaster and Co.
Others playing a part in the controversial vote to end the season were Inverness Caley chief Scot Gardiner who revealed details of a conversation with Dundee officials that saw John Nelms in the firing line.
It wasn’t a good look for the game and wounds could take some time to heal but Bowie said: “I have never been involved in any of the arguments. Everything has been done properly and I haven’t been in the middle of any raised voices.
“We’ve announced our new manager, the boys were back training on Monday morning to focus on getting fit for the first game and season tickets are on sale.
“We launched our season tickets on Friday and fans will be guaranteed 19 games so whatever games they miss in 2020/21 will carry on to the following campaign.
“I was down at Rugby Park for a while on Monday. We’re only taking in six players at a time so they were staggered and we created a new entrance for them out the way.”
