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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gabriel McKay

Celtic title and Hearts relegation - where things stand as SPFL summit hits key stage

Lower league clubs could vote to end their season early as the SPFL hosts crunch talks on how to deal with the coronavirus shutdown today.

But a final decision over the Premiership is expected to be deferred until later in the month.

All football in Scotland has been suspended since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed the lives of over 6,000 people in the UK alone.

There are growing fears that the 2019-20 season will not be able to finish, with the 42 SPFL clubs involved in a series of conference calls this afternoon.

Record Sport understands the board will ask clubs in the lower leagues to bring their season to an early end.

However, top clubs have been warned by UEFA that ending the season prematurely could impact on Champions League and Europa League places.

It's therefore likely that any future vote on ending the season early would be subject to approval by the governing body.

Ending the season with the table as it stands would see Celtic crowned champions and Hearts relegated. The Jambos have threatened to sue for damages if relegation is imposed before 38 games have been completed.

That means a final decision on the 2019-20 season is likely to be deferred for as long as possible.

However, if the lower leagues are called it would mean Dundee United gaining promotion and Partick Thistle being relegated from the Championship despite neither being mathematically assured when the season stopped.

(SNS Group)

Clubs in Belgium have already indicated their intention to call the league as it stands and make Club Brugge champions, but that decision has been referred to UEFA's executive committee.

On Wednesday the Eredivisie warned the governing body that it would make its own decision on how to complete the campaign.

As things stand Europe's big five leagues - the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 - appear to be backing UEFA's stance that the season must be finished.

That could make SPFL bosses wary about striking out in a different direction.

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