Hearts supremo Ann Budge reckons the SPFL proposal WON’T pass on Friday - after speaking to clubs in the top two flights of Scottish football.
Clubs across the country have until 5pm on Friday to vote on whether to conclude the bottom three leagues on an average points basis.
A decision on the Premiership will be deferred but the plan would give the green light for the top-flight to follow suit should it reach a stage where the campaign could not finish.
Under the proposal, Celtic would be crowned champions and Hearts - four points adrift at the bottom with eight games to go - would be relegated.
Budge warned last month that her club would take legal action if they were relegated prematurely - insisting that nobody would benefit from such a scenario.
For Friday’s resolution to pass it requires 75 per cent of the top flight, 75 per cent of the Championship and 75 per cent of League One and Two combined in favour.
But Budge told Sky Sports: “Based on the conversations I have had - and I’ve talked to a number of clubs in the Premiership and Championship although I haven’t talked to League One or Two clubs because I don’t have the ready contacts - but I don’t believe this will be supported."
Budge previously warned of a legal battle if Hearts were to be demoted prematurely - but her stance appears to have softened ahead of the vote.
She added: “We are where we are in the league positions and if everything is talked about and that is what the community of football clubs believe is right then I will not fight it till the death. How is that going to end?
“If we have to deal with relegation we will deal with relegation.
“But I do just keep coming back to the point of who is going to benefit?”
Livingston earlier became the first top flight club to publicly back the SPFL proposal.
But the vote could be tight with no end in sight to the shutdown brought about by the coronavirus crisis.
Rangers last night produced a members resolution calling for the season to continue and for an interest free loan to be distributed to all clubs and set against the prize money they would receive come the end of the season.
The Ibrox club believe that would be a better alternative than calling the four divisions early to allocate much-needed funds.
Hearts backed Rangers last night with Budge stating: “Heart of Midlothian will not be voting in favour of the proposal as it stands.
“Over the past 24 hours, in advance of today’s meetings, a number of clubs have been discussing possible options and sharing ideas.
"Many of those clubs believe, as we do, that a decision of such magnitude requires significantly more discussion and debate than has been made available to us.
“I absolutely understand that finding an equitable outcome for all will not be easy. However, I firmly believe that we must try to find a solution which ensures that no club should be penalised as a consequence of these exceptional circumstances.
“It was emphasised today that some clubs, particularly those in the lower leagues, need funds to be released to help them navigate their way through this exceptional situation.
“I do not accept however, that this resolution needs to be passed in order to release those funds. If the Government can change the laws of the land, within 24 hours, to cope with this crisis, then surely it cannot be impossible for Scottish football’s governing bodies to modify rules to get things done.
“This is a time for pragmatism, not rules. There are other ways of addressing the current financial challenges and as such we will be supporting the Members Resolution being put forward by Rangers.”
