Inverness Caley Thistle chief Scot Gardiner has slammed the "incompetent" SFA for "misrepresenting" the club's position on stopping the Championship season.
Hampden chief Ian Maxwell wrote to all 10 second-tier clubs on Friday to gauge their views on following the lower leagues into a shutdown.
Maxwell insisted one Championship outfit had publicly declared their desire to stop playing - but it appears he may have misinterpreted comments from ICT boss John Robertson earlier this week as the Highland side's official position.
Gardiner has made clear Inverness DO NOT want to stop playing, nor do they want the campaign declared null and void, and revealed his astonishment as calls and texts flooded in from other clubs looking for clarification on their stance.
"It was a surprise to us to receive the e-mail. We didn't have any issue with the question being asked," Gardiner said on BBC Sportsound.
"I concur with the SFA that there should be more consultation. David Martindale said earlier if everyone was speaking you'd probably get to a better place quicker.
"When the e-mail was sent to us, one, we were shocked. I didn't think it was us.
"I was wondering what club has stated that they don't want to play and then I start getting calls and texts from other people in football saying 'is this because of John?' and what he had opined on, which was just his own opinion.
"He echoed Paul Lambert's opinion when he asked, if we're just doing this for commercial reasons, is it fair? Is it moral?
"It wasn't the club's position and it wasn't even John's position, he was just ruminating during a press conference, I thought.
"Last year our name was taken in vain, our position was misrepresented. We got a lot of unwarranted abuse, to be honest.
"By including that line, everything just went crazy last night and this morning. My directors are super principled people.
"They support the club tremendously. We had a good board meeting on Thursday, we've put all the things in place for Covid testing.
"We had 42 tests this week and 42 negatives, we're working very hard. The board take exception when they're getting calls from fans of other clubs saying 'why do Inverness want to stop the season?'
"Nothing could be further from the truth.
"That one line, whoever decided to include that, it's unfair, it's unreasonable, it's misrepresentation, and it's incompetent.
"It shouldn't be said. It's not fair to take John's position during an emotional interview and say that's the club's position."
ICT faced allegations, which they denied, of attempting to have the 2019/20 campaign declared null and void.
And Gardiner insists he's aghast they've been caught up in the storm again.
He continued: "Last year we were misrepresented, and people said we were doing it for one side. This year we're being misrepresented and they're saying we're doing it for another side.
"All we wanted to do is not have Inverness' name taken in vain. I have no problem and I don't think any clubs have any problem, ever, with Ian or anyone else calling us and saying: 'Are you guys fully on board?'
"We were denied the chance last year to get promoted, we finished second, it wasn't anyone's fault we were denied that chance.
"We are desperate to get promoted this year. We've got a lot of games in hand but if we win them we're right back in the mix.
"The main thing that caused us such anxiety is we were represented as not wanting the game to go ahead as as opposed to the other nine clubs and it's not fair on Inverness Caley Thistle.
"That was the main point. We are happy for the SFA to call us and that's what we need more of.
"Pick up the phone, we are always available, and you can say: 'No, no, we're fine'.
"John's point was nuanced, it was a difficult moment for us a number of times over the summer. John and many managers, many chief executives had the same anxieties as every other business in the world.
"We would just rather there was a bit more thought and look at the implications of what they say and do, when they say and do them."
In the quite astonishing radio interview, Gardiner concluded by insisting all the club want this season is to secure promotion on the pitch.
He added: "In the email, Ian says our views will be kept confidential, there's no point in that now, clearly. I'm saying, 100 per cent, our position always was to finish the season and that's what we're hoping we do.
"We're hoping to be in the Premiership next season. We're financially solid, the grant from the Government was a fantastic filip for us financially.
"Nothing could be further from the truth so, to see a line which was alluding to us was... disheartening's not the word.
"Now we want to move on, concentrate on our football and hopefully get a match because we haven't played since December."
On Friday, Maxwell had put forward his rationale for asking the question of Championship clubs.
He said in a statement: "One interview in the media this week prompted a wide-ranging discussion at the Joint Response Group meeting on the ongoing impact of the virus.
"Specifically to those who continue to play and coach within the elite sporting exemption afforded to football.
"Given the need for the Championship clubs to undertake a considerable testing regime in order to continue, there was a strong view that Championship clubs should be asked to confirm or otherwise their willingness to play on during the initial three-week suspension."
