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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark Pirie

Lower league reality of SPFL crisis plan failure revealed as contract chaos awaits

Albion Rovers would be plunged into chaos if the League Two campaign restarts – with no players signed past the SFA lockdown deadline.

The Coatbridge side backed the SPFL crisis plan which would see league positions decided and teams receiving their end of season payouts.

However, the Championship teams failed to reach the 75 per cent mark required to green light the plan last weekend, with 28 days for one second tier team to cast their vote.

The SFA additionally announced that squads won’t even be able to train together until June 10.

With a decision seemingly on hold, the Cliftonhill board face an impossible choice of offering players new deals with no income or signing a new squad if the campaign resumes with contracts expiring on June 9.

Albion Rovers will host Cowdenbeath next month (Stuart Vance/Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser)

Secretary Colin Woodward urged the governing body to issue clarity to the cash-strapped lower league sides.

“It’s frustrating because all we want is a path out of this and a bit of certainty,” Woodward said.

“When we got the form it they asked if you could send your form back by last Friday as a courtesy, and now one club is taking the time allowed by company law as I understand it.

“For us, this really means less financial stability and no chance of planning for the future.

“All of our player contracts end just around June 9 and the SFA say no football will be played until June 10.

"We don’t know what we can afford, and if we will be able to pay players on new deals past that date.

"There has also been ideas floated about playing behind closed doors. So we are not able to offer season tickets, which would help us fund the club, until we know if it’s going to be a full season.

(airdrie and coatbridge advertiser)

“We need to conclude this season in some way very soon. I’ve always been of the opinion that you can let this mess up one year, one season, but don’t let it mess up two.

“Where we will be in 28 days, we don’t really know; we can’t know. We will be slightly worse off at least. The biggest issue for us is we can’t plan for the future, and we can’t plan for next season.

“As it stands, this will be the last time this team plays together and we aren’t in a position to discuss new deals with them yet.

“I couldn’t care less about the Premiership all I want is for Albion Rovers to be able to start next season.”

(Stuart Vance/ReachPlc)

Woodward also added his backing for league reconstruction as a way to “keep as many teams as possible happy.”

He went on: “I would look at a partial reconstruction for next season and forget about the cup competitions.

“If they merged the bottom two and top two divisions, had them play twice, and then had a league split based on positions I think that could work for one season then we go from there.”

Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on  Facebook or find us on  Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.

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