After Weeks Of Silence, Murdoch MacLennan Finally Comes Out Swinging At Sevco.
The media is in a lather again today, and Sevco social media is in a flap, as Murdoch MacLennan, the SPFL’s chairman, has issued an amazing, detailed, response to his organisation’s critics. Not only has he released a statement, but he’s also tried to answer some of the key questions which have come his board’s way in the last few weeks.
What this amounts to is a detailed slap-down to Sevco in particular, who are leading their little Losers Club rebellion to the certainty of a humiliating defeat.
Even as I write this, they are trying everything so as not to have it happen in full public view.
You’ll notice that The Daily Record has been pushing the idea that clubs can already register “proxy votes” prior to the meeting; where do you think that originated?
I reckon it came from Ibrox.
It was Sevco who told the press to start pushing that line, because if enough clubs do this and vote by proxy the meeting itself is null and void and they don’t have to produce their dossier of evidence. It’s yet another Ibrox bluff and the clubs should call it.
MacLennan knows that Sevco won’t stop with their campaign, no matter how this vote goes, which is why he and others on the SPFL board have already issued the warning that continued feuding will detract from the job at hand; making sure enough clubs survive the current crisis that we might actually see football getting played again.
MacLennan knows what’s really going on here, which is why he hit out at Sevco’s obvious “agenda” in the statement.
Everyone knows what’s really going on, and what has motivated this bizarre series of events. Branding Sevco’s behaviour “unnecessary and inappropriate”, he then went on to address the three clubs responsible in the most no-holds-barred manner.
“You are now being invited, by each of them, to commit the SPFL Limited to uncapped expenditure on an investigation, without defined boundaries, into the SPFL Board and its Executive team, as well as a range of matters related to a resolution which achieved a 80% plus agreed return,” he said, before continuing. “All at a time when we have had no detail or evidence whatsoever of what it is the directors, appointed by you, and our senior employees are alleged to have done ‘wrong’.”
He then went on to slam Sevco for calling for the suspensions of the SPFL’s lawyer and Neil Doncaster;
“At this hugely challenging time, distractions, scapegoating and sideshows are our enemy. We currently have a very small executive team comprising only five senior members of staff who are working tirelessly in the interests of Scottish football. Two of them are the subject of unexplained calls for their suspension.”
MacLennan has been the subject of much speculation, paranoia and grandstanding himself at the hands of the Ibrox club.
He has been targeted in the media and smeared. He does not address these issues, which is entirely wise.
Instead he focused on the effects to the game as a whole if the Ibrox NewCo keeps this nonsense up.
There was a lot of sense in his 4000 word communique.
The Record has tried to slate him for basically answering questions he set himself, but many of these questions are ones I’ve already seen asked in the press and elsewhere. He didn’t have to do any of this, so I thought he acquitted himself and his organisation well.
It’s certainly a far more professional reaction than we’ve seen from Ibrox or Tynecastle lately.
As Scottish football goes through the current crisis it is important to keep up with developments and the key issues. We are determined to do so, and to keep you informed as well. Please subscribe to the blog.