Last night, shortly after I published my final article of the day, the story broke that Murdoch MacLelland, the SPFL chairman, had written to all the member clubs to inform them that the Ibrox contract breach was to be discussed at the next board meeting.
The media itself has been trying to downplay this issue, but that’s a curious thing because these same outlets have, over and over again, sought to remind us that in Scotland only two clubs truly count in terms of how the game is marketed and advertised, and this is reflected right across the commercial side of the game.
Others know this all too well, which is why they are concerned even if the press wants to tread carefully and not make the full implications of this clear.
But they are clear where it matters, in the boardrooms across the country where Ibrox’s actions and the potential effects of them are understood perfectly.
This is a serious risk to the well-being of other clubs.
Celtic and the club across the city are the reason the SPFL is even remotely attractive to advertisers and TV companies at the present rates.
I wish it were not so. I wish this game had learned its lesson in 2012 and weaned itself off of its dependency on some form of Glasgow axis, but it never has and now never will.
But one of those clubs is reckless and arrogant and has no interest in the greater football community.
This is an act of vandalism, being done just because they can, with motives that I suspect and more spiteful than the media wants to let on or the club wants to admit.
Because this game is filtered through the Glasgow axis, there is a very real chance that their decision not to co-operate with the league sponsors will collapse the sponsorship deal.
It is the SPFL’s own responsibility to make sure that its members comply with the regulations and respect contractual agreements. If they are failing in that duty then sponsors and advertisers have every right to view that as a breach of contract and walk away from the table.
And this is the second biggest club in the country which is refusing to play ball, one of the two so-called pillars of the game.
That’s easily a crisis serious enough to invalidate the deal and if Cinch walk away from it, which is hardly unlikely, a lot of clubs that were breathing a sigh of relief having gotten out alive from the global health crisis will be slashing costs again just to survive.
Ibrox’s actions put some of them in danger.
Even grave danger.
There might actually be an existential threat to some of them.
Ibrox doesn’t know whether that’s the case or not, and its directors don’t care.
It shouldn’t surprise us that people willing to gamble with the future of their own club don’t mind risking other people’s, but it should, at least, confront folk in other boardrooms with cold reality.
When the SPFL board meets it should be to consider sanctions, and those sanctions should reflect the full seriousness of what Ibrox has done.
If the deal collapses the SPFL should sue begin proceedings against the club for the loss of income and damages. It should expel Ibrox’s directors from holding any roles on the Executive.
The with-holding of prize and sponsorship money ought to be a given.
One club cannot be allowed to imperil others or the rules are a joke and the enforcement arm of the governing body is as toothless as fairytale hag. They cannot be allowed to get away with this or what’s the point in even having regulations?