Football chief Paul Lawler has explained why null and void has never been on the table as the SPFL get set for more talks on Tuesday.
Many agenda driven supporters and clubs would like to see that outcome to either avoid relegation or stop their rivals from winning a trophy they were weeks away from landing.
It’s all got very bitter and toxic, yet as much as null and void hasn’t been on the table in any serious capacity — you still find the staunchest of people telling you it’s the only option.
Null and void opens up a can of worms that many football clubs in Scotland could not survive.
If the season was effectively deleted from time then there’s a lot of money men in football who will want their money back. Not just sponsors and TV but even clubs themselves chasing disciplinary fees, right down to away supporters demanding their money back for attending games which didn’t count.
Lawler speaks on why the nuclear option hasn’t been considered. It would start a financial meltdown that could carry on for years.
Quite frankly, the clubs chasing null and void couldn’t afford its implications.
“The English Premier League has an awful lot of money involved, but there is also money invested at our levels and all other levels of the game. The principles are the same.” Lawler told RecordSport.
“People have invested hard-earned money into something that is declared null and void and that causes quite a lot of upset.
“Football-wise, it’s obvious. Some clubs have gained automatic promotion and others are in position to win promotion and it has been taken away, but there are a lot of other unintended consequences.
“That was my complaint to the FA. We rushed into a decision without thinking of those unintended consequences.
“While there are contractual matters with sponsors at Premier League levels, it’s the same for all levels. As a league, I’ve got it for our sponsors.
“Fortunately, we are close to ours and they are understanding of the position we are in, but from a finance point of view, that could have hit our league very hard if you had to pay money back for not finishing a season.
“Clubs have sponsors as well. If they have signed a sponsorship for a season and it is deemed for whatever reason not to have taken place, I’d guess they are within their rights to ask for that money back.]
“If you are a supporter and you have bought a season-ticket for your club, in theory, you are entitled to a refund on that because the club hasn’t fulfilled the contract that was agreed with the consumer.
“Now most football fans are resolute behind their clubs and won’t ask for it back. I haven’t heard about anyone asking at this stage, but it is the principle.
“It’s all in the same thing. Sponsors can come back for money, fans can come back for money, anyone who has paid for something that is deemed null and void has a valid point.
“Clubs quite rightly are saying are we going to get our money back because we have paid quite a lot this season in fines for a season which has technically now not taken place and our records from it have been expunged.
“The FA have said all Disciplinary matters stand for the season. It does seem a bit like double standards a bit.
“It feels like our decision was rushed. Up in Scotland, I know decisions haven’t been made yet and it’s been six weeks since football stopped, but we had to think more cleverly about how to solve this problem as it goes right through the system.”
