On July 27, the SFA Arbitral Tribunal announced its decision,[5] which unanimously declared that Hearts and Partick Thistle`s challenges had failed and that FBCL`s written decision of April 15, 2020 to end the season and decide the league`s positions was justified. [6]. Although no written justification has unfortunately been published, this article will analyze the legal arguments of Hearts and Partick Thistle and address some of the questions that remain unanswered. The bitterness associated with attempts by the Scottish Professional Football League to abandon this season shows no signs of letting up after Partick defied the governing body. Gavin is interested in sports law issues and holds a Master`s degree in International Sports Law from the Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia (ISDE) in Madrid. Gavin is also a member of the Disciplinary Committee of Scottish Athletics and England Boxing. The Rangers railed against the SPFL`s plans from the start, saying on Saturday they had evidence «raising serious concerns» about the league`s actions, with the club calling for the suspension of general manager Neil Doncaster and legal counsel Rod McKenzie. A statement from the club said: «After seeking further legal advice, we were informed that we had the option to take the matter to court. Instinctively, injustice demands reparation.
Thistle said the legal opinion also wondered why the rules could not be changed to free up money for member clubs in times of crisis due to the pandemic. «Given all of this, while we stand by the legal opinion, Council has agreed that we will not bring any `further appeal` against FBCL to overturn the decision. QC for Thistle issues legal opinion: «Dundee FC`s initial vote was cast in accordance with FBCL`s own rules and must be adopted, meaning the resolution falls» Partick Thistle will not take legal action against the FBC following the decision to end the season, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard calling the governing body «absolute disorder». In a statement on Tuesday, Thistle said the legal opinion argued that «the information provided to clubs and the process used to bring about the resolution could potentially be considered a breach of the FBCL`s obligation to provide member clubs with sufficient information to enable them to make a properly informed decision regarding the resolution of the FBCL. «We reiterate that we are uncomfortable with the situation in which Scottish football finds itself in a time of national emergency and have been reluctant to engage publicly. However, as a board of directors, it would be wrong not to share the opinion with our fellow leagues as well as our staff, management, players and fans. The legal opinion obtained by the Jags also argues that Dundee`s original vote must stand, which would mean that the entire resolution would not pass. Following Lord Clark`s decision of 3 July 2020,[1] the action of Heart of Midlothian Plc (Hearts) and Partick Thistle Football Club Limited (Partick Thistle) in respect of their respective teams relegated from the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has been suspended due to the early reduction of the 2019/2020 season and referred to arbitration. This was done in accordance with the provisions of the FBC Regulations[2], the Scottish Football Association Bylaws (SFA Sections)[3] and the Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010. [4] Partick`s statement confirmed his belief that Dundee`s original vote «must be upheld.» He added: «The [legal] opinion highlights the fact that the FBCL has not explained to member clubs any means by which payments could be made other than to demand the immediate end of the current league season. FBCL`s board met Tuesday night without further comment. Their topics include a call from the Rangers for an independent investigation into the vote affair, in which they want to suspend the FBCL`s executive director and legal counsel.
«We have received a joint statement from senior and junior counsel on what can be done to remedy this situation. The QC`s legal opinion concludes: Dundee was apparently on the verge of changing its vote on Tuesday, but issued a statement in the afternoon saying they are still unable to declare their intentions and have begun talks with the league on rebuilding. The club and the SPFL received Partick`s legal document before Dundee made its first comments since the case exploded on Friday. Partick Thistle sought legal advice on the FBCL`s end-of-season resolution, criticised the panel`s voting process and insisted that Dundee`s original vote be upheld. The Hearts president warned that he was optimistic that this decision would be the end of the problem, believing that the SPFL should have «admitted mistakes in the management of this resolution, withdrawn it and asked the clubs to vote again». «It would be hypocritical of us to advocate `no harm` as a reason why we shouldn`t be relegated and then do so.» However, it is now of utmost importance that we do not abandon our efforts to correct this injustice,» said Mr. Budge. We will continue to fight for this. While Thistle assumed moral superiority, Gers CEO Gerrard called for an independent investigation into the SPFL. Please use Chrome browser to get a more accessible video player.
With a successful partnership, we are happy to continue our sponsorship of the club, appearing since then as the main sponsor ahead of the shirt. Most recently, we committed to extending our sponsorship of the club until the end of the 2021/2022 season, a fifth consecutive season of support. Now that this urgent situation has been resolved, a discussion involving all clubs can be envisaged to find the way forward for Scottish football in this unprecedented season.