Hearts legal action

[tHeArAb]

This is getting tasty. How funny would it be if the only vote that was passed (within the correct time frame) was the one where all clubs voted to expel Hearts & Thistle from the league? I hope it happens now. F*ck the Jambos.

[LSArab]

I think you’ve misread that slightly LS. The report says that legal letters have been sent to all Clubs, including United, Cove and Raith. Don’t know why they’ve written it like that which is trying to make out that we’re being individually targeted but it’s definitely all Clubs being threatened in a blanket case. (Or basket case more like).

I like the way that Hearts are wording it that they don’t want to see titles or European places etc not being awarded which is a blatant attempt to try and neutralise Celtic weighing in if there is a threat to them not getting the title but I honestly wouldn’t worry about this. The worst case scenario for us is that Hearts brinkmanship forces through a late reconstruction to 14 - but then how fair would that be for John Robertson at ICT? He’d end up like Club 12 () going into the Premiership with a Championship squad clearly not fit for purpose.

Yes, you are right.

I’m confused though because United have put out that this is affecting the bid for Nesbit?!?

I agree though re reading it does say all clubs have been served with court papers by hearts

Can’t be that our share of the £10 million (and it can’t surely be that much) would derail a bid

Also says in Record the Partick QC lost a similar attempt to avoid relegation in 2004

This is serious for clubs though - who’d lend money to a club or organisation that faced this kind of potential liability ?!!

Spfl should call bluff, fight the case and win. I can’t imagine Budge would be popular with her fans if she does not win and it costs serious money.

Add to that the risk of expulsion - which tbf won’t happen

[shedka]

The SPFL have a QC on board and I'm sure I read he was pretty confident. Ideal scenario, both parties take it all the way, Hearts lose case and a fortune in capital weakening their promotion bid which ultimately costs them many millions. Honestly, I'd rather the fun won the Championship next season and Hearts got beat by Hamilton in the playoff.

Starting to think that way myself then realised you were taking it too far lol, there is no doubt in my mind they were going down though and yes hope they stay down for sure, Mon the smokies

[LSArab]

Starting to think that way myself then realised you were taking it too far lol, there is no doubt in my mind they were going down though and yes hope they stay down for sure, Mon the smokies

Arbroath winning the shortened championship would be dream scenario. I have even started enjoying the Rab Douglas column in the courier and he speaks highly of that team of course!

Used to like Hearts but this whole episode has really annoyed me.

If relegation was worth £8M they should have spent a fraction of that sorting out their losing team

[BudMill90]

Apparently Budge's main objective of the court case is to STOP all promotions this season.

[Shedboy1971]

Apparently Budge's main objective of the court case is to STOP all promotions this season.

seems to be the case, clearly using it to get compo. All 3 have had legally binding documents in relation to promotion as per members votes. I bet there is another vote

[Arabdownsouth]

Apparently Budge's main objective of the court case is to STOP all promotions this season.

They can **** right off with that! No ****ing way, just kick the ****s out and have done with it!

[GFLower]

Call Hearts bluff. I don't think they have strong case at all.

[Charlie arab]

The next vote should be to expel them from the leagues

[arab777]

The next vote should be to expel them from the leagues

It is being discussed. All this nonsense from Budge about fairness has been blown out of the water and any court action trying to argue this can be easily shot down by their desire to penalise clubs who should be playing in the league above next season.


Hearts and Partick Thistle could be hammered by the SFA after holding a £10million gun to the heads of the rest of Scotland’s clubs.

Record Sport understands compliance officer Clare Whyte is currently assessing if the M8 alliance has broken the articles of association by threatening to drag the SPFL into the Court of Session unless they are spared from relegation.

Both clubs have lodged joint papers at Edinburgh’s Court of Session with Hearts demanding an £8m compensation package and Thistle looking for a £2m parachute payment if they are forced to drop down the divisions as a consequence of the coronavirus crisis.

They are also threatening to take out an interdict to prevent the top flight from starting up on August 1 unless their demands are satisfied.

The unprecedented move has provoked a furious response from clubs across the country and yesterday the top brass on Hampden’s sixth floor were busy examining their own rule book to establish if Hearts and Thistle should be dragged up on a charge.

Under article 99 entitled ‘Resolution of Disputes between Members’ the SFA insist any such dispute should be brought before the governing body for arbitration rather than taken into the law courts.

It is also made clear that any club wishing to raise a legal action at the Court of Session must ask for permission from the SFA before doing so.

It reads: “A member, an associated person and/or the SFA shall not take a SFA Dispute to a court of law except with the prior approval of the Board.”

Now Whyte could be set to wade into the civil war which has been ripping through the Scottish game since it was forced into lockdown in March.

Under the rules, any breach of the articles of association is punishable by a raft of sanctions including ranging from fine up to ‘suspension’ and even ‘expulsion’.

The rules state: “A recognised football body, club, official,Team Official or other member of Team Staff, player, referee or other person under the jurisdiction of the SFA if found to have infringed the Articles shall be liable to censure or to a fine or to a suspension or to an expulsion or to ejection from the Challenge Cup Competition, to any combination of these penalties or such other penalty, condition or sanction as the Judicial Panel considers appropriate.”

Meanwhile, Record Sport understands back channel talks between outraged clubs continued yesterday in the wake of the legal move with the potential for a formal request for a vote on whether Hearts and Thistle should be expelled from the SPFL on the table.

One Premiership club told us last night: “There are a lot of discussions going on behind the scenes and the anger is palpable.

“I’ve never known so many clubs to be united by such a sense of fury.”