Possible six pointer for Motherwell

[Footymad]

Will Motherwell's windfall of two 3-0 wins against defaulting opponents be restored? We will find out on Thursday. - External Link

[WoodyG]

Will Motherwell's windfall of two 3-0 wins against defaulting opponents be restored? We will find out on Thursday. - External Link

It would be nice to focus on more than one game at a time and bank the points from two easy wins, whilst keeping a clean sheet. Onwards and Upwards.

[sieb1886]

Perhaps the fact Smeltic were able to fulfill a fixture last night after their circumstances lends itself to a 'positive' outcome for us? And, do the football authorities really want further unwanted attention from Government by being seen to offer the perpetrators a replayed match? I'd say we'll get the points, and their suspended 'fines' are dropped.

[texaco cup]

IMO I hope I am wrong but I think we will have to play both games, and the fines to both St.MIrren and Kilmarnock will have to be paid. Both clubs will be warned that any further Covid breaches by them will result in points deduction. Bigger concern for me is if we lose the next two games and Covid kicks in like they are forecasting in next few weeks and league is stopped or suspended we will be in dire straits. We have to get points from these games somehow.

[Handsome_Devil]

Nothing surprises you in Scottish football any more so I certainly wouldn't go out and stick a wad of cash on any outcome.

But in my decidedly unlearned opinion, I can't see how they can make a case.

You can only really appeal three broad things (and search for procedural errors but we'll assume there's none) - guilt, legality of sentence and proportionality. And they have no chance on the first two because they've admitted their guilt and football rules coming from the age of fire and brimstone, authorities can do virtually anything - imposing a forfeit is certainly permissible.

Their difficulty with proportionality is two-fold.

For a start, what they did was very naughty indeed. We're not talking about a water-logged pitch or faulty floodlight here, their negligence put their players in danger. Not only that, as this is Scotland and not England, Spain etc, the WAGs of players will probably work and some of them will no doubt have mixed with the public and might even be teachers, doctors, carehome workers etc..If that is considered too extreme, football pleaded for special permission to return claiming they faced existential danger - clubs ignoring the agreed protocols and the authorities not clamping down on it will make the government seriously consider withdrawing that privilege, endangering the whole house of cards (if you believe the clubs - which I don't, but that's what they say).

Secondly, the absolute minimum punishment has to be harsher than the benefit gained by postponing the games. St Mirren essentially avoided playing two relegation rivals with a severely weakened team, there is simply no way a small suspended fine balances that out. Dundee United and now Celtic fulfilled fixtures in very trying circumstances brought upon themselves - it would seem ridiculous to now say that chucking in the towel and just playing later would have been the better thing for them to do, not least because everyone else would do that too if it comes. And while we have plenty time to play three games now in January, if things get worse before they get better and there are major outbreaks in April/May, teams need to know that they play or lose for the sake of completing the season.

As a Motherwell fan I'm actually not that bothered about the result - we have no right to free points and as a general rule I'd always rather see us play than not. But as a general Scottish football fan/person in society, it would be absolutely outrageous if they got away with it.

The SPFL should have agreed rules for this case before the season, it was incredibly weak not to (and this is on all 42 clubs, not the board or Doncaster). They were weak again not setting an early high standard by throwing some books at Aberdeen and Celtic back in August. A strong statement here shows football is taking its responsibility seriously - better late than never.

[sieb1886]

Nothing surprises you in Scottish football any more so I certainly wouldn't go out and stick a wad of cash on any outcome.

But in my decidedly unlearned opinion, I can't see how they can make a case.

You can only really appeal three broad things (and search for procedural errors but we'll assume there's none) - guilt, legality of sentence and proportionality. And they have no chance on the first two because they've admitted their guilt and football rules coming from the age of fire and brimstone, authorities can do virtually anything - imposing a forfeit is certainly permissible.

Their difficulty with proportionality is two-fold.

For a start, what they did was very naughty indeed. We're not talking about a water-logged pitch or faulty floodlight here, their negligence put their players in danger. Not only that, as this is Scotland and not England, Spain etc, the WAGs of players will probably work and some of them will no doubt have mixed with the public and might even be teachers, doctors, carehome workers etc..If that is considered too extreme, football pleaded for special permission to return claiming they faced existential danger - clubs ignoring the agreed protocols and the authorities not clamping down on it will make the government seriously consider withdrawing that privilege, endangering the whole house of cards (if you believe the clubs - which I don't, but that's what they say).

Secondly, the absolute minimum punishment has to be harsher than the benefit gained by postponing the games. St Mirren essentially avoided playing two relegation rivals with a severely weakened team, there is simply no way a small suspended fine balances that out. Dundee United and now Celtic fulfilled fixtures in very trying circumstances brought upon themselves - it would seem ridiculous to now say that chucking in the towel and just playing later would have been the better thing for them to do, not least because everyone else would do that too if it comes. And while we have plenty time to play three games now in January, if things get worse before they get better and there are major outbreaks in April/May, teams need to know that they play or lose for the sake of completing the season.

As a Motherwell fan I'm actually not that bothered about the result - we have no right to free points and as a general rule I'd always rather see us play than not. But as a general Scottish football fan/person in society, it would be absolutely outrageous if they got away with it.

The SPFL should have agreed rules for this case before the season, it was incredibly weak not to (and this is on all 42 clubs, not the board or Doncaster). They were weak again not setting an early high standard by throwing some books at Aberdeen and Celtic back in August. A strong statement here shows football is taking its responsibility seriously - better late than never.

Well explained Petrocelli !

[jwok]

No announcement regarding the appeal. I guess the members have not thrown it out - yet.

[Handsome_Devil]

No announcement regarding the appeal. I guess the members have not thrown it out - yet.

Apparently it won't be announced for a bit, even if they laughed them out of court it'll take some time to type that up in legalese.

[texaco cup]

Strange thing is both Saints and Killie haven’t heard anything but both state no dates have been given for when rearranged games are to be played?