CALUM CROWE: The scale of the Scottish Premiership was by no means the largest drawback right here… it is the person in command of the SPFL

If Barry Hearn was calling the photographs in Scottish soccer, Neil Doncaster would have been handed his P45 and marched out the entrance door of Hampden a very long time in the past.

Again in 2014, at a time when the newly-formed Scottish Premiership had been with no title sponsor for 18 months, Hearn delivered a scathing verdict on the SPFL and its chief govt.

Talking at an SFA conference, the grandmaster of sports activities promotion, stated: ‘If you happen to labored for me [and couldn’t find a sponsor], you’d be sacked.

‘You may have a lot good in Scottish soccer, so many optimistic issues, however you don’t promote your self. You don’t do sufficient for yourselves. I’m seeing an excessive amount of self-pity.’

Hearn is all the time effectively value listening to on the subject of problems with sports activities advertising and governance. It is a man who as soon as flogged bottles of aftershave emblazoned with photos of snooker gamers and helped Chas and Dave to a top-10 hit within the charts.

Fortunately for Doncaster, he didn’t work for Hearn, particularly when the exact same factor occurred only a few years later.

Between 2020-21, and for the second time underneath Doncaster’s reign as chief govt, the SPFL failed to draw a title sponsor.

When a brand new accomplice was ultimately discovered, Doncaster and the SPFL made such an almighty mess of the cope with used automotive firm cinch that they most likely wished it had by no means occurred within the first place.

Having warned the SPFL of the pitfalls from the outset, Rangers efficiently fought a authorized case which decided that they have been underneath no obligation to make use of cinch branding as a result of a pre-existing settlement with the automotive firm owned by then Ibrox chairman Douglas Park.

Left with critical egg on their face, the SPFL have been pressured to concern an apology and pay out a six-figure sum in damages after Rangers had taken them to courtroom.

Holding a break clause within the contract, cinch subsequently terminated their sponsorship after simply three years of what was presupposed to be a five-year settlement.

The truth that one of many greatest golf equipment within the nation didn’t have to make use of their branding and logos? Effectively, one can solely think about what position that performed of their resolution to stroll away.

These are simply among the most high-profile situations of Doncaster’s ineptitude, however the full checklist of failures is intensive since he first took workplace as chief govt of the outdated SPL in 2009.

And that’s why there can be numerous supporters throughout Scotland who may have checked out Doncaster’s feedback on league reconstruction this week and felt their blood beginning to boil.

In an interview with Nutmeg Journal, Doncaster stated: ‘One of many issues we’ve on this debate is that what followers say they need just isn’t the identical as what followers can pay for a ticket to go to.’

The crux of Doncaster’s level was that, whereas followers may declare they need a much bigger top-flight with extra groups, it’s a smaller league which drives curiosity and income.

He wasn’t mistaken when he stated there isn’t a silver bullet on the subject of league reconstruction. Converse to 10 completely different individuals and you may fairly simply have 10 completely different proposals on what it ought to appear to be.

However for the chief govt of the SPFL, a person whose litany of failures needs to be a supply of embarrassment, to be so dismissive and declare that followers don’t actually know what they need?

It was patronising. Followers don’t have to be lectured like that. Actually not from a man whom quite a lot of soccer followers view as a puppet for sure golf equipment throughout the SPFL.

When information got here by means of on Tuesday afternoon that any notion of creating adjustments to the highest flight had eager kiboshed, you questioned what the purpose had been within the first place.

Why was the problem even being talked about once more when battle and disagreements between member golf equipment made it clear that Premiership reconstruction was by no means going to get off the bottom?

These plans won’t ever, ever find yourself in something however whole failure till adjustments are made to the 11-1 voting setup required for such proposals. It’s a pointless train.

A few of what Doncaster stated just lately didn’t actually add up. He claimed the SPFL fixture calendar is on the verge of being ‘unmanageable’ as a result of UEFA increasing their European competitions.

However groups within the Scottish Premiership play the identical variety of matches (38) as groups within the English Premier League.

English groups additionally invariably advance additional in these UEFA competitions, which means they should play extra matches.

For context, Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final with Paris Saint-Germain final night time was their 53rd sport of the season in all competitions.

Celtic have performed 52 matches to date this season and reached the Champions League knockout rounds. Rangers have performed 54 and reached the Europa League quarter-finals.

Hearts have performed 47 video games, which took in a Europa Convention League marketing campaign. Aberdeen and Hibs have performed 45 and 42 matches respectively.

So it’s probably not true to say that the schedule is ‘unmanageable’. Stretched? Yeah, most likely. However the growth of UEFA competitions isn’t actually the problem right here. That’s a cop-out.

It was additionally deceptive for the SPFL’s chief working officer Calum Beattie to state that fixture congestion performed a component in final season’s Dens Park pitch fiasco between Dundee and Rangers.

The rationale that sport needed to be known as off and pushed again umpteen instances was as a result of truth Dundee couldn’t get their affairs so as and couldn’t get their pitch in a playable state.

That the match was solely simply performed in time previous to the cut up had completely nothing to do with fixture congestion.

The congestion was merely a by-product of Dundee neglecting their pitch. It can be crucial to not conflate the 2 points.

Previous to rearing its head once more just a few weeks in the past, the subject of league reconstruction was final mentioned in April 2020 when the pandemic set in.

In a survey of three,250 members, the Scottish Soccer Supporters’ Affiliation discovered that 84 per cent needed an finish to the present format of groups taking part in one another 4 instances a yr within the Premiership.

That may imply an expanded league and a discount within the variety of Previous Agency matches. Perish the thought.

Doncaster continues to champion the Sky TV deal – which has lengthy had the Previous Agency match as its crown jewel – and it stays one of many final straws he’s clutching. In his view, something that endangers that’s to be opposed.

A smaller league ensures 4 Previous Agency video games per season. 4 golden eggs to promote to the broadcasters.

However why was he even voicing his opinion on this at a time when talks about any potential reconstruction stay ongoing?

As he’s invariably fast to level out, it’s his job to control, to not rule. The SPFL is what the golf equipment need it to be. The golf equipment maintain the ability, not Doncaster.

When he begins attempting to sway the argument a method or one other, you’ll be able to perceive why some followers really feel irritated.

It’s actually not his job to be attempting to form the argument a method or one other. As a chief govt with a remit to control moderately than impose any guidelines, he ought to preserve a impartial stance.

Why? As a result of he’s the top of the organisation. He’s the chief govt of the SPFL – and never all of the member golf equipment throughout the SPFL agree on what reconstruction ought to appear to be.

He sits on the head of the desk. It’s his job to facilitate debate, to not actively take part within the debate.

The Speaker of the Home of Commons doesn’t warn MPs concerning the pitfalls of a brand new coverage. Nor ought to Doncaster search to champion any transfer to a smaller league.

Remunerated to the tune of £453,000 per yr, he’s handsomely paid for what he does.

Nonetheless, when the actually huge points comes up, like golf equipment in monetary disaster, like potential sanctions in opposition to pyrotechnics and yobbish supporters, like golf equipment being ordered to pay damages to victims of sexual abuse, he performs conceal and search.

Completely nowhere to be seen, he does the outdated Homer Simpson factor of disappearing backwards right into a hedge.

Doncaster survived an SPFL governance overview final yr, which got here on the again of his botched dealing with of the dispute between Rangers and cinch.

Rangers have basically been at battle with him since their 2012 meltdown. The Ibrox membership really feel he ought to have been faraway from workplace way back.

Together with Aberdeen, Livingston, Motherwell, St Johnstone and St Mirren, Rangers have been one in every of six golf equipment who expressed ‘critical issues’ about Doncaster’s governance and the independence of the overview.

So, although the the problem of reconstruction has been introduced again to the desk, the dimensions of the league is basically solely a small a part of the issue.

What ought to trigger larger concern for golf equipment within the SPFL is that the man sitting on the prime of the desk actually isn’t match for workplace. His governance has lengthy been proven to be incompetent.

Barry Hearn known as Doncaster out for what he was again in 2014. An empty jersey. A person who brings no actual worth or management to the desk.

Because the SPFL’s prime man lectures followers on the rights and wrongs of league reconstruction, these phrases really feel as true now as they did 11 years in the past.