Neil Doncaster warns that Hearts’ legal action could cost other clubs

SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster has warned that any legal
action challenging Hearts’ relegation from the Scottish Premiership will cost
the other 41-clubs money as his organisation does not hold cash reserves.

Hearts relegation was confirmed on Monday when the SPFL
board ended the Scottish Premiership season early after it was unanimously
decided that the 2019/20 season could not be completed.

Ann Budge has stated that she will fight the decision claiming that the cost of a legal battle would be less than those incurred by relegation.

Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership – Heart of Midlothian v St Mirren. Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK. 09/11/2019. Pic shows: Hearts’ Centre-Forward, Uche Ikpeazu, barges his way past St Mirren midfielder, Stephen McGinn, as Hearts play host to St Mirren in the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership, Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. Credit: Ian Jacobs

Former Chairman Leslie Deans has urged Budge to not only sue the SPFL, but also to take legal action against other clubs who voted to send Hearts’ down to the Championship.

Budge is hoping that a reconstruction plan that would save
the club’s top flight status will be accepted by a sufficient number of club but
that seems unlikely.

The full cost of taking legal action will be substantial for
everyone concerned.

“It’s really important that any club makes its own
decisions because they are an independent business,” Doncaster told Sky
Sports News.

“Although they are one of 42 member clubs within the
league, each club – and the board of each club – has to do what’s right for
their club, but any action that’s taken by any member against the league
ultimately is taken against members as a whole.

“We don’t hold reserves year to year, so any action
that any one individual club takes, effectively the burden of that would fall
on all the other members.”