Hearts chairperson Ann Budge has confirmed to Sky Sports that the Tynecastle club will pursue legal action should they be relegated from the Scottish Premiership.
With the league shutdown threatening to abandon the current season, reports have suggested the SPFL will award the title to current leaders Celtic and relegate the Edinburgh side [Wallace].
But after earlier reports suggested Budge and Hearts were readying a legal defence [EEN], the Tynecastle chair spoke out amid the debate.
“It depends on how you read the rules, and I don’t read the rules that way,” said Budge [Sky Sports].
“So I think if the season was deemed to be ended then you have to go back to the rules and the rules very, very clearly state that the competition comprises 38 games.
“Clearly we all know that we have not played 38 games so I don’t think it’s as simple as somebody can say ‘let’s just deem everything to be as it is and take it from there’. I don’t think that’s reasonable.
“I’d love to be able to finish the season but if we can’t then I think we need to be pragmatic about it and take a view on premature ending.
“I would have to [raise a legal defence].
“Because I fundamentally disagree.
“Because there are so many options it’s difficult to sit here and say: ‘well I would do this, I would do that’.
“I am not of a view that it’s a reasonable thing to do, nor can I see who would benefit. How does that help anybody?
“In a situation where we’re all confronting issues that nobody ever imagined we’d have to confront, who benefits? I just can’t get my head around it.
“I’ve already made my position known – in a non-confrontational manner I’d like to say – but I have put my arguments over (to the SPFL).”
The comments of Ann Budge come after Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson released a statement concerning the Ibrox club’s position on the matter.
Robertson revealed that Rangers believe any attempt to shorten the league season calls into question the integrity of the entire sport in Scotland.
Whilst many reports would have supporters believe otherwise, this situation appears far from over.
