The Chairman of Rangers’ rivals Aberdeen, Dave Cormack, has demanded the footballing authorities make a decision as soon as possible on when next season will begin, as quoted by the Scottish Sun.
The Dons recently released a statement suggesting that months without football would have a crippling impact upon their club.
It was stressed that while they had £1.5m in the bank and were, under normal circumstances, in a healthy position, they faced operating costs of around £5m with no projected income if the break from football is as lengthy as many fear.
That’s why, ahead of a UEFA meeting on Wednesday, Cormack is looking for clarity on when the 2020/21 campaign is set to begin.
“It would be good to get some clarity from UEFA and the authorities as to where we go from here,” he said, as quoted by the Scottish Sun. “Everybody is in a difficult position, in an ideal world, with sporting integrity, we play all the games.”
“That’s what everybody wants. But the reality is as the weeks go on that becomes really difficult. I think it’s important for us to put a stake in the ground as to when the next season starts.
“Is it the first weekend in August like normal or do we say it’s the first week of September? These things need to be answered in the next week, the sooner the better.
“The authorities are in a difficult position but hopefully they can come forward and give some clarity as to where we are.”
Verdict
It’s understandable that with all clubs, including Rangers, facing at least a degree of financial strain, the Dons chairman would come forward to call for clarity.
The thinking here is likely that if a date is agreed for the beginning of next season, it would create a clear cut-off point for the current campaign whilst also allowing clubs to plan ahead.
However, the issue right now is the continued uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 outbreak.
There’s still a great deal of debate about when exactly it will peak in the UK and until more facts are established to that end, it’d surely be unwise to make any concrete decisions either on this season or next.
