Sophie’s Choice or a rock and a hard place – it’s difficult even to choose the correct cliché to describe the mess John Nelms has found himself at the centre of in Scottish football.
The future of our game lies in the hands of the Dundee managing director, who holds the deciding vote on whether to pass the SPFL’s resolution to end the season and dish out prize money.
He could stick with his original aim of voting ‘no’ and deny the vast majority of clubs across the country that much-needed cash – and the certainty of what the future holds – becoming “a pariah” in the process.
Or he could change up and say ‘yes’ to the SPFL resolution, acting as kingmaker for Dundee United and executioner for Hearts at the same time by bringing an end to the 2019/20 season.
It’s an unholy mess but, somehow, it is the Dundee managing director who holds all the cards for the future of Scottish football.
Nelms’ sparing approach to media duties mean it’s been hard for those outside the Dundee bubble to know too much about him, despite his having been in charge at Dens Park for over six years.
Now, though, the entire country is waiting on his word.
An SPFL board member last season, the American has had ambitious plans like a league match against Celtic taking place in Philadelphia scuppered before and this time wasted no time in snatching his big chance to hold sway over the governing body when it fell into his lap.
If you have missed it all then ignorance is bliss.
All 42 SPFL clubs were asked to vote on a resolution put to them last Wednesday to find a route through the coronavirus lockdown.
A positive vote would have – and still could – put season 2019/20 out of its misery by deciding final standings on points per game; triggering payments to clubs and allowing them to plan for the future.
The vote passed in the Premiership as well as Leagues One and Two but the Championship is the real battleground and remains so four days after Friday’s requested deadline.
Dundee sent their “no” vote via email on Friday, which, along with Inverness Caley Thistle and Partick Thistle’s, would have killed the resolution, leaving it one vote short of the 75% consensus needed.
However, the SPFL said that, somehow, the Dark Blues’ vote never arrived.
Despite proceedings not yet being complete, they still published the results showing one club in the Championship yet to respond.
Now, after requesting the governing body ignore his vote when it did arrive, Nelms can now cast his vote with the knowledge of how the rest of the league voted and can decide which way to go on that basis.
So, what does the future hold whenever Dundee, who still have over three weeks under company law to actually submit their preference, choose their answer?
Going into Friday’s vote, Nelms had joined forces with former Dundee colleague Scot Gardiner’s Inverness and bottom-of-the-table Partick to scupper the SPFL’s plans, saying in a statement on Friday afternoon: “The language in the current proposal condemns clubs to be financially worse off than they already are.”
They made clear to everyone their reasons for voting “no” and seemingly thought they had done so – only for their slip to get stuck somewhere on the way to Hampden.
Having not chosen to then re-send the voting slip, Nelms has now found himself in a pickle.
Sticking with the original “no”, as promised, would deny every club in Scotland money right now – something Raith Rovers chairman Bill Clark says will leave Dundee seen as “pariahs for years” in the game.
A new resolution would need to be proposed to get through the shutdown and find a way to finish the campaign, starting this mess all over again, this time with the 37 clubs who were denied frustrated with Dundee’s actions and likely reluctant to play ball again.
On the other hand, Nelms could change tack and go with the consensus, switching his original vote at a potential cost of forever alienating the clubs he has teamed up with?
Voting “yes” would also make Nelms the Dundee managing director who handed the Championship trophy to Dundee United with one swish of his pen.
While he would be the Tangerines kingmaker – also doing so for Celtic, Raith and Cove Rangers – he would be Hearts’ executioner. Not to mention the Jags and the Stranraer, too.
Flipping from “no” to “yes”, knowing the outcome, would also no-doubt paint Nelms as untrustworthy in the minds of other SPFL clubs in any future dealings.
The American has until the end of the month to decide and may choose to take his time. In the meantime there will be heavy lobbying coming his way, with the SPFL showing they are as desperate to get the resolution passed as certain individual clubs are to see it scuppered.
Nelms’ is understood to be aiming to use his bargaining position to push through either reconstruction, even if that doesn’t see the Dark Blues promoted to the Premiership, or to negotiate a better financial deal for clubs who are to be worst affected.
Yet another unprecedented moment has hit Scottish football during this pandemic but this time the entire fate of the game in this country lies with one man.
Will Dundee supremo John Nelms become a pariah or kingmaker to Dundee United and executioner to Hearts?
Only he can decide.
