So, to the winners and losers in this part of the country if the SPFL end-of-season masterplan gets voted through.
In descending order, let’s start with St Johnstone. Another top-six Premiership finish and an extra £100,000 in the bank for leap-frogging Hibs. All good so far.
Dundee United? They wanted and deserved their title-clinching party but in the post-coronavirus football world, all that matters is they are in the top flight when the ball comes back out. The spectre of null and void has been banished.
It will of course be a far less satisfactory conclusion to 2019/20 for United’s city neighbours.
Form had picked up at Dens, second place in the Championship was starting to look realistic and, although they wouldn’t have been favourites in the play-offs, James McPake’s side would have been in with a fighting chance of bouncing back to the top flight.
Dunfermline and Arbroath also both still had a shot at the promotion play-offs but were they likely to go up through them? Not for me.
Raith Rovers and Forfar Athletic won’t be voting against the proposals, that’s for sure. The former was by no means certain to edge out Falkirk in the League One title run-in and the latter was heading into the relegation play-offs having won just once in 10. Where do we sign, Mr Doncaster?
Montrose and East Fife have been denied a shot at play-off progression but it would have been a big ask, while the same is true for Cowdenbeath in League Two.
And so we arrive at the biggest winners of them all – Brechin City.
That they were heading into a two-legged, nerve-shredding fight for their SPFL survival was beyond doubt. That the Glebe Park side are now instead spared the above should enable their fans to get a half-decent night’s sleep at last.
And that brings us to the biggest losers, the big-spending side Brechin were likely to face in the pyramid play-off, Kelty Hearts.
For their sake, let’s hope the SPFL commitment to consult with clubs about reconfiguring the leagues in time for next season is more than just a throwaway token gesture. This is no time to pull up the draw bridge and let an aspirational outfit like Kelty fall into the moat.
