‘EMBARRASSING…CRAZY STUFF,’ SUTTON’S VERDICT ON VOTE FALL-OUT

CHRIS SUTTON insists “it’s on the heads of the clubs who voted against” as the SPFL proposal to end the season early stalled.

The 42 clubs were asked to vote on a motion that would have seen the lower leagues halted immediately, while giving the Scottish football bosses the power to make the same decision with the top flight at a later date.

The resolution was passed in the Premiership, League One and League Two, but one Championship club – Dundee – failed to register an acceptable vote and the proposal; could not be actioned, as CQN reported.

Basically, it means Celtic’s right to be awarded their ninth successive title will be delayed until the entire process is ratified – and that could take up to a month.

In total, three clubs, including Hearts because of a technical hitch in the top flight, failed to cast a vote and former Celtic striker Sutton, now a top media pundit, believes the fall-out could have disastrous consequences with some clubs pushed towards bankruptcy.

The one-time England international, speaking on BT Scottish Football Extra, said: “I do think that if these measures don’t get the adequate backing it’s inevitable, it’s an absolute shoo-in, that certain Scottish clubs will go bust.

“I think then it’s on the heads of the clubs who voted against these proposals.

“That will be their burden and they will be the clubs to blame.”

Fellow-pundit Michael Stewart backed his former side Hearts and the Ibrox club in their insistence that the season be completed, with the latter proposing that prize money is paid out now.  Sutton called the stance of the Govan outfit “embarrassing”.

He hit back at Stewart and said: “Mikey may as well have been wearing his Hearts shirt with that.

“Come on, Mikey! If Hamilton were bottom we know you wouldn’t be banging the drum for this.

“With regards to the Hearts statement, I get that Ann Budge is defending her club and doing what she thinks is right.

“But Hearts have been the worst club in the division and the truth is it’s not ideal, but they deserve to go down – we’re a long way through the season.

“And then we move on to the Rangers statement. Come on, it’s embarrassing, really.

“So, Rangers want the prize money, they want it here, they want it now. But they don’t want the season to be called?

“That’s crazy stuff, isn’t it?”

Celtic were 13 points ahead at the top of the Premiership with only eight games to play when the game went into cold storage in the middle of last month.

It is inevitable they will be awarded the championship – it’s a question of when and not if.