Hearts owner feels 'disrespected' by Premiership sides over reconstruction

Hearts owner Ann Budge has accused her Premiership counterparts of ‘appalling disrespect’ over their outright dismissal of her task force's plan to restructure the Scottish football pyramid.

Budge has threatened to join chiefs of other affected clubs in taking further action if a cancellation of the top-flight season is announced, with the Championship, League One and League Two already ended early.

Budge had hoped to convince clubs to accept a revamped three-division system, which would have swollen the top-flight to 14 teams and allowed Inverness to be promoted, while those in relegation trouble across the Scottish Professional Football League - including Hearts - would retain their current status.

In a lengthy statement Budge said: “No matter what the task force was able to agree, it was always going to fail if the Premiership would not agree to enlarge the top tier. Yesterday, it was made very clear that a number of clubs were not prepared to do so and nor were they prepared or interested in discussing the matter further.

“I intimated at the start of the meeting that I had prepared a paper, which I planned to send to them following the meeting, which outlined my arguments in writing as to why they should agree to expand the league. They were determined, however, to take a vote as they didn't want this topic to carry forward to the next meeting. This is so appallingly disrespectful to everyone on the task force.”

Budge rejected suggestions her plan had been motivated by self-interest.

She said: “It is fundamentally wrong that any club should be unfairly penalised by exceptional decisions that have had to be taken to deal with the current crisis. I would stand by that view, regardless of Hearts' own position.

“If something is wrong, it is wrong and we should all be doing our utmost to correct that wrong. To pour more financial hardship on specific clubs, given what we are all going through both now and for the foreseeable future, is both outrageous and shameful.”

Hearts face relegation should the Premiership follow the other leagues in being cancelled.

Partick Thistle and Stranraer have already had their relegations confirmed from their respective divisions, while non-league champions Buckie Thistle and Kelty Hearts have been denied a chance at promotion.

Thistle have already issued an angry response, claiming to have been “forgotten, ignored and patronised” by the SPFL.

And Budge warned: While the Premiership has not yet been called, should it be so, with Hearts

Partick Thistle were bottom of the second tier and met the effective confirmation of their demotion with fury, echoing a previous statement by Falkirk chairman Gary Deans.

A club statement read: “The Partick Thistle board is deeply angered by the decision to halt league reconstruction...it is hard to see this a considered decision about reconstruction, it smacks more about the settling of scores within the Premiership.”

“The way that this news was made public before clubs affected by the decision knew - and before they could inform staff and players - was a disgrace.”