Jim McInally wants decision-making power given to SPFL chief or executive committee as he says Scottish game ‘has let itself down’

When Jim McInally looks back over the last three months the Peterhead manager can scarcely believe what has transpired in Scottish football.

On March 13, football was stopped in this country due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since then the game has seen a bungled attempt to end the 2019-20 season, which eventually passed.

Talk of bullying and coercion by the SPFL, an EGM on whether to hold an investigation into the governing body and talk of reconstruction to ensure no club was harmed by the season finishing early, which turned out to be talk and no more.

Now, a legal challenge from relegated Hearts and Partick Thistle is on the cards.

McInally, who has been Blue Toon manager for nearly nine years, believes it’s been an embarrassing episode for Scottish football.

Scotland’s longest-serving gaffer felt a vote to pass reconstruction to 14-10-10-10 was the way to draw a line under the last few months.

It would have ensured no club as harmed as there would have been no relegation and Inverness Caley Thistle, Falkirk, Edinburgh City, Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts would also have been promoted.

McInally said: “Scottish football has let itself down massively, right from the start.

“We needed strong leadership and guidance. Look everybody has been thrown into turmoil to a certain extent, but we still didn’t get it.

“But, after everything that went on over the last few months, for only 16 to come out in favour of reconstruction to 14-10-10-10 shows how selfish football is.

“It’s probably going to get even more ruthless going forward because of the teams that have been scored.

“If reconstruction is ever mentioned again, who knows how that’s going to play out because people have got long memories and the division surrounding reconstruction will only deepen.

“For the teams that have been relegated – especially Partick Thistle with their game in hand – it’s not right and it doesn’t sit well with me.

“Scottish football had a chance to make things OK, but we didn’t do it.”

McInally believes in the future changes need made when it comes to how Scottish football makes decisions.

With 42 clubs discussing and voting on issues reaching consensus has often proved problematic.

McInally reckons giving the head of the SPFL, currently chief executive Neil Doncaster, the power to make decisions or setting up an executive committee of people who have been involved in the game but are no longer connected to clubs might be a better way.

He added: “The whole period has been a poor one for Scottish football and I don’t think the game has covered itself in glory.

“For me, going forward, I think somebody’s got to be given the power to make decisions.

“Whether it’s Neil Doncaster, somebody else or an executive committee – somebody needs to be given the power.

“I think the SPFL, after what’s gone on over the last few months, need to alter how decisions are reached.

“Why not put an executive committee in place to make the big decisions and take it out of the hands of the clubs?

“There are a lot of good football people out there who are doing nothing and aren’t connected to clubs like members of the current SPFL board.

“I hope we’ve learned from the last few months to ensure similar things don’t happen again, although I don’t know if that will happen.”