Leeann Dempster interview

[Peevemor]

Very informative stuff which covers a lot of ground.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/hibs-leeann-dempster-says-meteor-about-hit-scottish-football-2544368

Hibs’ Leeann Dempster says a ‘meteor’ is about to hit Scottish football
Chief executive leaves reconstruction group to focus on ‘the biggest threat our game has faced’
By Alan Pattullo
Tuesday, 21st April 2020, 7:30 am

The Hibs chief executive was 
speaking after taking on board new responsibilities focusing on what steps are necessary for football to return later this year.

Having excused herself from the Ann Budge co-chaired Reconstruction Group, Dempster will help to find an answer to the million-dollar question – when is it realistic to expect football to return and what must be put in place for games to resume.

She has left Budge and now 13 
colleagues to come up with plans to re-jig the leagues. Dempster has confirmed that the Hibs stance is an “open-minded” one regarding league reconstruction. But she believes other concerns should take precedence.

“At this time, for me, the efforts of the Scottish game should be looking at the meteor which is about to hit us,” she said. “I think this whole episode is the biggest threat the game has faced.

The Easter Road chief executive is now a member of a Joint Response Group sub-group chaired by SFA president Ian Maxwell and vice-president Mike Mulraney looking at football operations, including the welfare and training of players and re-opening stadia in preparation for competitive action returning.

At present football in this country is officially suspended until further notice and until at least 10 June. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she did not expect football to return 
“any time soon” at her daily briefing yesterday.

“We’re starting to challenge ourselves with what we need to be thinking about,” said Dempster. “How to get people back into our stadiums. Get them partially full or get them fully open?

“If you think about that given 
where we are just now with social distancing, etc, you can see where the challenge is going to present itself. And if we don’t get thinking about it now and we don’t get some practical plans in place and practical advice in place, then irrespective of what we might want, we are not going to be ready.”

In her twitter bio, Dempster writes: “I now leave politics to the politicians”. Not any longer. Dempster says the group will be guided by Holyrood and health officials in the first instance. But she argues that it’s better for Scottish football to have some involvement in these discussions rather than simply wait to be told what to do. There has to be to-and-fro. The threat to the Scottish game as we know needs to be recognised.

“The joint response group is linked directly into government and that relationship is a strong one,” she said. “The response group has fed information back to club in a timely way.

“And we’re not challenging government, we’re not challenging health officials. We need to prepare ourselves for every opportunity and 
every eventuality.

“We can see the impact social distancing is having not only on the virus but everybody’s lives. There are some new normals at the minute. And there will be a new normal for football. We need to figure out what that is.

“Unfortunately what’s happened is we’ve spent time focusing more on disagreements in the game. In the last week, I’ve sensed a wider desire from people – in Scotland and beyond – to share information on where we go next.

“If we sit back and wait to find out what that is, it will be whatever 
somebody tells us it is – as opposed to working together and agreeing on something.

“It’s not beyond the will and the wit of us, collectively, to come up with a plan that works in the best interests of everybody but allows us to do what we normally would in life. Football is one of those things.”

The First Minister discussed the prospect of closed-door games yesterday but appeared to pour cold water on the idea being implemented any time soon. Uefa has already stated that top-level football will “no doubt” be played without supporters when it returns initially. This brings its own problems, particularly in Scotland where gate revenue is so important to clubs.

“The biggest source of income is what comes through the gate – for many, many clubs,” said Dempster. “Coronavirus is making us do a lot of different and innovative things. We need to move our feet quickly, in football. As we have more conversations, we will have more ideas. Ideas on content.

“The bigger relationship with supporters is important. How we communicate to them what the next six months might look like. We need to work together to see if they’ll accept that, if we can’t get them into the stadiums – and whether we can deliver the content a different way that they find acceptable.”

Like many, Dempster is unconvinced reconstruction is the most compelling issue facing Scottish football when clubs are facing potential bankruptcy. Re-formatting the league should be done properly if at all and with a view to lasting decades as opposed to just a couple of seasons, as has been suggested.

“At this time, for me, the efforts of the Scottish game should be looking at the meteor which is about to hit us,” said Dempster.

“We are open-minded to league reconstruction,” she added. “But it would have to be a reconstruction that is progressive and looked at the opportunities in the game over the next five or ten years. Not something that is just rushed or temporary.

“We believe the biggest issue facing the game in Scotland is not reconstruction, it’s getting our whole game back up and running. The club’s position, as has been discussed at board level, is it would have to be a solution that is good for the game as a whole, is not short term – and something that could unite the game behind it. It has to be genuinely innovative and not just a quick fix for one season.”

On the chance of finishing the current campaign, Dempster said she will be “open-minded”. She explained: “If we were just to say it’s not happening, we’re not giving 
ourselves a chance.

“It’s going to be hard, we won’t pretend otherwise. But there is no requirement for us to be making decisions now, to call it now. We’ve got some time. It would be too quick to do so. Things are changing all the time and we need to give it every opportunity.”

[JimBHibees]

Interesting interview. As she says a much more productive use of her time at this juncture. Seems to clearly rule out a short term reconstruction.

[SideBurns]

Very informative stuff which covers a lot of ground.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/hibs-leeann-dempster-says-meteor-about-hit-scottish-football-2544368

Hibs’ Leeann Dempster says a ‘meteor’ is about to hit Scottish football
Chief executive leaves reconstruction group to focus on ‘the biggest threat our game has faced’
By Alan Pattullo
Tuesday, 21st April 2020, 7:30 am

The Hibs chief executive was 
speaking after taking on board new responsibilities focusing on what steps are necessary for football to return later this year.

Having excused herself from the Ann Budge co-chaired Reconstruction Group, Dempster will help to find an answer to the million-dollar question – when is it realistic to expect football to return and what must be put in place for games to resume.

She has left Budge and now 13 
colleagues to come up with plans to re-jig the leagues. Dempster has confirmed that the Hibs stance is an “open-minded” one regarding league reconstruction. But she believes other concerns should take precedence.

“At this time, for me, the efforts of the Scottish game should be looking at the meteor which is about to hit us,” she said. “I think this whole episode is the biggest threat the game has faced.

The Easter Road chief executive is now a member of a Joint Response Group sub-group chaired by SFA president Ian Maxwell and vice-president Mike Mulraney looking at football operations, including the welfare and training of players and re-opening stadia in preparation for competitive action returning.

At present football in this country is officially suspended until further notice and until at least 10 June. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she did not expect football to return 
“any time soon” at her daily briefing yesterday.

“We’re starting to challenge ourselves with what we need to be thinking about,” said Dempster. “How to get people back into our stadiums. Get them partially full or get them fully open?

“If you think about that given 
where we are just now with social distancing, etc, you can see where the challenge is going to present itself. And if we don’t get thinking about it now and we don’t get some practical plans in place and practical advice in place, then irrespective of what we might want, we are not going to be ready.”

In her twitter bio, Dempster writes: “I now leave politics to the politicians”. Not any longer. Dempster says the group will be guided by Holyrood and health officials in the first instance. But she argues that it’s better for Scottish football to have some involvement in these discussions rather than simply wait to be told what to do. There has to be to-and-fro. The threat to the Scottish game as we know needs to be recognised.

“The joint response group is linked directly into government and that relationship is a strong one,” she said. “The response group has fed information back to club in a timely way.

“And we’re not challenging government, we’re not challenging health officials. We need to prepare ourselves for every opportunity and 
every eventuality.

“We can see the impact social distancing is having not only on the virus but everybody’s lives. There are some new normals at the minute. And there will be a new normal for football. We need to figure out what that is.

“Unfortunately what’s happened is we’ve spent time focusing more on disagreements in the game. In the last week, I’ve sensed a wider desire from people – in Scotland and beyond – to share information on where we go next.

“If we sit back and wait to find out what that is, it will be whatever 
somebody tells us it is – as opposed to working together and agreeing on something.

“It’s not beyond the will and the wit of us, collectively, to come up with a plan that works in the best interests of everybody but allows us to do what we normally would in life. Football is one of those things.”

The First Minister discussed the prospect of closed-door games yesterday but appeared to pour cold water on the idea being implemented any time soon. Uefa has already stated that top-level football will “no doubt” be played without supporters when it returns initially. This brings its own problems, particularly in Scotland where gate revenue is so important to clubs.

“The biggest source of income is what comes through the gate – for many, many clubs,” said Dempster. “Coronavirus is making us do a lot of different and innovative things. We need to move our feet quickly, in football. As we have more conversations, we will have more ideas. Ideas on content.

“The bigger relationship with supporters is important. How we communicate to them what the next six months might look like. We need to work together to see if they’ll accept that, if we can’t get them into the stadiums – and whether we can deliver the content a different way that they find acceptable.”

Like many, Dempster is unconvinced reconstruction is the most compelling issue facing Scottish football when clubs are facing potential bankruptcy. Re-formatting the league should be done properly if at all and with a view to lasting decades as opposed to just a couple of seasons, as has been suggested.

“At this time, for me, the efforts of the Scottish game should be looking at the meteor which is about to hit us,” said Dempster.

“We are open-minded to league reconstruction,” she added. “But it would have to be a reconstruction that is progressive and looked at the opportunities in the game over the next five or ten years. Not something that is just rushed or temporary.

“We believe the biggest issue facing the game in Scotland is not reconstruction, it’s getting our whole game back up and running. The club’s position, as has been discussed at board level, is it would have to be a solution that is good for the game as a whole, is not short term – and something that could unite the game behind it. It has to be genuinely innovative and not just a quick fix for one season.”

On the chance of finishing the current campaign, Dempster said she will be “open-minded”. She explained: “If we were just to say it’s not happening, we’re not giving 
ourselves a chance.

“It’s going to be hard, we won’t pretend otherwise. But there is no requirement for us to be making decisions now, to call it now. We’ve got some time. It would be too quick to do so. Things are changing all the time and we need to give it every opportunity.”

Sensible, calm, considered. What seems clear is that Hibs have no interest in a temporary reconstruction, whether that be for one or two seasons. I expect many other clubs will take a similar view.

[Green_one]

Typically well constructed response from Leeann. It does very much point out the elephant in the room. The reality is clubs are going to, at best, be very badly financially hit and several will go to the wall fairly quickly.

As an aside I worry that this may be Hearts redemption. Sort of last man standing league position.

[hibsbollah]

A meteor is about to hit us? On top of all the pandemic misery? FFS Dempster kick us while we're down.

[Antifa Hibs]

Typically well constructed response from Leeann. It does very much point out the elephant in the room. The reality is clubs are going to, at best, be very badly financially hit and several will go to the wall fairly quickly.

As an aside I worry that this may be Hearts redemption. Sort of last man standing league position.

Which is why reconstruction should be off the table and survival should be the main focus for any groups and the league.

Once the government has announced when it will allow football to be played either with or without fans then clubs can discuss the Hertz situation.

[greenpaper55]

She is right about the storm that is about to hit not just football but life itself for s good few months if not more. If football returns and the distancing thing is still in force then you are looking at a crowd of 5k or so to give people the safe distancing ! No club can maintain the levels they are at with crowds two thirds down unless players wages are cut to mere mortals levels ie 1k a week(wish i earned that) we live in interesting times !

[jacomo]

Peevemor, are you agreeing that LD should have nothing to do with Budge’s silly ‘task force’ now?

I can see Scottish football going in two directions now: in one corner, a daft Budge with extraordinary self-regard shouting about unfairness, and in the other all the grown ups trying to work out a sensible plan for next season.

[Bostonhibby]

Peevemor, are you agreeing that LD should have nothing to do with Budge’s silly ‘task force’ now?

I can see Scottish football going in two directions now: in one corner, a daft Budge with extraordinary self-regard shouting about unfairness, and in the other all the grown ups trying to work out a sensible plan for next season.I think this is the way it will, and should go, and whilst I'm sure people can attend to more than one thing at a time I'd say each of the clubs must surely have more pressing and immediate priorities than working out how they can help Mrs Budge save Hearts for one season only for her to dump some of them the season after.

Some are now trying to make sure the game as a whole gets through this, Budge is focused on stopping the bottom team and the team that's been the worst team all season being relegated. She required a legacy and her money back when she left and she's created an expensive shambles that gets massively worse when they go down.

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

[Peevemor]

Peevemor, are you agreeing that LD should have nothing to do with Budge’s silly ‘task force’ now?

If LD's decided to concentrate on something else, participating in this other sub-commiittee, then that's fine by me. I wasn't fussed either way for her being in the reconstruction task force - the only point I was making was that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing if she was. For what it's worth I'm happy with what she's saying in the above interview.


I can see Scottish football going in two directions now: in one corner, a daft Budge with extraordinary self-regard shouting about unfairness, and in the other all the grown ups trying to work out a sensible plan for next season.

I think Budge and a couple of others will get plenty coverage over the next few weeks but they'll shut up once their plans are knocked on the head (at least as far as HMFC are concerned).

The fact that LD & her group are working with the authorities to put together a plan can only be a good thing and will hopefully help avoid any shouting and bawling further down the line.

[jacomo]

If LD's decided to concentrate on something else, participating in this other sub-commiittee, then that's fine by me. I wasn't fussed either way for her being in the reconstruction task force - the only point I was making was that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing if she was. For what it's worth I'm happy with what she's saying in the above interview.



I think Budge and a couple of others will get plenty coverage over the next few weeks but they'll shut up once their plans are knocked on the head (at least as far as HMFC are concerned).

The fact that LD & her group are working with the authorities to put together a plan can only be a good thing and will hopefully help avoid any shouting and bawling further down the line.


I’ve no doubt Budge will make a lot of noise. It will make good copy for journos but the people who matter will stop listening.

In the grand scheme of things, Hearts’ fate is a side issue. It’s typical of their parochial world view that they don’t see this.

[CockneyRebel]

If LD's decided to concentrate on something else, participating in this other sub-commiittee, then that's fine by me. I wasn't fussed either way for her being in the reconstruction task force - the only point I was making was that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing if she was. For what it's worth I'm happy with what she's saying in the above interview.



I think Budge and a couple of others will get plenty coverage over the next few weeks but they'll shut up once their plans are knocked on the head (at least as far as HMFC are concerned).

The fact that LD & her group are working with the authorities to put together a plan can only be a good thing and will hopefully help avoid any shouting and bawling further down the line.


I reckon LD has played a blinder here. While Budgie is fannying around trying to persuade other clubs to save hers from relegation, LD is working in tandem with the government and health officials on practical and crucial forward planning for the benefit of WHOLE of Scottish football.

[green day]

I’ve no doubt Budge will make a lot of noise. It will make good copy for journos but the people who matter will stop listening.

In the grand scheme of things, Hearts’ fate is a side issue. It’s typical of their parochial world view that they don’t see this.

I see the Guardians golf correspondent has continued his one man crusade :greengrin


https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/21/the-voting-farce-questions-the-spfl-must-answer-but-hasnt?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

[Ronniekirk]

Interesting interview. As she says a much more productive use of her time at this juncture. Seems to clearly rule out a short term reconstruction.

She sees the Bigger Picture
Anne Budge is only interested in keeping Hearts from Getting relegated


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hibbyfraelibby]

Better to be involved in the Post-Pandemic new order than squabling about the ordering of the deckchairs on the Titanic

[Argylehibby]

I reckon LD has played a blinder here. While Budgie is fannying around trying to persuade other clubs to save hers from relegation, LD is working in tandem with the government and health officials on practical and crucial forward planning for the benefit of WHOLE of Scottish football.

:agree: and making Budge look like the stupid, selfish **** she really is.

[jacomo]

I see the Guardians golf correspondent has continued his one man crusade :greengrin


https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/21/the-voting-farce-questions-the-spfl-must-answer-but-hasnt?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard


He is an insufferable buffoon.

This entire piece is shot through with ‘how can we save Hearts from relegation?’ but he thinks he is cute enough to disguise it.

The big question - as LD recognises - is this: when can we restart professional football in Scotland again? Everything else is just noise.

[Tug Wilson]

Better to be involved in the Post-Pandemic new order than squabling about the ordering of the deckchairs on the Titanic

Budge has previous for ordering chairs

[007]

I reckon LD has played a blinder here. While Budgie is fannying around trying to persuade other clubs to save hers from relegation, LD is working in tandem with the government and health officials on practical and crucial forward planning for the benefit of WHOLE of Scottish football.

Totally agree. I'm glad she's giving the reconstruction side-show a body swerve to focus on the bigger picture.

Leeann comes across a million miles better than Budge does. Budge always sounds exasperated in interviews, even when she's got Tom English helping her along.

[KeithTheHibby]

I see the Guardians golf correspondent has continued his one man crusade :greengrin


https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/21/the-voting-farce-questions-the-spfl-must-answer-but-hasnt?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard


He’s a grade A cock.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Which is why reconstruction should be off the table and survival should be the main focus for any groups and the league.

Once the government has announced when it will allow football to be played either with or without fans then clubs can discuss the Hertz situation.

Why should reconstruction be taken off the table? Surely all and any avenues which can mitigate the long term damage of this situation should be on the table, including looking into what benefits reconstruction could have to the game overall.

Leeann confirms something I said in other posts. A) Hibs aren't fundamentally opposed to reconstruction .... B) Budge has managed to lose the support of Hibs for it with her dumbassed and self serving proposal that it only be for one season, proving what everybody thinks, that she is the last person who should be leading this.

LD also tacitly confirms that closed doors games are of extremely limited value for a league where bums on seats represents over 50% of revenue ... how many clubs would pay per view closed doors games save in this country? She knows that and if you ask me she would be nodding her head in a sage like fashion at my 'Last clubs standing' thread :greengrin

[Antifa Hibs]

Why should reconstruction be taken off the table? Surely all and any avenues which can mitigate the long term damage of this situation should be on the table, including looking into what benefits reconstruction could have to the game overall.

Leeann confirms something I said in other posts. A) Hibs aren't fundamentally opposed to reconstruction .... B) Budge has managed to lose the support of Hibs for it with her dumbassed and self serving proposal that it only be for one season, proving what everybody thinks, that she is the last person who should be leading this.

LD also tacitly confirms that closed doors games are of extremely limited value for a league where bums on seats represents over 50% of revenue ... how many clubs would pay per view closed doors games save in this country? She knows that and if you ask me she would be nodding her head in a sage like fashion at my 'Last clubs standing' thread :greengrin


Because its surely pointless discussing it when we have no idea how many clubs may or may not survive this pandemic? Aim of the game should be to protect the football clubs first and foremost and make sure they survive the immedicate term, then when we have a rough idea when a balls going to get kicked get round the table and discuss reconstruction.

FWIW I'm not overly fussed if Hertz survive it or not. I think us, Aberdeen and Motherwell have avoided relegation before due to technicalities? If they go down we can rip the piss out of them for a season, if they do survive it then we get a derby next season and Hibs are half a million up.

[007]

Why should reconstruction be taken off the table? Surely all and any avenues which can mitigate the long term damage of this situation should be on the table, including looking into what benefits reconstruction could have to the game overall.

Leeann confirms something I said in other posts. A) Hibs aren't fundamentally opposed to reconstruction .... B) Budge has managed to lose the support of Hibs for it with her dumbassed and self serving proposal that it only be for one season, proving what everybody thinks, that she is the last person who should be leading this.

LD also tacitly confirms that closed doors games are of extremely limited value for a league where bums on seats represents over 50% of revenue ... how many clubs would pay per view closed doors games save in this country? She knows that and if you ask me she would be nodding her head in a sage like fashion at my 'Last clubs standing' thread :greengrin

They shouldn't be putting any proposals to the clubs to vote on until we have a reasonable idea when football will restart and can then work out how many games we can fit in for the season coming, with a view to the following season returning to normal.

Increasing the number of clubs (and therefore number of games) just now is madness when it now seems likely next season will have to be a reduced number of games.

By all means start the discussions and work out the best options based on a few different start dates but then wait to see when we're restarting before any voting is done. Personally I don't think there's any point in even starting reconstruction discussions just now.

Budge seems to be pushing for a vote on reconstruction now to save Hearts knowing full well there'll have to be more changes made in a few months when it is obvious it'll be impossible for clubs to play anywhere near 40 games. As far as I'm concerned it is obvious now 40 games isn't going to happen.

[whiskyhibby]

I reckon LD has played a blinder here. While Budgie is fannying around trying to persuade other clubs to save hers from relegation, LD is working in tandem with the government and health officials on practical and crucial forward planning for the benefit of WHOLE of Scottish football.


completely agree, Leeann is looking at the wider picture which has a bigger effect on Hibs

[green day]

It will probably become apparent that the whole "Budge reconstruction task force" is surplus to requirements shortly. I predict it will lose members like snow off a dyke over the next week or so.

We all know that Hearts and Rangers (in a normal year) basically use ST early birds to pay off existing overdrafts and see them through the summer.

Other clubs (maybe even ours) might do a bit of this, but I think those two are particularly exposed - based on their last sets of accounts.

Reconstruction is actually irrelevant - the survival of football clubs and how we actually get back to watching / paying for it are the things that matter (in a footballing sense).

Dempster (and Burrows at Motherwell) have clocked this - not surprising as they both have well run clubs and are not just in it so the media can tell them what smashing people they are.

[offshorehibby]

I stuck this on another thread but probably more relevant here now.

I think the SPFL & SFA have have played a blinder here, firstly they set Budge and her task force of probably knowing full well it'll come to nothing. Then while that's rumbling on they set the real brains including Leeann are looking at the real worry how and when to get football back with 'Joint Response Group'. 5 sub groups chaired by Rod Petrie, tasked on how and when we get football back.

[jacomo]

I stuck this on another thread but probably more relevant here now.

I think the SPFL & SFA have have played a blinder here, firstly they set Budge and her task force of probably knowing full well it'll come to nothing. Then while that's rumbling on they set the real brains including Leeann are looking at the real worry how and when to get football back with 'Joint Response Group'. 5 sub groups chaired by Rod Petrie, tasked on how and when we get football back.


That’s right. Best to keep Budge occupied and out of the way while the grown ups discuss the important issues.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Because its surely pointless discussing it when we have no idea how many clubs may or may not survive this pandemic? Aim of the game should be to protect the football clubs first and foremost and make sure they survive the immedicate term, then when we have a rough idea when a balls going to get kicked get round the table and discuss reconstruction.

FWIW I'm not overly fussed if Hertz survive it or not. I think us, Aberdeen and Motherwell have avoided relegation before due to technicalities? If they go down we can rip the piss out of them for a season, if they do survive it then we get a derby next season and Hibs are half a million up.

At this point we have to work from the premise surely that somehow every major club will survive. But the possibility that we may see a worst case scenario is why I finished the post you quoted the way I did. I cant believe that Hibs, along with a few other big Scottish clubs like the uglies and Aberdeen, don't have it in mind that should it become impossible to save enough clubs for a top league that is in any way competitive to be viable, that new horizons need to be explored.

That wont be front and centre for LD or Hibs just now ... but they would be remiss if it wasn't somewhere in their thinking.

[Ozyhibby]

I wonder if a way of getting on from this lockdown and getting games played is to use Hampden and Murrayfield to host games.
If Hibs were to use Murrayfield then likely only every fifth seat would need to be used. Set the max crowd at 10,000, home fans only and strict social distancing enforced around the stadium.
Teams like Motherwell could use Hampden. Celtic and Rangers could obviously use their own stadiums but limit them to 10,000 fans each.
Teams could use their own stadiums as long as they only sell 1 seat in 5 and have appropriate social distancing measures in place.
I’m just thinking aloud and I’m sure there are a million things wrong with this idea but it needs different thinking if we are to get going again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[007]

I reckon LD has played a blinder here. While Budgie is fannying around trying to persuade other clubs to save hers from relegation, LD is working in tandem with the government and health officials on practical and crucial forward planning for the benefit of WHOLE of Scottish football.

I don't think the Elgin chairman's use of the terms fannying and fudge are by accident. Annie Budge = Fanny Fudge.

[JeMeSouviens]

I wonder if a way of getting on from this lockdown and getting games played is to use Hampden and Murrayfield to host games.
If Hibs were to use Murrayfield then likely only every fifth seat would need to be used. Set the max crowd at 10,000, home fans only and strict social distancing enforced around the stadium.
Teams like Motherwell could use Hampden. Celtic and Rangers could obviously use their own stadiums but limit them to 10,000 fans each.
Teams could use their own stadiums as long as they only sell 1 seat in 5 and have appropriate social distancing measures in place.
I’m just thinking aloud and I’m sure there are a million things wrong with this idea but it needs different thinking if we are to get going again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How do you maintain social distancing getting in and out though? And how far apart are the rows? I can't see it working, tbh.

Behind closed doors with the pubs shut is the only way I think football can work for the foreseeable. The Prem could be shown 3 matches on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. Offer the broadcasters all the matches and see what we can get. We could also consider pay-per-view but that would be an incentive for people to congregate at one location to pay.

[Ozyhibby]

How do you maintain social distancing getting in and out though? And how far apart are the rows? I can't see it working, tbh.

Behind closed doors with the pubs shut is the only way I think football can work for the foreseeable. The Prem could be shown 3 matches on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. Offer the broadcasters all the matches and see what we can get. We could also consider pay-per-view but that would be an incentive for people to congregate at one location to pay.

I was thinking the same way supermarkets do, lots of tape on the floor and organised q’s. Fans told to get there in plenty time etc. We are getting pretty good at just accepting social distancing now.
I’m thinking this is for next season when much of the lockdown will be over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kato]

I wonder if a way of getting on from this lockdown and getting games played is to use Hampden and Murrayfield to host games.
If Hibs were to use Murrayfield then likely only every fifth seat would need to be used. Set the max crowd at 10,000, home fans only and strict social distancing enforced around the stadium.
Teams like Motherwell could use Hampden. Celtic and Rangers could obviously use their own stadiums but limit them to 10,000 fans each.
Teams could use their own stadiums as long as they only sell 1 seat in 5 and have appropriate social distancing measures in place.
I’m just thinking aloud and I’m sure there are a million things wrong with this idea but it needs different thinking if we are to get going again.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkThat's thinking in the right direction, O.

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[Bostonhibby]

I wonder if a way of getting on from this lockdown and getting games played is to use Hampden and Murrayfield to host games.
If Hibs were to use Murrayfield then likely only every fifth seat would need to be used. Set the max crowd at 10,000, home fans only and strict social distancing enforced around the stadium.
Teams like Motherwell could use Hampden. Celtic and Rangers could obviously use their own stadiums but limit them to 10,000 fans each.
Teams could use their own stadiums as long as they only sell 1 seat in 5 and have appropriate social distancing measures in place.
I’m just thinking aloud and I’m sure there are a million things wrong with this idea but it needs different thinking if we are to get going again.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkThere's a lot of merit in this, gets some cash flowing and the game moving again, there'll be some housekeeping to do around distancing and folk will really need to be observant of any rules.

We've got to start somewhere.

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[Col2]

He’s a grade A cock.

That’s being kind. I follow him on twitter and he can’t take an ounce of criticism, hates Hibs to a point of blind bitterness and is so defensive of Queen Ann and his confirmed mate Craig Levein.

Uses his paper as cheerleading for his beloved Hearts. Even the day before Levein went he talked about unlucky injuries, squad quality good and results will turn around. Fud.

[lord bunberry]

Because its surely pointless discussing it when we have no idea how many clubs may or may not survive this pandemic? Aim of the game should be to protect the football clubs first and foremost and make sure they survive the immedicate term, then when we have a rough idea when a balls going to get kicked get round the table and discuss reconstruction.

FWIW I'm not overly fussed if Hertz survive it or not. I think us, Aberdeen and Motherwell have avoided relegation before due to technicalities? If they go down we can rip the piss out of them for a season, if they do survive it then we get a derby next season and Hibs are half a million up.
We’ve never been saved from relegation due to a technicality.

[Peevemor]

We’ve never been saved from relegation due to a technicality.

Correct. IIRC it looked like we might have been one season but in the end we avoided the relegation place.

[lord bunberry]

Correct. IIRC it looked like we might have been one season but in the end we avoided the relegation place.
:agree: We finished second bottom, St Mirren would’ve gone down.

[Kojock]

I was thinking the same way supermarkets do, lots of tape on the floor and organised q’s. Fans told to get there in plenty time etc. We are getting pretty good at just accepting social distancing now.
I’m thinking this is for next season when much of the lockdown will be over.
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I was in Asda yesterday they have a very clear and simple one way system with big arrows on the floor at the top and bottom of ever aisle. There are regular announcements over the shop tannoy requesting everyone abide to the one way system. You wouldn't believe the amount of shoppers going against the flow.

[007]

That’s being kind. I follow him on twitter and he can’t take an ounce of criticism, hates Hibs to a point of blind bitterness and is so defensive of Queen Ann and his confirmed mate Craig Levein.

Uses his paper as cheerleading for his beloved Hearts. Even the day before Levein went he talked about unlucky injuries, squad quality good and results will turn around. Fud.

His articles should be labelled "opinion" instead of being passed off as actual journalism.

[JeMeSouviens]

:agree: We finished second bottom, St Mirren would’ve gone down.

That's true. Were we bottom when relegation was scrapped?

[jacomo]

His articles should be labelled "opinion" instead of being passed off as actual journalism.


He’s like a more guarded Jim Traynor. He tries to hide it but the seethe is there, bubbling away.

[G B Young]

:agree: and making Budge look like the stupid, selfish **** she really is.

Indeed. I've just read Leeann's interview and she's basically pointing out that what we need to focus on is making sure we have some sort of game to come back to after all this is finally under control. Thinly disguised scorn for folk like Budge fussing about irrelevancies like league reconstruction simply to save her own skin while trying to pass it off as being for the good of the game. Leeann strikes me as the grown up in the room here.

[lord bunberry]

That's true. Were we bottom when relegation was scrapped?
I can’t remember, but it’s possible as we had been dreadful that season. I think it was the season Murdo McLeod signed.

[G B Young]

How do you maintain social distancing getting in and out though? And how far apart are the rows? I can't see it working, tbh.

Behind closed doors with the pubs shut is the only way I think football can work for the foreseeable. The Prem could be shown 3 matches on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. Offer the broadcasters all the matches and see what we can get. We could also consider pay-per-view but that would be an incentive for people to congregate at one location to pay.

I agree. We can handle social distancing and queues at a time like this when it comes to necessary outings like a visit to the supermarket, but I suspect most would simply watch on TV at home (or perhaps not at all) rather than bother with the logistics involved in getting in and out of a football stadium. I respect what Leeann is saying about the necessity of working out some way of getting the fans to games, but even if we can get them in and out safely, there's not going to be much pleasure to be had sitting two metres apart during the game.

[JeMeSouviens]

I can’t remember, but it’s possible as we had been dreadful that season. I think it was the season Murdo McLeod signed.

Yep, it was the season after the FTB palaver. I'm pretty sure it had already been announced when we beat St Mirren 4-3. A pretty mental result given all the drab defeats and 0-0s up until then. I can't remember if we had already got above them by then though.

The team that wouldn't die, although half the time that season you just wished they'd get on with it and put us out of our misery. :greengrin

[lord bunberry]

Yep, it was the season after the FTB palaver. I'm pretty sure it had already been announced when we beat St Mirren 4-3. A pretty mental result given all the drab defeats and 0-0s up until then. I can't remember if we had already got above them by then though.

The team that wouldn't die, although half the time that season you just wished they'd get on with it and put us out of our misery. :greengrin
It was dire stuff that’s for sure, the crowds were shocking iirc. The turnaround the following season was remarkable.

[where'stheslope]

I still can't see how calling the 3 leagues over this soon will benefit any club?
The money they receive for the last campaign will only last a month or so, it would have made more sense as start up monies for a new season.
Clubs will fall by the wayside during this time, all we've done is given them hope and let them suffer longer!!

[lord bunberry]

I still can't see how calling the 3 leagues over this soon will benefit any club?
The money they receive for the last campaign will only last a month or so, it would have made more sense as start up monies for a new season.
Clubs will fall by the wayside during this time, all we've done is given them hope and let them suffer longer!!
Once the season is called as over the clubs no longer have to pay the wages for players. The Falkirk chairman was on the radio on Saturday explaining it. I’m presuming the majority of players in the lower leagues are signed up on 1 year contracts or don’t get paid during the close season.

[CropleyWasGod]

Once the season is called as over the clubs no longer have to pay the wages for players. The Falkirk chairman was on the radio on Saturday explaining it. I’m presuming the majority of players in the lower leagues are signed up on 1 year contracts or don’t get paid during the close season.

Yeah, AIUI part-time players are contracted for a season, so the clubs don't pay them in the close season.

In saying that, I thought Falkirk were still full-time?

[mjhibby]

If LD's decided to concentrate on something else, participating in this other sub-commiittee, then that's fine by me. I wasn't fussed either way for her being in the reconstruction task force - the only point I was making was that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing if she was. For what it's worth I'm happy with what she's saying in the above interview.



I think Budge and a couple of others will get plenty coverage over the next few weeks but they'll shut up once their plans are knocked on the head (at least as far as HMFC are concerned).

The fact that LD & her group are working with the authorities to put together a plan can only be a good thing and will hopefully help avoid any shouting and bawling further down the line.

The behaviour of dempster and budge shows exactly the difference between the two. LD is a leader who thinks through her statements and is tremendous at her job and no doubt could have a top job down south. Budge is someone who thought that she would just turn up and make them a force with no knowledge of running a football club. She put her faith in a serial loser and stubbornly refused to listen to folk who knew better. Ld is just bloody good at her job. Queen budge is just way out of her depth.

[Eyrie]

The behaviour of dempster and budge shows exactly the difference between the two. LD is a leader who thinks through her statements and is tremendous at her job and no doubt could have a top job down south. Budge is someone who thought that she would just turn up and make them a force with no knowledge of running a football club. She put her faith in a serial loser and stubbornly refused to listen to folk who knew better. Ld is just bloody good at her job. Queen budge is just way out of her depth.

Budge would be out of her depth in a paddling pool.

[Joe6-2]

I was in Asda yesterday they have a very clear and simple one way system with big arrows on the floor at the top and bottom of ever aisle. There are regular announcements over the shop tannoy requesting everyone abide to the one way system. You wouldn't believe the amount of shoppers going against the flow.

This shows we can never take chances, there are far to many idiots out there who just can’t or won’t stick to rules

[Ozyhibby]

This shows we can never take chances, there are far to many idiots out there who just can’t or won’t stick to rules

We’re taking a risk now that the wipeout of our economy kills a lot more than the virus over the next ten years. And if we don’t get stadiums open again we risk losing our football club.


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[Since452]

I was in Asda yesterday they have a very clear and simple one way system with big arrows on the floor at the top and bottom of ever aisle. There are regular announcements over the shop tannoy requesting everyone abide to the one way system. You wouldn't believe the amount of shoppers going against the flow.

Saw this in my local Spar yesterday. One way system and lines on floor showing people where to stand in queue. A guy came in the shop and walked past everyone the wrong way in queue to see his mate who was in line. Staggering how thick people are.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

The longer this goes on the more likely the horrible apartheid that would be some sort of immunity passport... but I feel that would be a slippery slope.

[Peevemor]

The longer this goes on the more likely the horrible apartheid that would be some sort of immunity passport... but I feel that would be a slippery slope.

It'd be like something from a sci-fi film/series.

[Greenworld]

Very informative stuff which covers a lot of ground.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/hibs-leeann-dempster-says-meteor-about-hit-scottish-football-2544368

Hibs’ Leeann Dempster says a ‘meteor’ is about to hit Scottish football
Chief executive leaves reconstruction group to focus on ‘the biggest threat our game has faced’
By Alan Pattullo
Tuesday, 21st April 2020, 7:30 am

The Hibs chief executive was 
speaking after taking on board new responsibilities focusing on what steps are necessary for football to return later this year.

Having excused herself from the Ann Budge co-chaired Reconstruction Group, Dempster will help to find an answer to the million-dollar question – when is it realistic to expect football to return and what must be put in place for games to resume.

She has left Budge and now 13 
colleagues to come up with plans to re-jig the leagues. Dempster has confirmed that the Hibs stance is an “open-minded” one regarding league reconstruction. But she believes other concerns should take precedence.

“At this time, for me, the efforts of the Scottish game should be looking at the meteor which is about to hit us,” she said. “I think this whole episode is the biggest threat the game has faced.

The Easter Road chief executive is now a member of a Joint Response Group sub-group chaired by SFA president Ian Maxwell and vice-president Mike Mulraney looking at football operations, including the welfare and training of players and re-opening stadia in preparation for competitive action returning.

At present football in this country is officially suspended until further notice and until at least 10 June. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she did not expect football to return 
“any time soon” at her daily briefing yesterday.

“We’re starting to challenge ourselves with what we need to be thinking about,” said Dempster. “How to get people back into our stadiums. Get them partially full or get them fully open?

“If you think about that given 
where we are just now with social distancing, etc, you can see where the challenge is going to present itself. And if we don’t get thinking about it now and we don’t get some practical plans in place and practical advice in place, then irrespective of what we might want, we are not going to be ready.”

In her twitter bio, Dempster writes: “I now leave politics to the politicians”. Not any longer. Dempster says the group will be guided by Holyrood and health officials in the first instance. But she argues that it’s better for Scottish football to have some involvement in these discussions rather than simply wait to be told what to do. There has to be to-and-fro. The threat to the Scottish game as we know needs to be recognised.

“The joint response group is linked directly into government and that relationship is a strong one,” she said. “The response group has fed information back to club in a timely way.

“And we’re not challenging government, we’re not challenging health officials. We need to prepare ourselves for every opportunity and 
every eventuality.

“We can see the impact social distancing is having not only on the virus but everybody’s lives. There are some new normals at the minute. And there will be a new normal for football. We need to figure out what that is.

“Unfortunately what’s happened is we’ve spent time focusing more on disagreements in the game. In the last week, I’ve sensed a wider desire from people – in Scotland and beyond – to share information on where we go next.

“If we sit back and wait to find out what that is, it will be whatever 
somebody tells us it is – as opposed to working together and agreeing on something.

“It’s not beyond the will and the wit of us, collectively, to come up with a plan that works in the best interests of everybody but allows us to do what we normally would in life. Football is one of those things.”

The First Minister discussed the prospect of closed-door games yesterday but appeared to pour cold water on the idea being implemented any time soon. Uefa has already stated that top-level football will “no doubt” be played without supporters when it returns initially. This brings its own problems, particularly in Scotland where gate revenue is so important to clubs.

“The biggest source of income is what comes through the gate – for many, many clubs,” said Dempster. “Coronavirus is making us do a lot of different and innovative things. We need to move our feet quickly, in football. As we have more conversations, we will have more ideas. Ideas on content.

“The bigger relationship with supporters is important. How we communicate to them what the next six months might look like. We need to work together to see if they’ll accept that, if we can’t get them into the stadiums – and whether we can deliver the content a different way that they find acceptable.”

Like many, Dempster is unconvinced reconstruction is the most compelling issue facing Scottish football when clubs are facing potential bankruptcy. Re-formatting the league should be done properly if at all and with a view to lasting decades as opposed to just a couple of seasons, as has been suggested.

“At this time, for me, the efforts of the Scottish game should be looking at the meteor which is about to hit us,” said Dempster.

“We are open-minded to league reconstruction,” she added. “But it would have to be a reconstruction that is progressive and looked at the opportunities in the game over the next five or ten years. Not something that is just rushed or temporary.

“We believe the biggest issue facing the game in Scotland is not reconstruction, it’s getting our whole game back up and running. The club’s position, as has been discussed at board level, is it would have to be a solution that is good for the game as a whole, is not short term – and something that could unite the game behind it. It has to be genuinely innovative and not just a quick fix for one season.”

On the chance of finishing the current campaign, Dempster said she will be “open-minded”. She explained: “If we were just to say it’s not happening, we’re not giving 
ourselves a chance.

“It’s going to be hard, we won’t pretend otherwise. But there is no requirement for us to be making decisions now, to call it now. We’ve got some time. It would be too quick to do so. Things are changing all the time and we need to give it every opportunity.”
I think this is the way it will, and should go, and whilst I'm sure people can attend to more than one thing at a time I'd say each of the clubs must surely have more pressing and immediate priorities than working out how they can help Mrs Budge save Hearts for one season only for her to dump some of them the season after.

Some are now trying to make sure the game as a whole gets through this, Budge is focused on stopping the bottom team and the team that's been the worst team all season being relegated. She required a legacy and her money back when she left and she's created an expensive shambles that gets massively worse when they go down.

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She sees the Bigger Picture
Anne Budge is only interested in keeping Hearts from Getting relegated


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkIts quite funny ok anne you bash on and good luck . I've bigger fish to fry dealing with Holyrood and Nicola Sturgeon. ( no pun intended) oh and will vote no anyway .[emoji39]

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