I know this is mentioned elsewhere, but felt it worthy of a sticky of its own in case anyone doesnt hear about it in other ways ....

The SPL have changed the venue for this weekend's game against Gretna. It will now take place at the original venue of FIR PARK, Motherwell instead of Almondvale Stadium, Livingston.

http://www.ictfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News...1279512,00.html

What a bunch of idiots the SPL are! I hope no one had bought train or bus tickets to Edinburgh/Livingston prior to this announcement!  :008:

This article explains the rationale ....

http://sport.scotsman.com/spl/Gretna-given...-for.3936129.jp

--- Motherwell promised to charge only a nominal fee for rent when the club fell into administration.

--- the prohibitive cost of renting Almondvale Stadium to stage the matches was seen as a key factor for the administrators to consider closing down the club.

So basically, it was Fir Park or bust .....

So Motherwell are effectively giving away the use of their stadium to maintain the benefit of their Gretna fixtures points advantage over rivals like Dundee Utd.

Not that you can blame them for acting in self-interest, and of course they can claim the moral high ground of helping a fellow club survive.

But ~ 5 days notice of the change is an absolute scandal!

But ~ 5 days notice of the change is an absolute scandal!

I agree with you, but ..... Would you prefer 5 days notice of a change of venue or 5 days notice that the game was cancelled .... thats the inference in the article. If the game wasnt moved back, Gretna could not afford to pay Livi, the game wouldnt go ahead, and tha administrator would likely pull the plug ......

I agree with you, but ..... Would you prefer 5 days notice of a change of venue or 5 days notice that the game was cancelled .... thats the inference in the article. If the game wasnt moved back, Gretna could not afford to pay Livi, the game wouldnt go ahead, and tha administrator would likely pull the plug ......

The 2nd one. Gretna are dying and are on life support from the SPL. The SPL seem to be doing whatever they can to try and get the club to limp to the end of the season before they dump them onto the SFL while inconveniencing fans in the process whereas the best thing to do would be just to let them die. The administrator is wanting to wind the club up and has said even if they make it to the end of the season this will likely happen anyway. The SPL just don't want a bigger mess than they already have to clean up.

And Motherwell are hardly innocent here either. Their ground now no longer has working USH! Has their pitch been relaid? This whole Gretna saga underlines just what an absolute joke the SPL is. Falkirk and St. Mirren should be spitting blood at the suits at this latest shambles.

The SPL - what an utter shambles the whole outfit is. What an advert for Scottish football. Root and branch reform long overdue here.

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If I ran the SPL I would do whatever I could to ensure Gretna limp on until the end of the season (or at least to the split, at which point I'd let their results stand and just have a 5 team bottom "6"). A bit of inconvenience and bad press here and there is surely better than the alternative.

I have booked hotel in Livi - can I claim compensation - I reckon that the fact that I am going to have to drive to Well and back to Livi will cost at least 6 double feckin voddies.  :crazy07:

My mum was going to book a hotel in livi lucky she didn't!!

I'm no going to the game  :020:!!

it's so unfair!!