Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
Celtic Football Club have been crowned Scottish Premiership champions for the ninth successive season after the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) decided to end the current campaign.
The decision comes after a two-hour-long SPFL board meeting on Monday morning where the clubs decided to end the current campaign and focus on getting football back for the 2020/21 season.
A meeting was also held on Friday with no decision reached, but clubs have now voted in favour of calling the season on an average points per game basis.
SPFL chief executive Mr Neil Doncaster said: “On Friday, Ladbrokes Premiership clubs expressed their clear and unanimous view that there was no realistic prospect of completing the outstanding fixtures from Season 2019-20.
“The SPFL Board met this morning and in line with the express agreement of member clubs in April, the board determined that League Season 2019-20 and the Ladbrokes Premiership be brought to an end.
“This decision now enables us to pay out around £7million in fees to help clubs stay afloat during this incredibly difficult time. We will begin processing these payments immediately.
“The focus of all those involved in the game will now turn to how we get football up and running again safely as soon as possible.
“Nobody should be under any illusion as to how complicated and difficult a challenge it will be to return Scottish football to normality.
“We will be liaising with Government on the best way forward and working to ensure that all of our 42 clubs are playing football again as soon as humanly possible.”
Before the league was suspended on March 13, the new champions were 13 points clear at the top of the table with eight games remaining.
Celtic’s victory sees the side claim their 51st league title, and with their ninth consecutive title, they match the feat set by themselves between 1965/66 and 1973/74.
The decision brought about displeasure to some clubs because Hearts Football Club relegated to the Championship for the second time since 2014.
The club has now threatened legal action over unjust relegation.
Last week, the German Bundesliga became the first European league to restart its suspended season due to the coronavirus.
All other major European leagues such as La Liga, Premier League, Serie A are waiting to resume their suspended season.
Football across the world had come to a halt in the month of March due to COVID-19 pandemic but with gradual easing of lockdowns, some may return and others won’t.
