On the BBC’s afternoon sports programme Rob McLean chatted firstly to Alan Dick about Thistle’s complaint regarding Motherwell’s ability to sign players while owing ‘football debt’. Alan expressed his love for Motherwell, he was an employee for ten years, and made it clear that the issue was one of principle rather than an attack on Fir Park! He felt that if clubs in administration were able to sign players while owing ‘football debts’ that chaos would ensue.
Bryan Jackson explained that we had no outstanding debts to other clubs and that the players who had their contracts terminated became creditors. He went on to make it clear that the year’s period of interim administration had seen the playing staff reduce from fifty one to thirty players initially with a consequent reduction in the wage bill.
Recently another seven or eight had left and despite signing another three (Marshall, Craigen and Burns) the wage bill had been further reduced. “What does Alan Dick want us to do?” asked Jackson. We have reduced the outgoings by more than fifty percent but in order to pay the creditors the club has to remain a saleable item. In order to do that Terry Butcher has to have a team on the park.
He said that the retention of SPL status (which he had though to be secure) would enhance the prospects of a sale though he said that no realistic purchaser was on the horizon.
McLean asked him about the upcoming decision on Wednesday. “Yes, it is a major concern. The budget has been set with the expectation of SPL football next season.”. He stated that he was optimistic that the decision would be in favour of Motherwell since he believed that the proper procedures had been followed at all times and he was unsure why the issue was to be reconsidered.
The appeal will be heard on Wednesday evening.