Dundee United want Championship played to completion

Dundee United believe the outstanding Championship fixtures have to be played and are against finishing the season early or declaring it “null and void”.

United are runaway leaders at the top of the division and were heavy favourites to secure automatic promotion to the Premiership.

The suspension of all football because of the coronavirus crisis leaves the football authorities with difficult decisions to make about the remainder of the season, with promotion and relegation still to be decided.

UEFA have cancelled Euro 2020 to clear space in the calendar to complete domestic seasons if circumstances allow it, and United are clear this would be their preferred outcome.

“My opinion, and that of the board, would be that we would like to see the season through,” United managing director Mal Brannigan said in an interview published on the club’s Twitter feed. “I know the statement that has come through from UEFA very much gives us a bit of clear run as regards getting the league campaign finished.

“We can see the (Euro) 2020s will be held in 2021 and we’re not quite sure yet what is going to happen with the UEFA competitions, the Champions League and Europa League.

“I think the most important thing is that the national leagues be completed.

“We are top and we have been top since day one. We are 14 points clear and we are there on merit.

“We would like to see the season through and if we are still there by the end of the season then we have deserved to be promoted.”

There is currently debate in Scottish football over the best course of action with some suggesting that the best course of action is an early finish with all current league standings being taken as final. United want to win the title on the pitch.

“It is much more important to us as an organisation to have that delivered because of what we have achieved rather than by default,” Brannigan added.

“That’s one of the other options being discussed, more by fans I think than the football authorities.

“The football authorities have a big job on their hands. They have a number of issues to look at and an enormous amount of intricacies to tie up.

“The current situation is that nobody is quite sure where we can be from one day to another.

“Null and void – I can’t see that happening. If the current positions were allowed to stand I wouldn’t like that either.”

PFA Scotland have already rejected calls for games to be played in empty stadiums, insisting it still leaves their members at risk of contracting the virus.

But Brannigan believes it would be an acceptable last resort to allow the season to be played to a conclusion.

He replied: “I think there has to be that view that the season has to play out.

“If that has to be behind closed doors then there are other stakeholders like the players, SPFL and SFA who will be involved.

“If that is the only option for us to win the Championship on merit then I would like to see that.”