Bryan Jackson: Ann Budge the ideal person to fight any Hearts relegation as a result of Coronavirus

Ann Budge is ready to engage in battle if Hearts are relegated following the Coronavirus pandemic, and the club’s former administrator Bryan Jackson believes she is the ideal person to lead what would be a “difficult” legal challenge.

The Scottish Football Association and Scottish Professional Football League have yet to decide whether the season can be completed after suspending all games indefinitely on Friday. The British Government may intervene, with further meetings due to take place over the coming days.

The situation is causing concern for general public health amid the unpredictability of the virus, with one Hearts player already in self-isolation as a precaution.

Sitting bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership and four points adrift, officials at the Edinburgh club fear they could be automatically demoted with eight matches of the league still to be played.

Jackson successfully helped the club out of administration in 2014 whilst working at financial restructuring firm BDO. He formed a close relationship with Budge at the time and is convinced the Edinburgh businesswoman would rally strongly against any attempt to send Hearts down.

"I'm sure she would,” said Jackson. “If the decision is just made and that's it, then it might be difficult to fight. There are appeals and everything, of course. It might be hard to fight a decision like that but who you would want in charge. It would be Ann in that situation, wouldn't it?

"She has that [possible relegation] hanging over her, depending on what decisions are made. The whole situation is just so hellish for so many people. You can't change the position Hearts are in right at this point in time. But it comes back to, who would you want in charge? You would pick her if you could.

"She is a proven successful businessperson. This is a very difficult situation, it has caught us all cold and it has accelerated very quickly. If something unexpected like this is going to happen, then she is the type of person you would want to deal with it. She has the financial nous, which has to be a plus.

"Financially, she is decisive and very positive. She is very experienced so you could hardly have a better person in charge at this stage. I can't imagine her shirking from any challenge relating to this.”

Jackson also believes Hearts’ Edinburgh rivals Hibs have the correct leader in chief executive Leeann Dempster. Scottish clubs will face increasing financial issues the longer football remains suspended but Dempster harbours plenty experience of the game in this country.

"She has been through it all,” explained Jackson. “She has managed Motherwell, she has managed Hibs for a while now and she is well-versed in dealing with finances. Again, Hibs are probably as well-placed as they could be with Leeann in charge.”

The alarm for Hearts, Hibs and every other club in the UK and beyond is the uncertain timeframe for football’s suspension. Were it to last several months, there is a genuine risk of teams going out of business with no income from matches.

"The close season is budgeted for, so clubs no there is no income at that time. This has come out of the blue,” said Jackson. “It's totally different from anything before. As you know, we've had mismanagement in the past in football but this is outwith people's control.

"I think, speaking generally, the financial management of football clubs has improved over the years. Most clubs budget quite well, but that doesn't change the fact that most clubs don't have much in reserve.

"You always try to put the best team you can on the park, within your resources, and that balance has and always will be difficult.

"We don't know the timescale for this. If it was really short, say a month, it would affect clubs but not critically. They would survive. They could catch up most of the income once the games started again, even if it meant cramming in two per week or whatever.

"If you're looking at a shutdown of three months or six months, then you really do fear: 'How would clubs survive?' I don't think many clubs would have the reserves to pay out wages and all their expenses. With zero income, it is bound to have adverse effects.”

Issuing SPFL prize money early is one suggestion which has been mooted, but that would first require definitive moves to end the season and decide issues of champions, promotion and relegation.

Jackson acknowledged that some kind of financial assistance may be necessary if the virus-enforced sabbatical continues for weeks on end.

“The SPFL’s finances could be hit as well but if there is money available and there is no timescale, then yes they will be under pressure to make decisions so they can pay out the money. Or, they may need to make some interim payments to clubs to keep them going. What their resources are to do that, I don't know.

"The problem we have is not knowing the timescale. If it was a month, then we could talk about it. If it was six months, it would be terrible but you would know what you were dealing with. It's the unknown which is making things difficult.

"The speed of things has moved so quickly. Everybody thought there would be games to go to over the weekend, but all of a sudden it was a total shutdown.”