Celtic champions after SPFL ends season

Celtic have been confirmed as Scottish Premiership champions for the ninth season in a row as Hearts relegated after the SPFL ended the season.

The decision was taken at a board meeting on Monday after the 12 clubs agreed at the end of last week that completing the campaign was not possible.

Average points per game played has been used to determine final placings.

The only change to the table sees St Johnstone go sixth, above Hibernian.

Celtic were 13 points ahead of nearest challengers Rangers – having played a game more – when the season was put into a halt. Most teams in the division, Neil Lennon’s side still had eight games to play.

Hearts were four adrift of Hamilton and at the bottom with a possible 24 points available.

“The focus will now turn to how we get football up and running again safely as soon as possible,” he said. “Nobody should be under any illusion as to how complicated and difficult a challenge it will be to return Scottish football to normality,” SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said.

The decision was taken by the SPFL board after a controversial April vote – backed by 81% of clubs – granted them the power to do so should they deem the 49 outstanding games unplayable.

Football at all levels in Scotland is suspended until at least 10 June and Uefa had asked associations to either declare their season or lay out their resumption plans by 25 May.

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 on Monday 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 £7m 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,” added SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan.