[ A tale of two thistles ]

A tale of two thistles: INVERNESS OR PARTICK? FOLLOW THE CHART TO FIND OUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN THIS WEEK 1 Monday, 12noon, Court of Session, Edinburgh.

Lord Brodie resumes hearing a case brought by Partick Thistle on Friday. The Firhill club want an Interim Interdict to prevent the SPL voting on Tuesday on the issue of whether Inverness should be allowed to groundshare at Aberdeen next season. Thistle, who finished bottom of the SPL last season and therefore face relegation, argue the appeals process already launched by Inverness should be seen through to its conclusion.

2 Judgment goes in favour of Partick The SFA hear Inverness' original appeal against the 8-4 vote that went against them on June 1st on either Wednesday or Thursday at Hampden. The SPL general meeting will ahead on Tuesday to deal with the other business on their agenda, but the vote on Inverness cannot be taken. The Court of Session will set a date so a full hearing can be held at which both sides will get to put their case.

3 Judgment goes against Partick

SPL are cleared to vote on the contentious issue at their general meeting at Hampden on Tuesday.

- SPL General Meeting The 12 members of the SPL first have to deal with a typographical error. The resolution brought by Hibs and Hearts to allow Inverness to groundshare at Pittodrie next season mistakenly detailed season 2003/04 rather than the coming season.

It will take a majority of members to approve a minor amendment to the resolution before it can be voted on. It is a foregone conclusion this will be dealt with and the main business of the day will get under way.

5 The resolution to allow Inverness to play in Aberdeen will be debated before a vote is taken. There has been much talk about a show of hands rather than a secret vote to allow transparency, but it will only take two clubs to require a ballot for the rest to have to follow suit. If the resolution receives eight votes or more it passes. If it receives seven or fewer it fails.

6 Any other business.

Dundee United and Dunfermline's proposal to allow Inverness to gain promotion and play at their own stadium next season is not on the agenda, but it may be introduced into the debate at this point - but only if all 12 clubs agree to discuss it. And Partick Thistle will not allow that 7 If the groundsharing proposal is approved the general meeting will immediately be followed by an SPL board meeting at which the board (made up of Lex Gold as chairman, Dundee United's Eddie Thompson, Kilmarnock's Jamie Moffat, Hibernian's Rod Petrie and Rangers' John McClelland) will formally approve Inverness Caledonian Thistle's promotion to the SPL.

8 A share transfer must then happen within 14 days, with Partick Thistle's slice of SPL passing over to Inverness.

9 Passes Partick Thistle have been taking legal advice on their options if the vote goes against them. They could appeal to the Scottish Football Association or take the legal route of going back to the Court of Session or even appealing to the Court of Arbitration in Sport at Lausanne. However, chairman Tom Hughes has made it clear he will not jeopardise the club's future with an expensive legal battle.

10 Fails If the vote goes against Inverness, as the first one did on June 1, the First Division champions may again take their grievance to the SFA. Coincidentally, the SFA are due to hear the club's original appeal against the first vote that went against them at a meeting of their appeal's committee on Wednesday or Thursday. If Inverness are successful in Tuesday's vote they are set to "reserve" their SFA appeal - ie put it on hold while awaiting a likely appeal from Partick to SFA.

11 The SFA The Scottish game's governing body have set aside Wednesday and Thursday for their appeals committee to hear Inverness' case. Whether this goes head is dependent on events at the Court of Session and also at the SPL's general meeting on Tuesday.

12 The other suggestion After the fall-out from the first vote on Inverness' groundsharing scheme, Dundee United chairman Eddie Thompson put forward the idea of allowing the Highland club to play at their own ground next season.

The SPL already intend to reduce their stadium capacity criteria from 10,000 all-seater to 6,000 all-seater from season 2005-06, but Dundee Utd and Dunfermline have suggested bringing that forward a year which would allow Inverness to abandon plans to groundshare with Aberdeen and instead install temporary seating at the 2,280-seat Caledonian Stadium to bring it up to the new standard.

That proposal is not on the agenda on Tuesday, but could be introduced under AOB. Alternatively, another general meeting may be called if Dunfermline and Dundee Utd come forward with formal proposals for such a scheme. Fourteen days' notice is required before another meeting can be called.

Copyright 2004 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
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