Roy MacGregor: Ross County chairman 'horrified' by truncated Championship
- Published
Roy MacGegor and Ross County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell
Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor is "horrified" by the idea of a truncated Scottish Championship season and says all 42 SPFL clubs "need to stick together to survive".
It has been reported next season's second tier could be cut to 18 games.
MacGregor is "very worried for lower-league football", and says Premiership clubs have a responsibility to look after those further down the divisions.
"I'm concerned with what's coming," MacGregor told BBC Scotland.
"There will be a massive recession. Whether people can afford to see football is my concern. We need to get together as 42 clubs and find a way that football survives."
Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell said it is "likely" that football will resume in August, but Championship sides Ayr United and Queen of the South say this would be impossible without subsidies.
Maxwell said maintaining 42 clubs is "our absolute aim" but MacGregor revealed that playing without crowds would take 35% away from Ross County's budget.
"It was encouraging to listen to Ian yesterday and it is in line with where I thought we were going to be," he said. "I think we'll be fan-less until maybe Christmas and then we'll find a way.
"If we are fan-less, we need to find a way to either transmit games live or have a delayed transition. We've got to be open to everything because the reality of where Scottish football is going to be is beginning to hit home."
MacGregor is wary about the idea - advocated by PFA Scotland as well as County defender Richard Foster and his wife, singer Amy MacDonald - of extending the deals of players using the government furlough scheme.
The County chairman believes keeping players they do not intend to retain in the long term is "dishonest".
"We have had some advice from our authorities, and we have had some legal advice and some HMRC advice and we think that is challenging," he said.
"I do sympathise but keeping people on furlough when others are training is not a scenario I think is right. It would be dishonest from the club.
"Until someone from HMRC or a higher authority reassures us that's not the case that's probably where we stand."