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Following last night's preliminary hearing, where Motherwell, Falkirk and the SPL all presented their cases to the SFA, the outcome of the Bairns' appeal will be announced at a full hearing next Wednesday.  SFA chief executive David Taylor said after last night's meeting:
"This was a full preliminary hearing in front of Lord McLean and two other members of the committee set up to hear this appeal.  The date for the full hearing at which the final decision will be made will be next Wednesday evening, 25 June, at 1830 BST.  The hearing will continue into the 26th if necessary. We are trying to deal with this as quickly as possible.

"All parties accepted the jurisdiction of the SFA to deal with the matter including Motherwell FC who, at the discretion of the committee, will be entitled to appear as a party to the appeal.  That was also decided after submissions.  The decision is final and binding in terms of the national rules.  It is in nobody's interests to have such an issue going on and on."

Motherwell administrator Bryan Jackson is quoted as saying:
"Everyone wants a decision. We want to see a very quick resolution to this whole appeal.  It makes it very difficult for everybody - we are frustrated because we thought this matter had now been resolved and there was no further doubt or uncertainty.  We've really gone ahead with our plans for the season based on that, which I don't think is unreasonable, so the timescale of this dragging on is frustrating for everybody involved.

"The meeting went very much as expected. It was only a preliminary hearing more or less to agree a date for the full hearing.  There was no suggestion as to how that hearing will go - from the perspective of Motherwell Football Club we will just continue to co-operate with the footballing authorities.  We've all felt positive about it and that hasn't changed as this was only a preliminary hearing so we remain positive for next week."

The whole Falkirk/SPL fiasco is summed up pretty well in this Evening Times article.

According to the Sun, Francois Dubourdeau is heading back to France after failing to find a new club in Scotland.

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