BRORA RANGERS captain Joe Malin reckons that Celtic, Dundee United and Liverpool should be crowned champions of their respective leagues - even if being handed the title "isn't quite the same" as winning it outright.

Malin's side were confirmed as Highland League champions on Saturday following a league committee meeting where the clubs voted to award the title to Brora.

No-one knows when the SPFL season will resume, leading to some calling for the current league standings to be made final.

Another idea being floated is to reconstruct the leagues, allowing sides to get promoted without relegating any clubs.

Malin was full of praise for Brora's title rivals Fraserburgh for suggesting to concede the title - but he doesn't expect the same thing to happen in the Premiership.

Speaking to the Daily Record, Malin said: "The Highland League deserve credit for making the right call.

"There was no way we would have lost the title with six games to go having only lost two up until this point so it’s a sensible decision and you have to take your hat off to the rest of the sides in the league for voting for it.

"I’m led to believe it was Fraserburgh who, although third in the table were actually our most realistic challengers given their games in hand, proposed the idea. You have to give them the utmost respect for reaching that decision because they could easily have tried to argue for it to be null and void.

"There is a real healthy respect between the Highland League clubs and this decision proves it but it’s completely different in the Premiership with the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers.

"My personal opinion is the likes of Liverpool, Celtic and Dundee United are far enough ahead that they should all also be awarded their league titles. But it’s a decision that is going to have to be made by the Scottish football authorities and it’s going to be hard to please everyone, regardless of what they choose to do.

“I was on the books at Celtic but I was also a season-ticket holder as a kid. I was always there for trophy days and cup finals so I know what it means. And with Rangers improving as they have done in the last couple of years and Celtic edging closer to that 10-in-a-row, it’s a huge decision for the SPFL in terms of what to do this season."

Malin told the Record that he first heard that Brora had been awarded the title by the club's chairman and although he was pleased to be a champion again, the fact that his side didn't get the opportunity to celebrate their success with the fans took the shine off of it a little.

“If they do finish the season and declare the current league positions final then I can say from personal experience, albeit at a lower level, then it’s not quite the same for the players," he said. "But I’ve had a lot of my mates who are Celtic fans and they’ve been texting me to find out what’s happening with Brora.

"The feeling I get from them is they wouldn’t really care how they get it – just as long as they get awarded that title!

"It then just adds even more to next season but it’s an impossible decision the SPFL are facing.

"But we are all coming to terms with just how serious the situation is that we’re in and it’s one of those things that you just have to accept as there are more important things happening in the world.

"When you win the league under normal circumstances then the game that seals it is always a great feeling and you have a party afterwards and the trophy presentation day is brilliant for the fans.

"We’ve been deprived of that this season but we’re not complaining. The manager phoned me on Saturday to tell me we had been awarded the league and told me to keep it to myself before the news was officially released.

"And when the manager posted it in our group chat there were some congratulatory messages and a few pictures of people enjoying a celebratory beer but that was it.

"This is Brora’s third league title and I’ve been there for them all. It’s satisfying to know you’ve won it but it’s weird.

"Regardless of the level you’re at in football, the anticlimactic feeling will be the same for any captain or player if they end up in the same position as us. They’re going to be deprived of their celebrations."