Rangers would have to start in Scottish League Division Three, says SFL chief executive David Longmuir - Telegraph
David Longmuir, the chief executive of the Scottish Football League, is opposed to a proposal which would see Rangers demoted to the First Division.
His counterpart at the Scottish Football Association, Stewart Regan, has been discussing the matter with the SPL as they attempt to work out a compromise punishment for the club, who could be found guilty of misuse of dual contracts at a meeting of the Scottish Premier League board at Hampden on Monday.
Regan is also anxious to merge the SPL and SFL but there is little chance that a move to integrate the two bodies for the first time since 1998 could be completed in time for the beginning of 2012/13.
Should Rangers be expelled from the elite division (either by the SPL or the SFA’s appellant tribunal), then they would be forced to apply to join the SFL in the Third Division.
However, the possibility of Rangers dropping only one division has been mooted in an attempt to salvage the new, four-year broadcasting agreement with Sky, which has yet to be signed. Longmuir, though, is not convinced of the merits of that argument.
“The decisions that have to be made by the SPL and SFA in the coming weeks are far more crucial than the knock-on effects that come to the SFL,” he said.
“There are no winners in this situation. The good of the game is balancing sporting integrity with the finances available, and to be realistic about the future.”
Longmuir also suggested that — in the event of Rangers being ejected from the top tier – he would not welcome any application from them to join his organisation unless they were prepared to start at the bottom.
Any vacancy arising in the SPL would be filled by First Division runners-up Dundee, while losing play-off-finalists Airdrie United and Stranraer would be promoted to the First and Second Divisions respectively.
That would leave Rangers facing the prospect of meeting the likes of East Stirling, Annan Athletic, Peterhead and Montrose four times a season and replacing the Old Firm clash with derby matches against Queen’s Park.
“It would be a newco scenario and the only way we could accommodate any new application would be to create a gap in the Third Division through the play-offs with teams shuffling up,” said Longmuir
“We would then judge every case on its own merits. There would be no provision for any newco Rangers to go into the First Division rather than the Third Division.”
Meanwhile, Rangers are set to be left off the fixture list for the forthcoming Clydesdale Bank Premier League season, with 'Club 12’ taking their place, as the uncertainty at Ibrox continues.
The Glasgow club, champions in 2010-11 but now facing an uncertain future, announced the news on Sunday on the eve of the publication of the SPL fixtures, which takes place at 9am on Monday.
With the process ongoing, the punishment for Rangers being liquidated and the establishment of a newco Rangers is still to be determined and they could yet be demoted from the Scottish Premier League to the Scottish Football League.
It remains uncertain if Dunfermline, relegated from the SPL last term, or Dundee, runners-up to promoted Ross County in the Irn-Bru First Division, would occupy the 'Club 12’ slot should Rangers be denied a place in the competition.
A story on Rangers’ official website read: “The SPL are replacing Rangers with 'Club 12’ in the official list of fixtures for the 2012-13 season.
“The governing body is sticking to the schedule of announcing the matches as planned but have taken the Ibrox men out of the list after the developments of last week which saw Rangers FC change ownership under a newco scenario.
“The Sevco consortium headed by Charles Green completed the purchase of the club and its assets last week when HMRC refused to support an exit from administration through CVA.
“They are now seeking to transfer the SPL share from the old company – Rangers Football Club plc – to the new company, The Rangers Football Club.
“All 12 member clubs need to vote on this application and eight votes are required for Rangers to be playing SPL football next season.
“A date for this vote has yet to be set so the SPL have decided to use 'Club 12’ in their list of fixtures in order to cover all eventualities.
“If the transfer of the SPL share is successful then Rangers will assume the 'Club 12’ fixtures.”
unce: Sky dictates the spl and the premier league. The sooner all the chumps realise that the better.
