Rangers takeover: Charles Green seeks talks with SFA to avoid ‘carnage’

Published on 31/05/2012 10:48

PROSPECTIVE Rangers owner Charles Green wants to hold talks with Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan to prevent the dispute between the club and the ruling body spiralling out of control.

The Ibrox club won their court battle against an SFA transfer embargo after a judge ruled the disciplinary panel members acted outside of their powers.

Lord Glennie proposed that the case go back to the SFA appeal tribunal that upheld the initial decision by a judicial panel to impose a 12-month ban on registering players aged 18 and over as punishment for a failure to pay more than £13million in tax last season.

There is now talk of FIFA intervening but Green, the man fronting the consortium who are trying to take Rangers out of administration, told the Scottish Sun: “I want to have talks with Stewart Regan to find a way out of this for the good of Scottish football.

“There is a balancing act here. We accept Rangers should be punished for the sins of the past. I am not disputing that, the SFA have an obligation to do that.

“But I have to stress that the fans of Rangers, administrators and myself feel the initial penalty given to the club was too harsh.

“Now there has to be a solution and a way out that doesn’t cause carnage for the game in Scotland.

“There has been talk that if the SFA appeal to Lord Carloway, who rubber-stamped the original decision, then Rangers could be booted out of football for 12 months - or even for good.

“If everyone steps back from the understandable emotions of this for a second I can’t believe anyone who loves the game in Scotland wants that.

“I want to speak with Stewart Regan to try and find the right path for Rangers and the game as a whole in this country.”

Jim Boyce, vice-president of FIFA, told the Daily Record: “Neither FIFA nor UEFA like any clubs of their member associations becoming involved in legal action.

“If any club is not happy with its governing body they should seek to settle their dispute through the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“The matter has not yet been reported to FIFA by the SFA but I expect they will keep each other informed.

“If the SFA are not happy with the situation I expect them to write to UEFA and FIFA within the next three days.

“This matter has to be resolved. It cannot go on.”