Rangers newco: Dundee’s frustration at Club 12 ‘mess’

Published on 07/07/2012 02:14

Dundee chief executive Scot Gardiner has spoken out about the process of selecting ‘Club 12’ for next season’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

The Tayside club finished second in the First Division last season and are vying with Dunfermline to replace newco Rangers in the SPL following the rejection of the Ibrox club into the top flight. Dunfermline finished bottom of the SPL and their chairman John Yorkston also called for clarity in the situation earlier this week.

Gardiner was more forceful with his choice of words, and also confirmed Dundee would not vote on whether newco Rangers should enter the Scottish Football League to avoid a conflict of interest. “It has been a mess, therefore it is hard to second guess what could have been done because these are unprecedented, uncharted waters,” he said. “So I’m loath to criticise, although I wish it had all been sorted out quicker. We’ve been told we can’t vote by our governing body and we have to abide by that. And so we are trying not to then impact [on the vote] because they’re then telling us we’re conflicted.

“We’re not going to do anything that will leave anyone the excuse where they can point the finger at Dundee Football Club and say ‘well they would say that wouldn’t they?”’

Yorkston, as well as the SFL, yesterday called on the decision-makers to announce quickly who ‘Club 12’ would be, but seems ready to accept defeat over the matter. “We’ve definitely not been invited to join the SPL, we’re still an SFL club,” he said. “Until we’re told anything different, we’re planning to open our campaign against Dumbarton and planning to win the First Division.”