Future of football in jeopardy, says McLeish

Scottish football must sort out the Rangers situation quickly before it derails the work that has been done to try to safeguard the game’s future, former first minister Henry McLeish has said.

McLeish, an ex-player for East Fife and the author of a 2010 report into Scottish football, claimed the debate over which division the newco should be put in next season was a distraction. He said football faced a grave crisis and warned that infighting could stop it getting back on track.

Ahead of this week’s meetings of the Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League, McLeish said: “We have a crucial week coming up, and if the clubs can’t resolve this issue soon and find a home for Rangers, then we are facing massive fallout and it could set back Scottish football for a very, very long time, and our game is already in a poor condition.”