Neil Doncaster: SPFL to work on restarting football immediately as Rangers, Hearts & Stranraer EGM vote fails

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster will resume talks with the Scottish Government.

Neil Doncaster has revealed that the Scottish Professional Football League will attempt to restart football as soon as possible after Tuesday’s EGM.

The league’s chief executive stated that the failed call for an independent inquiry into last month’s season-ending vote proves the majority of clubs are behind the SPFL.

He will now resume talks with the Scottish Government with the aim of bringing football back by the end of July.

Rangers, Hearts and Stranraer wanted the EGM to call for another inquiry into the voting debacle, but the proposal failed after 27 clubs voted against it. Two abstained and 13 voted in favour.

Doncaster declared himself pleased with the outcome and explained that he can now press ahead with trying to resume football as soon as it is safe.

"It was a good meeting, there were some good exchanges of views, but ultimately the clubs have spoken,” he told Sky Sports. “They've given a very clear indication that they do not want to see this independent review that was being sought by three clubs.

"In my view it's a very clear mandate that the board should devote all of our time and our attention to the really important work, the crucial work, of getting the game back up and running in Scotland as soon as we can and as safely as we can. So I'm very pleased with the result and the work starts now.

"It was a very respectful exchange of views and you'd expect that. Statements can often be misconstrued but there was a good exchange.

“We had all 42 clubs represented in the meeting and ultimately the clubs have given a very clear indication that they see the way forward as being engaging with the Scottish Government – getting games up and running as soon as it's safe and possible, and that is what we will be doing immediately.”

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