Rangers administration: Regan offers strong defence of sanctions

Regan stressed the club’s punishment for breaching six regulations was decided by an independent three-member panel in conjunction with the disciplinary procedures approved unanimously by members less than a year ago. Duff & Phelps, Rangers’ administrators, learned on Monday night that the club had been hit with a 12-month ban on signing players as well as fines totalling £160,000. Joint administrator David Whitehouse described the decision as “quite extraordinary”.

Rangers have called for an immediate appeal to the judicial panel’s punishment, one which could be heard as early as next week. In view of the decision being subject to an appeal, Regan refused to discuss the findings of the judicial panel review. However, he made it clear that the SFA have a duty to implement its rules “without fear or favour”.

Following confirmation of the ruling, Rangers supporters have accused the SFA of having “an agenda” against the club. Fans’ groups will now consider protests including a boycott of the SFA’s sponsors and the national team. They have also raised the prospect of protesting outside Hampden Park on the day of the Scottish Cup final between Hearts and Hibernian next month.

Regan defended the organisation’s revamped disciplinary procedures and stressed the panel acted on the findings of an independent inquiry chaired by former judge Lord Nimmo Smith. “I can fully understand the fear and frustration felt by all Rangers fans throughout the most difficult period in the club’s history,” he said.

“The Scottish FA has a responsibility to all its members and must implement its rules without fear or favour.”

Regan also defended the organisation’s revamped disciplinary procedures and stressed the panel acted on the findings of an independent inquiry chaired by former judge Lord Nimmo Smith.

The judicial panel tribunal is an independent body made up of three members appointed from a list of more than 100,” he said.

“The implementation of the judicial panel process was approved unanimously by all member clubs at last year’s annual general meeting to bring efficiency, transparency and independence to the execution of football rules.

“The Scottish FA acted on the advice of our members to implement a robust disciplinary system that reflected the demands of the modern game.”

Regan stressed that the SFA had a duty to act with “integrity” and “with the best interests of the game at heart”. He added: “Rangers have been part of the fabric of Scottish football’s history and are integral to its future prosperity.”

However, Whitehouse argued that the punishment. as well as being unexpected, had made it harder for Rangers to complete the process of finding a preferred bidder.

He repeated his request for “the pragmatic support of the authorities” as American tycoon Bill Miller and the Paul Murray-led Blue Knights consortium remain in talks with the administrators. Neither have submitted a bid to buy the club in writing, with Miller’s proposal dependent on the club receiving no further sanctions.

“They are both waiting, basically seeking confirmation of what the prospects are in terms of the appeals process, how it works,” said Whitehouse.

“We’ve written to Stewart Regan today. We’ve lodged our appeal. It’s most unfortunate, I would say.”

According to Whitehouse, the news from Hampden Park on Monday was “very unwelcome”. A further delay in the process of finding a buyer, if there is one out there, is now inevitable.

“We need to have a resolution by the end of the season,” said Whitehouse. “That’s a cash deadline. We are funded until then. The deadline for a bidder will be driven by the process. We still have adequate time to put in place a CVA [Company Voluntary Arrangement] but we’re now looking at a period of couple of weeks to get it really progressed.

“We need to accept an offer very, very quickly, and, brutally, we need to have an offer to accept,” Whitehouse added. “If we get to a scenario where nobody has actually submitted an offer, then the prospect of achieving a sale doesn’t exist.”

Nothing that has occurred this week has helped to that end, he accepted. Asked whether the 12 month ban on signing players had deterred bidders, he replied: “Well it certainly hasn’t encouraged them.” Whitehouse also questioned the legality of the ruling.

“Effectively, the players are akin to stock in a normal business,” Whitehouse said. “If you are going to have a normal business, you need trading stock, trading assets. The players are those assets.

“If the business can’t buy new stock, can’t buy new players, it clearly diminishes the value of the business. So one of the things we’ve raised is we’re not convinced that this ruling is actually lawful, because it frustrates the purpose of administration.

“It doesn’t affect our status as administrators,” he added. “What it does is make the process of achieving the outcome of administration more difficult.

“A purchaser will want to know that he can operate the business in the normal course. So, come the start of the new season, he wants to know that he can supplement and invest in the playing squad.

“If there are circumstances where it is appropriate for existing players to move on, a normal purchaser or investor in the business would want to see those players moved on and new players brought in. That is the normal business of a football club.”

Whitehouse admitted that the club had been rocked by the findings.

“I don’t think anybody envisaged the judgment to take that form,” he said. “The feedback we’ve had unofficially from the SFA, certainly from the SPL, from advisers and commentators, it was a judgment that was certainly not anticipated.

“It doesn’t seem to sit comfortably in terms of the commerciality of what all parties should be seeking to achieve here.”

Whtehouse also suggested the implications of the sanctions handed down to Rangers by the SFA would not sit comfortably with other Scottish clubs and supporters.

He added: “The decision of last night’s judicial panel is in our opinion quite extraordinary. This cannot be in the interests of Rangers Football Club or Scottish football in general.”