Rangers newco to play in Division One - report

CHARLES Green’s newco Rangers are set to drop down to Division One next season as part of a restructuring of Scottish football, according to reports.

Having failed to gain enough support to replace the old Rangers FC in the Scottish Premier League, the newco could drop just down just one league to the First Division.

BBC Scotland reports that senior figures in Scottish football are trying to push through a widely reported proposal to merge the SPL with the Scottish Football League in time the 2013/14 season.

This new body would be called ‘The Scottish Professional Football League’.

It is understood that clubs have received a letter from Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan, which follows talks with his SPL and SFL counterparts Neil Doncaster and David Longmuir respectively.

Under the proposals, Rangers would play in the First Division next season - a move already opposed by Falkirk, Raith Rovers and Morton - and be replaced in the top flight by Dundee, who finished runners-up to Ross County last season.

The SPL would buy the rights to include Rangers matches in the second tier as part of their current deal with broadcasters Sky and ESPN for a reported £1million, and a play-off system would be introduced immediately which would see one team from the top tier compete with three from the second for a place in the SPL.

In addition, parachute payments to relegated clubs would be increased and changes would be made to the distribution model in the top two tiers.

The proposals - which would need the backing of eight SPL clubs and a majority of SFL clubs - are likely to be unpopular with supporters of other teams in Scotland, many of whom have threatened to boycott matches next season unless a newco Rangers is relegated to the Third Division.

Responding to the reports, a statement from the SFL read: “The Scottish Football League can confirm that no agreement has been reached between the SFL and any other body regarding the position of Rangers Newco in the First Division.

“Consultation will continue to take place, primarily with our clubs, as previously advised.”

• Inside Sport podcast: Rangers newco and the SFL