Rangers takeover: Charles Green covers ‘all options’ at SFA talks

CHARLES Green emerged from meetings with the SFA and SPL at Hampden yesterday to reiterate his intent to plough on with a takeover of Rangers despite confirmation of a transfer embargo – although he revealed the club were still assessing a possible challenge to the sanctions.

The former Sheffield United chief executive spent three hours at the national stadium, meeting officials from the SFA and SPL and described talks as “very productive”. An SFA appeal tribunal had 24 hours earlier upheld the judicial panel’s ruling that Rangers be fined £160,000 and banned from registering players aged over 17 for 12 months.

Green, who says he is fronting a consortium of about 20 investors, hopes to complete his purchase in early July with a Company Voluntary Arrangement, if agreed by creditors.

He told reporters outside Hampden: “When we offered to buy the club, we realised what the potential was. Last night’s announcement was an option that we had considered.”

Green last night backed the club’s decision to consider a review of the decision and he revealed talks were ongoing.

“We are discussing all the options that are available to the club,” he said.

The club are subject to an automatic SPL transfer embargo while in administration, but could take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or instigate civil action.

Administrators, whose legal duty is to secure the maximum return for creditors, would struggle to justify spending money on a bid to overturn a sanction that prevents the club spending money on transfers. However, the Rangers Fans Fighting Fund paid the SFA appeal costs and could continue the fight.

Rangers’ case now appears to centre on the fact they believe the transfer ban, imposed as punishment to the withholding of £13 million in tax payments, was not available as a sanction for the tribunal.

However, the SFA articles of association include a clause that states a judicial panel can implement any sanctions that they deem appropriate.

Green’s meeting with the authorities yesterday was pre-planned, with several issues on the agenda.

Green said: “The meeting has gone very well. It was the first time I met the SFA and SPL so clearly it was important to just speak to them and introduce myself.

“The questions they were asking were the obvious questions of what our intentions are and where we plan to go.

“We achieved quite a lot, we spoke to members of the board of the SFA and we spoke with executives of the SPL. I think it’s been a very, very productive afternoon.

“We are happy that everyone is positive in looking at what’s the best for Rangers and the SPL. We are encouraged by the meetings.”

Rangers face more sanctions from the SPL if they fail to secure a CVA with creditors. Clubs are due to meet on 30 May to discuss potential sanctions for a “newco” club, which Green plans to push through if the CVA is rejected.

While Green struck an optimistic tone, Rangers fans reacted with anger to Wednesday night’s decision to uphold the SFA punishments and threatened to press ahead with plans to boycott away matches.

Thousands of supporters protested outside Hampden last month when the transfer embargo and fine was initially handed down, with fans’ representatives also meeting at Ibrox to discuss what action they may take depending on the outcome of the appeal.

Andy Kerr, president of the Rangers Supporters Assembly, said yesterday: “We had a meeting on the day of the march and there were a whole range of things put forward.

“We said we wouldn’t have any knee-jerk reactions and be hopeful the appeals process would help.

“Now we know it hasn’t been a help, we will revisit that discussion as a matter or urgency and consider what might be the best actions to take in the interests of the club. We need to be careful that we don’t end up hurting ourselves at the same time.”

He added: “There will definitely be a call not to support away matches because that is directly impacting on other clubs and they are member clubs of the SFA.

“In terms of the SFA, there has already been some activity in terms of protesting and making representations to their sponsors. Potentially, there will be a call not to enter the Scottish Cup because that is the only competition we compete in that’s directly under the auspices of the SFA. The other one is non co-operation with national squads.”

Rangers were hit with the punishment when they were found guilty of five charges relating to their finances and the appointment of Craig Whyte as chairman – in particular the non-payment of more than £13 million in taxes since Whyte’s takeover last May. Reflecting on the appeal outcome, Kerr said: “My initial reaction was that I was extremely disappointed. There was also an element of anger, which I’m sure will be felt across the supporter base.

“When we looked at the reasons for the decision, the rationale behind it and the circumstances in which it occurred, we had a clear view that Craig Whyte was the villain of the piece here. It looks as though the way they have reasoned the case is that effectively the actions of the owner apply equally to the actions of the club. We think that was totally unreasonable.

“This 12-month transfer ban just appears to have appeared out of nowhere, with no precedent and no other comparison with other cases to determine whether that was appropriate.”

Rangers administrators Duff & Phelps suggested last night they could explore further ways of challenging the sanctions. Kerr said: “We would all welcome and support that. There is a feeling here that the whole spirit of dealing with this within the SFA and through the appeals process has been ‘let’s hammer Rangers’.”

Kerr believes the transfer embargo – which will prevent Rangers from signing players over the age of 17 – will have wider implications.

He said: “Over the years Rangers have bought players from other Scottish clubs. They have effectively propped them up with pretty sizeable transfer fees. If I was the chairman of, for example, Motherwell or St Mirren, and I had a promising player, I would be thinking that Rangers might be interested in signing him. That money would be very welcome by them I’m sure.”