Rangers takeover: McCoist calls on Miller to sort out players’ futures

RANGERS manager Ally McCoist will set out to Bill Miller that his priority must be sorting out the futures of the Ibrox playing staff.

Preferred bidder Miller faces problems on two fronts relating to the club’s squad.

PFA Scotland maintains that players will be free not to transfer their registrations should Miller complete his asset sale and set up a new company under the Rangers name this week. And even if all players do agree to move, seven – Steven Naismith, Allan McGregor, Steven Davis, Steven Whittaker, Doran Goian, Maurice Edu and Kyle Lafferty – have clauses in their contracts allowing them to move for cut-price fees. These were negotiated when they agreed to accept 75 per cent wage cuts to prevent redundancies in administration and would be activated should they not return to the terms of their original deals by 1 June.

If these issues aren’t resolved and Rangers’ appeal against a 12-month signing embargo fails, then McCoist concedes a newco admitted to the top flight could face enormous difficulties.

“I know the players’ union have indicated that might be a possibility [for players not to move to a newco]. Equally the administrators have told me they don’t think that’s the case at all. It’s one for the legal minds, so I don’t think it’s as clear cut as the union boys have made out.

“You want what’s best for the club. We’re not scared of taking a couple of steps back to hopefully take three or four forward. If we are stuck with the transfer embargo and the union boys are right, you’re really struggling. You certainly wouldn’t be competitive in the league. It would be an extremely difficult season for everybody.

“I have had half a dozen phone calls with Bill and met a couple of his representatives on a couple of occasions in Glasgow. They’re very well aware of the situation and the nature of getting players sorted out, the contracts.”

Meanwhile, McCoist would not debate whether or not a newco Rangers, who seem certain to be allowed to have the SPL share of the old Rangers transferred to them, should have sanctions applied to this move to avoid debts of up to £100m. The 12 SPL clubs meet tomorrow to discuss new fair play regulations that would be unlikely to impact on Miller’s plans since they would not come into force until next season.

“I can understand the SPL and the SFA have big decisions to make and they won’t please everybody. It’s not as easy as just throwing us into the Third Division, because I think there would then be a threat to the finances of other clubs, and I don’t say that lightly. The right thing to do might be the wrong thing in the long run.

“I don’t want to be seen to be attempting to influence people in their decision. I don’t think you can underestimate the size of the decisions that have to be made. I have sympathy for the SFA and SPL, they’re in a no-win situation. It will affect the future of the Scottish game. I can understand the delicacy of the situation.”