Rangers to show clubs evidence of ‘unfair play’

‘Bullying’ dossier to be revealed

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster. Picture: Ross MacDonald/SNS

Scottish Premiership clubs have been promised they will be shown Rangers’ controversial whistleblower evidence next week.

The Ibrox club claim to have a dossier which supports their view that an independent enquiry is required into the Scottish Professional FootballLeague’s handling of the recent vote to halt the lower leagues’ season.

Rangers made accusations of “bullying and coercion” and called for the suspension of SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster and legal advisor Rod McKenzie. But, despite calls for the information to be handed over to the SPFL board or placed in the public domain, Rangers have refused to release what they claim is proof of a “lack of fair play” and have forced an EGM for 12 May when members will be balloted on whether an independent enquiry should be commissioned.

With battle lines drawn and several statements and counter-statements throwing up more questions than answers, and prompting rancour and recriminations, the alleged evidence was one of several subjects discussed yesterday during a productive two-hour Zoom meeting, which was chaired by Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack and featured representatives of all 12 Premiership clubs and recently-crowned Championship title winners, Dundee United.

With the veracity of the evidence key to the EGM vote, fellow members made it clear to Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson that they want to assess the material ahead of that meeting and he assured them that they would be able to do so next week.

In what those who attended describe as a positive gathering, other pressing topics including possible league reconstruction and the eventual conclusion of the Scottish top flight, were discussed yesterday.

The league has been in abeyance since mid-March, and with no football expected until at least July and the government warning that there may not be a return to normal – due to ongoing social distancing measures – until 2021, the clubs mulled over their options going forward as they attempted to put the acrimony to one side.