Scottish football civil war erupts as Rangers take aim at SPFL

Ibrox club call for suspension of Neil Doncaster and his adviser and claim they have evidence to prove resolution vote was not handled properly

Rangers interim chairman Douglas Park and SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster, right. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS

The battle over how to conclude the Scottish football season escalated into all-out war yesterday as Rangers called for the suspension of SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster and its legal adviser, Rod McKenzie.

The Ibrox club claim they have obtained evidence “via a whistleblower” that “raises serious concerns” surrounding the governing body’s stewardship of the ballot to terminate the season at Championship, League One and League Two level.

Rangers voted against the resolution but if it passes – and it currently hangs in the balance, with Dundee holding the casting vote – it would open the door to the Premiership ultimately being called in the same fashion,

While the proposal would see Celtic, Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers crowned champions in their respective divisions, with Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer all relegated, the SPFL has said it would also free it up to dispense prize-fund cash to the clubs it says are on their knees financially due to the coronavirus crisis.

But having already spoken out about reports from fellow Scottish clubs who said there had been attempts to coerce and bully them into voting for the SPFL’s resolution, Rangers took matters even further yesterday with a furious attack on the game’s administrators.

Revealing that Rangers’ interim chairman Douglas Park had attempted to discuss what the club believes is damaging inside information with Doncaster, but was initially rebuffed, they alleged that the SPFL followed up that call with an e-mail, “which we believe was a thinly disguised attempt to silence legitimate concerns”.

“Rangers will not be bullied into silence,” added the statement. “We believe it is in the interests of all Scottish clubs and supporters that the evidence, which is alarming, be addressed as quickly as possible.

“The voting debacle and the evidence we possess raise serious questions concerning the corporate governance of the SPFL.”

“The lack of leadership and responsibility from the SPFL as a members’ organisation has shocked me,” added Park. “If ever there was a time for complete openness and transparency, it is now. Crucial decisions are being made on the issues of promotion and relegation behind closed doors and without proper time for consideration or debate.

“The farcical conduct of this affair seems to me to bring the corporate governance and business operations of the SPFL into sharp focus. It is an example of an undemocratic culture, which has existed within the SPFL for far too long.

“As a member club, we are disturbed by the evidence that has been presented and feel there is no choice but to call for an independent investigation into this entire matter. Each member of the SPFL board has a duty to its members to ensure that such an investigation is instructed without delay.

“All we ask for is equality and respect. In the past few days, we have become alarmed at a seeming lack of even-handedness and fair play from the SPFL. This is surely unacceptable and, if substantiated, must be remedied.”

Claiming that other member clubs share their concern, Park said that Doncaster and McKenzie should be suspended while an independent investigation is carried out.

The SPFL issued a response last night to Rangers’ “very serious allegations”, asking them to come forward with any evidence of impropriety. “In the often-heated atmosphere of Scottish football, rumour and misinformation can very quickly reach fever-point,” it said. “However, allegations of a lack of even-handedness and fair play go to the very integrity of the league and I would expect Rangers interim chairman Douglas Park to present compelling evidence to back up his claims, or to withdraw them.”

Rangers’ statement is one example of the rancour stirred up by a resolution many of the member clubs believe was dumped on them and, while it is understood that several clubs are in precarious financial position, there is anger that accepting an inequitable proposal for deciding the leagues was made a condition of circulating much-needed prize-fund money.

Claiming it is hamstrung by rules and regulations which prevent it sharing out cash before final league placings are decided, the SPFL tabled a motion it said would solve all the clubs’ problems. But, as is its cack-handed way, the governing body has only succeeded in creating an even bigger mess, with civil war brewing, as clubs push for rule amendments that would grant them time to mull over league reconstruction as another solution.

New resolutions could be considered but much depends on Dundee, who caused consternation in the ‘No’ ranks on Friday night by reneging on their promise to side with fellow Championship sides Partick Thistle and Inverness Caledonian to vote down the proposals and free up the possibility of a more equitable amendment.

They claim they submitted the voting slip rejecting the proposal but the SPFL says it never received it. The Dens Park club could have simply resubmitted but, realising they have the casting vote, they are weighing up options and have gone to ground, even blanking calls and messages from erstwhile cohorts.

“The three clubs were pretty solid,” explained Inverness chief executive Scot Gardiner, on BBC Scotland. He detailed the time each club said it submitted their votes and after the initial emotion of believing they had defeated the motion, he said there was shock when it was discovered that the Dundee vote had not been registered and confusion when club officials revealed it would not be automatically resent. Instead, with added leverage, the Dens Park club wanted to weigh up their options.

The prospect of a volte face has surprised those involved, after Dundee managing director John Nelms spent much of the afternoon and evening discussing a new resolution. But the belief is that “big hitters” were made aware of their casting vote and have applied pressure, leaving everyone in limbo; with clubs getting neither the assistance of a quick pay-out nor the satisfaction of voting the resolution down and agreeing an improved one, which they feel satisfactorily answers the question of cash initially, and then, ultimately,sporting integrity.

Keen to find ways to get money to clubs, the problem, according to Gardiner, was always how the SPFL conflated the financial distribution with the termination of the league seasons and the knock-on promotions and relegations.

“We could not take a vote that we believe could lead to redundancies at Hearts on Monday morning or Partick Thistle on Monday morning, and who knows what at Stranraer. That was our only thought,” he said of Inverness’ position.

“We have heard it said from other clubs, individuals, or pundits that this was self-serving. But we are furloughing our staff and although we have worked very, very hard to turn around our club… and we are not on our knees, I can promise you we have one knee down. If we had voted yes, we would have received £330,000 for being in second place so this was not an easy decision but we voted on principal. We could not relegate another club.”

But after another rancourous few days, tainted by emotional blackmail, Machiavellian tactics and bitter recriminations, the other 41 league clubs wait, along with the Lowland League and Highland League promotion hopefuls, who have a vested interest but no voice, to see which way Dundee jump.

But whatever happens, the war isn’t over. With Rangers firing the opening salvos, it has only just begun.