Rangers can be stripped of tainted titles, says SPL boss Neil Doncaster

[ian1964 10,870]

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster has revealed Rangers COULD be stripped of any tainted titles under league rules.

 

The top flightâ??s lawyers are continuing to investigate the stricken clubâ??s use of EBTs and if players were paid outside of the contracts lodged with the authorities.

 

Doncaster insists they wonâ??t be pushed into rushing the inquiry. But he has admitted that, if the case goes against Rangers, the SPL has an option among their 18 available sanctions to withdraw any previous titles awarded.

 

Doncaster said: â??In any disciplinary investigation we must go through a chain of events. The lawyers investigate and bring a report back to the Board.

 

â??If they think thereâ??s a case to answer, the Board must decide how to progress. They can hear it themselves, through a sub-committee or appoint an independent commission.

 

â??If thereâ??s a case which is prosecuted, there could be sanctions if proven. These are unlimited according to the rules.

 

â??There are 18 different sanctions that can be applied by the SPL.â?

 

Asked to clarify if one of those 18 options was â??withdrawal or withholding of an award or titleâ??, he confirmed: â??Thatâ??s one of the rules.

 

â??The nub of the issue is our rules say all payments to players must be made within an SPL contract.â?

 

The leagueâ??s clubs â?? including newly- promoted Ross Countyâ?? meet on Wednesday to vote on three resolutions that could determine Rangersâ?? fate.

 

However with several of the issues unlikely to be voted through, many still see a scenario where a newco Rangers could yet re-enter the SPL unpunished.

 

Doncaster said: â??All sorts of different twists and turns could arise â?? I wonâ??t predict what might happen.â?

 

MailSport reported three weeks ago that the SPL has received strong legal advice warning that unless the Financial Fair Play resolutions are all passed, they cannot apply conditions if Rangersâ?? SPL share is handed to a newco.

 

Doncaster refused to deny that but said: â??Clubs have a decision to make at that point. Iâ??m not going to go in to what might happen.

 

â??The clubs will decide on Wednesday how theyâ??ll deal with any application for a newco should one come forward.â?

 

If the resolution to take the decision away from the Board and put it in the hands of the 12 clubs goes through, it would require five of the 12 to say â??Noâ?? to deny Rangers their transfer of share.

 

However, Rangers administrator Paul Clark last night confirmed they would be issuing their CVA tomorrow in a bid to take Rangers out of administration, which would avoid the newco route.

 

Duff and Phelps will send their proposals to creditors, who will meet on June 13 to deliver their verdict.

 

And the Ibrox beancounter remained bullish about the clubâ??s prospects of a revival.

 

Clark said: â??Weâ??re on track. Relative to other football admins, thereâ??s been a good amount of swift progress.

 

â??Itâ??s very rare these things are resolved in three or four months. Getting the CVA proposal is a major milestone and that will happen on Monday.â?

 

But he did pull the club back from prospective owner Charles Greenâ??s assertion on Friday that a deal had already been agreed with HMRC over the CVA.

 

Clark said: â??There has been an ongoing dialogue with HMRC and we wouldnâ??t have got to such an advanced stage if we didnâ??t feel there was more than a strong possibility of a CVA being approved.

 

â??But there is no deal and that canâ??t happen until there is a meeting of the creditors.â?

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2012/05/27/rangers-can-be-stripped-of-tainted-titles-says-spl-boss-neil-doncaster-86908-23875204/

[Danny 0]

Haha, let me get this straight. To preserve TV rights and sponsorship, a newco Rangers would be allowed back in the SPL. But every other sanction SFA and SPL could carry out on us is being carried out?

 

'We'll rescind all your titles, but keep you in the SPL because it would kill the league and us if you left'.

 

The weasel nature of Scottish football authorities is despicable.

[Kenzie1 0]

The anti-Rangers agenda in the press and in the so-called corridors of power has long since ceased to surprise me but I have been saying for some time now that the ultimate ain is to strip Rangers of all trophies won during the disputed period. Make no mistake, they will go for the jugular. I just hope we get someone in charge who will grab the bull by the horns.

[der Berliner 4,142]

Matter of fact, he said "could" and thus the headline is misleading. Generally, he's been pretty fair and unbiased over the process, as opposed to his counterpart at the SFA. IMHO, the shyte-throwers need some negative headline ahead of possibly better news for the club and thus they give it to us from all angles.

[caseyjones 0]

There are eighteen different sanctions IF there is found to be a case to answer, and IF we are found guilty.

 

The knicker-wetters can relax for now.