ian1964 10,626 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Rangers would have to start in Scottish League Division Three, says SFL chief executive David Longmuir David Longmuir, the chief executive of the Scottish Football League, is opposed to a proposal which would see Rangers demoted to the First Division. His counterpart at the Scottish Football Association, Stewart Regan, has been discussing the matter with the SPL as they attempt to work out a compromise punishment for the club, who could be found guilty of misuse of dual contracts at a meeting of the Scottish Premier League board at Hampden on Monday. Regan is also anxious to merge the SPL and SFL but there is little chance that a move to integrate the two bodies for the first time since 1998 could be completed in time for the beginning of 2012/13. Should Rangers be expelled from the elite division (either by the SPL or the SFAâ??s appellant tribunal), then they would be forced to apply to join the SFL in the Third Division. However, the possibility of Rangers dropping only one division has been mooted in an attempt to salvage the new, four-year broadcasting agreement with Sky, which has yet to be signed. Longmuir, though, is not convinced of the merits of that argument. â??The decisions that have to be made by the SPL and SFA in the coming weeks are far more crucial than the knock-on effects that come to the SFL,â? he said. â??There are no winners in this situation. The good of the game is balancing sporting integrity with the finances available, and to be realistic about the future.â? Longmuir also suggested that â?? in the event of Rangers being ejected from the top tier â?? he would not welcome any application from them to join his organisation unless they were prepared to start at the bottom. Any vacancy arising in the SPL would be filled by First Division runners-up Dundee, while losing play-off-finalists Airdrie United and Stranraer would be promoted to the First and Second Divisions respectively. That would leave Rangers facing the prospect of meeting the likes of East Stirling, Annan Athletic, Peterhead and Montrose four times a season and replacing the Old Firm clash with derby matches against Queenâ??s Park. â??It would be a newco scenario and the only way we could accommodate any new application would be to create a gap in the Third Division through the play-offs with teams shuffling up,â? said Longmuir â??We would then judge every case on its own merits. There would be no provision for any newco Rangers to go into the First Division rather than the Third Division.â? Meanwhile, Rangers are set to be left off the fixture list for the forthcoming Clydesdale Bank Premier League season, with 'Club 12â?? taking their place, as the uncertainty at Ibrox continues. The Glasgow club, champions in 2010-11 but now facing an uncertain future, announced the news on Sunday on the eve of the publication of the SPL fixtures, which takes place at 9am on Monday. With the process ongoing, the punishment for Rangers being liquidated and the establishment of a newco Rangers is still to be determined and they could yet be demoted from the Scottish Premier League to the Scottish Football League. It remains uncertain if Dunfermline, relegated from the SPL last term, or Dundee, runners-up to promoted Ross County in the Irn-Bru First Division, would occupy the 'Club 12â?? slot should Rangers be denied a place in the competition. A story on Rangersâ?? official website read: â??The SPL are replacing Rangers with 'Club 12â?? in the official list of fixtures for the 2012-13 season. â??The governing body is sticking to the schedule of announcing the matches as planned but have taken the Ibrox men out of the list after the developments of last week which saw Rangers FC change ownership under a newco scenario. â??The Sevco consortium headed by Charles Green completed the purchase of the club and its assets last week when HMRC refused to support an exit from administration through CVA. â??They are now seeking to transfer the SPL share from the old company â?? Rangers Football Club plc â?? to the new company, The Rangers Football Club. â??All 12 member clubs need to vote on this application and eight votes are required for Rangers to be playing SPL football next season. â??A date for this vote has yet to be set so the SPL have decided to use 'Club 12â?? in their list of fixtures in order to cover all eventualities. â??If the transfer of the SPL share is successful then Rangers will assume the 'Club 12â?? fixtures.â? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...-Longmuir.html 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darthter 542 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 At least if we go to the 3rd Div....we would be guaranteed more games @ Hampden than Celtic.... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 interesting. fair enough from the sfl and rather pushes the spl into a corner. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 may also explain why the sfa want a merger so quickly. to control the sfl better to allow a part punishment. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeeBlueDevil 0 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 who could be found guilty of misuse of dual contracts at a meeting of the Scottish Premier League board at Hampden on Monday We could also be found not guilty . 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 We could also be found not guilty . didn't the BBC say that had been delayed. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarry Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 (edited) I agree with that, Div 3 for me, the proposed merger of Spl is designed to keep the Sky deal alive and prop up all the wee diddy teams. No longer are to be used as a "Cash Cow" for all that scum,we will come back better and stronger bring on our youth players. Once this is sorted out where we are playing hopefuly the situation with Green or Walter will become clearer as I don't think Green & co will hang about when we are in Div 3. The same can be said for those Bears fans who will stick by the Rangers through thick and thin and we are needed more than ever. Edited June 17, 2012 by sarry 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeeBlueDevil 0 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 didn't the BBC say that had been delayed. Im sure they did but was later denied by the SPL . 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Im sure they did but was later denied by the SPL . thanks mate didn't see the denial. better getting it out the way anyway. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovanAllan 0 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Sounds to me that Div1 has been spoke about and Longmuir has said no to it. So Regan try's flexing his muscles with the let's bring us all back under one umbrella. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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