DONCASTER’S STATE OF
As critics sharpen their knives, the SPFL chief executive sits down to explain allegations made by clubs during civil war
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has experienced the most tumultuous period of his 11-year tenure in recent weeks and faced calls by Rangers to be suspended from his position pending an independent investigation.
A dossier released by the Ibrox club last week ahead of an EGM tomorrow stated Doncaster had failed to deal with reports of bullying in the build-up to the controversial vote on the resolution on the end of the 2019/20 season last month.
He made himself available to the media once again yesterday to answer that claim and other allegations which have been made against him and his colleagues. Here is the first part of his interview...
The Rangers dossier accused you of ignoring reports of threats being made to Championship clubs? Did you?
ND
“I had a number of conversations with a number of clubs on that Friday including with John [Dundee managing director Nelms] and with Scot [Inverness chief executive Gardiner] and others.
“There was unhappiness expressed with a number of directors in the Championship about the behaviour of people on both sides of the debate. No formal complaint was made, however, about anyone by anyone and therefore I didn’t think it was appropriate to do anything further with it.
“If a formal complaint had been made, had been lodged, then it would have been dealt with entirely properly. No one has sought any further action to be taken, no one has made a formal complaint and if they do make a formal complaint then it will be actioned in the proper way and put before the chairman. But that just hasn’t happened. I don’t believe the word bullying was used either.”
Does it come down to what some people deem bullying and coercion others may describe as a warning? ND
“Ultimately, when someone does want to make what is a very serious allegation, they should do so properly and formally and that hasn’t happened.”
Rangers have said they will pay for an independent investigation. What’s your response to that?
“There are always dangers when the plaintiff, if you like, is offering to pay for what is meant to be an independent report. It does rather undermine the suggestions it’s going to be an independent report.
“I think for any report to be truly independent, as the Deloitte one was as an example, it shouldn’t be funded by any one individual or any one club.
“But cost is only one part of the issue. It is an open-ended investigation that is being suggested. They are not closed, defined terms. If you look at the request it is any other area that the QC deems relevant.
“It would take months and it would absolutely dominate my time, the time of Rod McKenzie, Iain Blair, Murdoch MacLennan. We wouldn’t be able to focus on what I imagine the clubs want us to focus on which is trying to get the game back up and running as soon as it’s safe to do so.
“We simply wouldn’t be able to do that half as effectively if we had all our time used on this investigation, particularly when there has been an investigation. It has been carried out in relation to the Dundee return and it found absolutely no evidence of any
ND
improper conduct by any member of the SPFL staff whatsoever.”
If Rangers lose Tuesday’s vote is it important they accept the outcome? ND
“I think it’s important that everyone accepts the result of vote which will be taken on Tuesday and that includes us. The 42 clubs will have a say and if the resolution is passed we will absolutely adhere to the will of the clubs. I would hope that everyone else would do the same.”
When do you expect the Premiership to be called? ND
“The chairman has indicated there would be consultation with the Premiership clubs. There was a Premiership club call on that on Friday so we are awaiting detailed feedback from that call. The SPFL board will want to take account of what the clubs have been saying.”
Partick Thistle chairman Jacqui Low wrote to the SPFL chairman saying the tone of his communications with clubs was jeopardising the prospect of league reconstruction? Did she have a point?
ND
“No I don’t think so. The tone of the conversations generally have been extremely robust. You will have seen all the allegations made – bullying and coercion being chief amongst them.
“The language used by others has been extremely robust and of necessity it has been required that the league should respond in a robust way.
“It’s not of the league’s making. We understand that passions run high and that clubs are going to be concerned about the
The language used by others has been extremely robust