SPFL SNUB KING

Ibrox chairman demands probe into MacLennan ‘links’ But league body insist there’s no case to answer

THE SPFL have rejected a demand from Dave King for an investigation into league chairman Murdoch MacLennan’s perceived business link with Celtic powerbroker Dermot Desmond.

Rangers chairman King had called for MacLennan to be suspended and a senior QC engaged to look into ‘alleged non-disclosure’ surrounding his appointment as non-executive chairman at Irish-based Independent News and Media PLC (INM) earlier this year.

Major Parkhead shareholder Desmond holds a stake in INM. Denis O’Brien, who holds a minor shareholding in Celtic, is also a part-owner of the company.

The SPFL insist no investigation is merited as their board — which includes Ibrox managing director Stewart Robertson — was informed when MacLennan was appointed by INM. They also stress that a non-executive position does not constitute a ‘business relationship’ with a shareholder.

However, King (right) — who last week called for the suspension of independent non-executive SFA director Gary Hughes over comments allegedly made about Rangers fans in a 2006 magazine article — harbours concerns and believes there is ‘a clear prima facie case’ for an investigation.

‘The club notes with concern the latest disclosure through the media regarding a business

relationship which the chairman of the SPFl has with leading shareholders of a fellow SPFl club,’ said King in a statement on the Rangers website. ‘this has given rise to allegations of non-disclosure and it is now imperative that we discover exactly the nature of the information supplied to the SPFl regarding this relationship. ‘It is equally important that any conflicts of interest, or even the perception of such, whereby positions within the Scottish football authorities could be undermined or abused, must be aggressively rooted out of our game. ‘the SPFl, therefore, must immediately suspend its chairman pending an independent investigation by a senior Qc into the allegations and into the extent that other parties within the SPFl may have co-operated in this alleged non-disclosure. ‘Unfortunately for Scottish football, this incident immediately follows a similar call by myself for an independent non-executive director of the SFa to be suspended under similar circumstances. ‘the credibility of Scottish football in the minds of supporters and sponsors is at stake and urgent action is required. ‘transparency will be key to recovering the confidence of key stakeholders in Scottish football and this cannot be achieved if the SFa and/or the SPFl conduct internal investigations. ‘the SPFl and SFa must now appoint independent investigators. Scottish football is an important national asset and must have levels of probity and governance that are beyond reproach and that are transparently so.’ the SPFl issued a response yesterday evening, which read: ‘It’s not surprising that Murdoch, having stepped down as deputy chairman of telegraph Media Group, should be approached by other businesses in that sector. ‘the members of the SPFl board were each informed of Murdoch’s appointment on January 19, 2018, the same day it was publicly announced in a press release from Independent news & Media Plc. that release was also circulated to the entire SPFl board that day. ‘the appointment was widely reported in the national media at the time, including in the and ‘no director raised this issue subsequently and it was not the subject of any board discussions. ‘to be definitive, a non-executive position on a Plc does not constitute a business relationship between that individual and a minority shareholder in the company and therefore no investigation is warranted.’