SPFL ‘yet to see a shred of evidence’ from Ibrox

Raith chairman sees feud as unwanted distraction

THE Scottish Professional Football League claims Rangers are yet to provide a “single shred of evidence” after the Ibrox club finally released their dossier to clubs.

Rangers need 32 clubs to back their call for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the recent vote which ended the lowerleague season and handed the SPFL board the authority to do likewise with the Premiership campaign.

The club had called for SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster and legal adviser Rod McKenzie to be suspended after claiming they had received “alarming” evidence from a whistleblower and further alleging clubs were “bullied” into voting for the SPFL.

After saying they would release the evidence to clubs “well in advance” of next Tuesday’s general meeting, Rangers presented their case at 10am yesterday morning.

However, it was quickly met with a strong response from the league.

An SPFL spokesman said:

“It is now a month since Rangers accused the SPFL of bullying and corruption relating to the Dundee FC return.

“At last, Rangers have issued their ‘dossier’ and we will now take time to review it, before responding to all 42 clubs.

“Since Rangers publicly demanded the suspension of the SPFL’s chief executive and legal counsel, everyone in Scottish football has waited patiently for them to present their case.

“However, an initial examination of their ‘dossier’ has failed to identify a single shred of evidence to support Rangers’ vociferous claims of corruption, bullying and coercion by SPFL staff.

“If Rangers have any good reason for Neil Doncaster and Rod McKenzie to be suspended, we have yet to see it.”

Rangers issued a very brief response to the SPFL statement, declaring on Twitter: “#RangersFC will not be bullied into silence”.

RAITH ROVERS chairman Bill Clark insists Rangers’ war with the SPFL is an unwanted ‘distraction’ and is costing Scottish football valuable time amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Clark was one of 41 club chiefs who received the Ibrox club’s document yesterday, outlining their grievances with the voting process which saw the lower leagues called last month.

Among the key allegations put forward by the Glasgow giants were that SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster withheld information prior to the ballot, a potential £10 million liability to Sky was not disclosed and that Dundee’s infamous U-turn is yet to be satisfactorily explained.

While adhering to terms of confidentiality, Clark did note that ‘there is a difference between accusations and evidence’.

He is adamant Raith, who were declared champions of League One when the divisions were ended, ‘have no intention of becoming involved in an issue between Rangers and the SPFL’ – but feels this has become a lamentable sideshow.

He said: “It’s an exceptionally long document and there is a lot to digest – but there are a few points already in the public domain, it seems.

“Speaking as the chairman of Raith Rovers, I can say that we were not bullied or coerced.

“I’m not really the type to be bullied! I can also say that I don’t feel mislead or underserved by the information provided by the SPFL prior to casting our vote.

“I feel like we had the relevant information at the time, and I still feel like that.

“I’ve no intention of becoming involved in an issue between Rangers and the SPFL but it is fair to say this continues to be a distraction.

“This is costing us valuable time when all of our focus should be on the future and ensuring Scottish football manages to come through this.”