A PRICE WORTH PAYING
Rangers will bear cost for probe into SPFL, says Park
RANGERS interim chairman Douglas Park last night pledged to foot the bill for an independent investigation into the SPFL.
Clubs are due to vote in Tuesday’s EGM on the motion tabled by Rangers, Hearts and Stranraer for a fresh inquiry into events surrounding the league body’s handling of the season-ending ballot.
The SPFL board has advised its member clubs to back away from calling for such an investigation, citing cost concerns as one of their main arguments.
However, in a wide-ranging Q&A with Sunday newspapers, Park allayed any fears harboured by voting clubs over the legal costs involved in a fraught financial climate by insisting that the Ibrox club would pay.
Insisting that ‘cost should never be a barrier to proper governance’, Park vowed: ‘If our resolution is passed on Tuesday, we will be willing to fund the costs of an independent investigation covering the scope
outlined in our resolution.’ The three requisitioners will need 75-per-cent support through nine Premiership, eight Championship and 15 League One and Two clubs to trigger the inquiry.
In addition to the funding offer, Park addressed a host of the recent twists in Scottish football’s coronavirus crisis and launched fresh attacks on the conduct of SPFL hierarchy.
He said a ‘culture of fear’ existed where clubs were privately positive of Rangers’ stance on matters but not all were prepared to go public.
He criticised the SPFL’s treatment of Hearts owner Ann Budge and Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack, branded the move towards a reconstruction debate as ‘disingenuous’ and accused SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster of only offering ‘selective and patronising’ answers to a range of legitimate questions over governance.
Park insisted that allegations he had made a threat to Doncaster as the season-ending resolution was on the brink of going through were ‘offensive, crass and downright wrong’.
He went on to stress that Rangers have not only plugged a £10million funding gap, but that they were hopeful of making an announcement on fresh investment in the coming months as they and the rest of Scottish football confront an uncertain climate with no indication of when revenue from the game will return.