The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Chairman denies claims of ‘sweetener’ for Dark Blues
SPFL chairman Murdoch Maclennan has denied Dundee were given a “sweetener” in return for their vote to end the lower league season, writes Sean Hamilton and Gavin Mccafferty.
In an open letter to league clubs, Maclennan urged clubs to reject a formal request from Rangers, Hearts and Stranraer for an independent investigation into the ballot which ended the season for the three lower divisions and handed the SPFL board the authority to do the same for the Premiership.
The league chief claimed Rangers risk “bringing the game into disrepute” after making allegations against league executives without providing evidence.
But Maclennan also slammed media claims Dundee had been offered a deal to change their vote on the seasonending resolution, saying: “No, the restructuring process that is happening now is precisely the one that the board had committed to in the legal briefing document sent out to members with the directors written resolution on April 8.
“A number of clubs wanted commitments that went beyond those set out in the legal briefing document sent to all members. But at no stage was any additional commitment or ‘sweetener’ given to any club before it voted.”
Rangers previously alleged clubs had been “bullied” ahead of the initial vote, claimed they had “alarming” evidence and called for SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster and legal advisor Rod Mckenzie to be suspended.
They later promised to divulge their dossier to clubs “well in advance” of a May 12 emergency general meeting, triggered by the Gers, Hearts and Stranraer.
Maclennan’s open letter stated: “If Rangers or any other club genuinely believes that it has been bullied by any member of the SPFL team, it has a duty to report that to me, as chairman of the board of the SPFL. I will then investigate any such allegations fully and thoroughly.
“In the absence of any such report, those alleging ‘bullying and coercion’ risk bringing the game into disrepute and sowing further unnecessary division.”
Maclennan argued it was entirely appropriate for board members to give guidance and clarification when contacted by clubs.
He added: “I see nothing wrong whatsoever with board members seeking to persuade clubs to ‘adopt’ a resolution that the vast majority of board members consider to be in the best interests of the league as a whole.”
Maclennan defended the information given to clubs, claimed there were “simply no other viable options” and described Rangers’ suggestion of handing out loans instead of end-of-season payments as “deeply flawed”.
The fact clubs only had 48 hours to decide and the failure to express concern to relegated Partick Thistle and Stranraer were the only two regrets Maclennan expressed.
He urged clubs to reject the call for a “hugely time consuming and expensive investigation”, which he claimed was “wholly unnecessary, inappropriate and contrary to the interests of the company”.
He added: “At this hugely challenging time, distractions, scapegoating and sideshows are our enemy.
“We currently have a very small executive team comprising only five senior members of staff who are working tirelessly in the interests of Scottish football. Two of them are the subject of unexplained calls for their suspension.
“I therefore sincerely hope that I and your board of directors can rely on your support so that we can be allowed to focus completely on helping all clubs survive the crisis caused by Covid-19, rather than spending extensive and unproductive time and expense on rebutting unknown allegations against directors and long-standing and hardworking members of the SPFL team.”
… those alleging ‘bullying and coercion’ risk bringing the game into disrepute and sowing further unnecessary division.
MURDOCH MACLENNAN