Enough's Enough

04 July 2012 22:59
Rangers will have to find a new place to play now that the SPL clubs have voted against their application to the top flight. The Supporters Trust are not happy how the vote went.

Now that the SPL clubs have finally voted not to allow the newco under Charles Green to play in the top flight,  the recriminations begin. The Rangers Supporters' Trust have come out with the accusation that the SPL clubs which voted against the newco's application were doing so out of "malice". Mark Dingwall, as spokesman for the Trust, now believes the new clubs should start at the bottom of the SFL, in the Irn-Bru Third Division. He said: "We are disappointed but not surprised by this decision which has been taken out of malice rather than for the greater good of the Scottish game. This decision is also a massive social blow as refusing entry to the SPL will likely result in job cuts at the club as well as damage the local Glasgow economy. The decision has absolutely nothing to do with sporting integrity as if it was the club would be joining the SFL in the third division rather than being parachuted into the first division. If Steven Thomson, Rod Petrie, Stuart Milne and the other SPL chairman who voted to refuse Rangers entry into the SPL are serious about sporting integrity then they too will insist on the club starting again from the bottom of the football league. If Rangers are to enter the football league then we must do so with integrity by joining the third division and working our way up." Dingwall was scathing in his views and feels the club has now been punished enough for wrongdoing by previous owners of the liquidated club. He said: "The SPL in one hand claims to be protecting sporting integrity yet in the other is trying to enforce a shameful solution that is solely designed to protect their self-interest. Given that new-found desire of most SPL chairmen to listen to fans they will surely take on board the findings of the recent survey of Rangers season-ticket holders which shows that 80% of fans think Rangers should join Division Three. When the club does enter the SFL the ridiculous and Draconian transfer embargo must be lifted. The club currently has only 13 first-team squad players and if it is to be able to properly compete next season and move on from this saga then it needs to be able to sign players." Dingwall is keen for the Scottish football world to move on and is looking to the courts to consider what punishment should be handed out to previous owners. He went on: "The club cannot continue to be punished for the misdemeanours of previous owners who are now being subjected to a criminal investigation which will hopefully ensure that those responsible for our club's current plight are held to account. Future justice for this debacle should be served by the Courts and not the football authorities at Hampden. Rangers and the Scottish football community need to move on from this mess and take the game back from the brink so clear leadership is needed from the football authorities."

Source: FOOTYMAD