‘Only Newco option is SPL’ utter rubbish

Scottish Premier League chief executive, Neil Doncaster, yesterday told the BBC that no provision existed for a liquidated SPL club to reconvene as a Newco FC at the bottom of the Scottish Football League (reported at 1821 on their crisis timeline).

This is being grossly misreported to suggest that the only opportunity for a Rangers Newco to phoenix is to slip straight back into the SPL – completely and utterly untrue.

There is also no provision for a Newco FC to slip into the SPL.  Newco FC would be able to apply for membership to the Scottish Football League (where they would unquestionably be accepted) or the Scottish Premier League.

The default position when a club goes out of business in the Scottish Premier League is that the club that finishes bottom of the league at the end of the season escapes relegation.  As things stand, Dunfermline would remain an SPL club and Ross County would be promoted.

No moral, legal or football administrative argument has been made to suggest that Dunfermline will be relegated to allow a new club entry into the league.  None whatsoever.  Dunfermline Athletic will remain a SPL club if Rangers are liquidated.

The various parties seeking to phoenix Rangers would get the lawyers onto securing a stadium, scouting some part-timers, buying a ticketing system, applying for entry into the Scottish Football League and finding cash to employ stadium stewarding. This could take weeks but is more likely to take months or even years.

Football needs to get used to this idea.

Neil Doncaster did not suggest a Newco FC applying for entry into the SPL had any primacy over an application to the SFL.  In fact, an application to the SFL would not have to overcome the unfortunate objections of Dunfermline Athletic  – who pay their BBC licence fee and are worthy of due respect.

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