Fans urge club chairmen to deny newco a top-flight place

Reporter

Saturday 16 June 2012

FOOTBALL fans last night urged their clubs' chairmen to deny a Rangers newco a berth in the Scottish Premier League, even if it would mean a loss of revenue.

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Jody Harrison

James Mills, of the Central Hibs Supporters Club, said that he believed all clubs should be treated the same, regardless of their stature or place in the game. He said: "We have had to cut our cloth for years and have been signing players for tuppence recently so the loss of finance that would come with Rangers being demoted would not make much difference.

"The fans would be annoyed with the board if they voted to allow them into the SPL and I would think that they should keep their word and vote against the newco coming in. "Sporting integrity should come before money."If Rangers were to leave the SPL, it could mean that the other clubs apart from Celtic would see their revenue fall by up to 30%, with a loss of gate receipts from travelling Rangers fans and the potential removal of the lucrative TV rights deal with Sky.Despite the risk of financial losses such a scenario would bring, Barry Richmond, Chairman of the Kilmarnock Supporters Society, was also opposed to Rangers entering the SPL. He said: "There has been a lot of scaremongering about what would happen if Rangers were to be relegated, but nobody really knows what the outcome will be."Relegating them to the Third Division may bring more fans into the game as it will make the league more competitive. "But let's make one thing clear – every club should be treated the same, otherwise we lose the integrity of the whole league." Jeanette Findlay, chairwoman of the Celtic Supporters Trust, said: "Celtic's chief executive has already made it clear that we are a stand-alone team and we are not financially dependent on any other club. "So the issue of TV revenue –which is pretty paltry anyway –is not one most Celtic fans give any priority to. What they are concerned about is integrity, fair play and justice. I think most of us think that to allow a company formed yesterday to field a team in the top division of Scottish football would, in fact, destroy the product which the SPL tries to sell us."

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Fans urge club chairmen to deny newco a top-flight place

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