Defiant Green vows newco will rise from lower leagues

Chief football writer

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Charles Green admitted defeat and began preparing for lower league football last night after the number of Scottish Premier League clubs saying they would vote against an application for his Rangers newco to be included in the top flight reached six.

Charles Green insists his backers remain committed

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Michael Grant

Oldco Rangers never played outside the top division in 122 years of league football but that will be the newco's immediate and embarrassing fate. Talks on league reconstruction will now determine whether the Ibrox club plays in the first division next term or is made to start in the third division. Either way an application must be made to join the Scottish Football League. The only certainly – unless clubs change their minds – is Rangers newco have no hope of gaining the 8-4 majority required to play in the top division next term.

Each of the SPL clubs, oldco Rangers apart, will meet at Hampden on Thursday but the vote cannot be brought forward and there is no suggestion it will be cancelled, even if the result seems a fait accompli. Cancellation would need the unanimous support of each of the 12 clubs but oldco Rangers – essentially administrators Duff & Phelps – will not be present. Green, chief executive of the newco, has not indicated the request will be withdrawn."We have to deal with the cards we've been dealt," said Green. "It's unfortunate that people have come out and made those comments when my understanding was that there was going to be a vote next Wednesday, but you know I can't control other clubs. First thing, we've got to get membership of the SFA, then start speaking to the football league."I always want to play at the highest level and that's why we made an application to join the SPL. Whether you're a player, whether you're a fan or whether you're a director of a football club, you always want to see your club at the highest level. But cream always floats to the top and this club will come back and come back at the top, make no mistake."Green claimed his financial backers would not desert the newco in the Scottish League. "The consortium realise that if we went down the route where newco was the route, it was a risk. It doesn't alter their resolve. Those guys invested knowing these obstacles that were outside our control and the resolve's there to see this job finished."SPL clubs had been slow to go public with their voting intentions, and did so only after coming under enormous pressure from their own fans to vote "no to newco" or else face boycotts. Chairmen and owners agonised about weighing that against the probable reduction in income if the Ibrox club was excluded. But the demands of their own fans were overwhelming.After Hearts and Dundee United came out against the newco's inclusion last week, four more declared within 24 hours: Hibernian on Sunday evening and St Johnstone, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and Aberdeen in public statements yesterday. So far the oldco Rangers – still entitled to vote – is the only confirmed "yes" for the newco. Celtic have yet to declare, as have Motherwell, Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Ross County.One survey of Aberdeen supporters had shown 97% opposition to the newco's inclusion, and club chairman Stewart Milne bowed to that yesterday. "Traditionally we have preferred not to make public our voting intentions, but in light of the interest and the fact other clubs have chosen to show their hand, I can confirm it is our intention to oppose readmission to the SPL for any Rangers newco," said Milne. Kenny Cameron, chairman of Inverness, said his club had responded to its fans' views and had also been contacted by other supporters who claimed they would boycott games in the Highlands if the club voted 'yes'. Steve Brown, the chairman of St Johnstone, issued a statement while in Switzerland for yesterday's Europa League draw. "Notwithstanding the potentially damaging financial implications, the board believes sporting integrity should not be sacrificed in favour of economic expediency."Meanwhile PFA Scotland said it had a constructive meeting with Green yesterday on the implications for players of the formation of the newco, despite Steven Naismith and Steven Whittaker exercising their right to leave the club claiming freedom of contract. Allan McGregor, Steven Davis, Kyle Lafferty and Carlos Bocanegra are weighing up a similar course of action.Green and PFA Scotland hold conflicting interpretations of the players' freedom to leave without transfer fees, but both parties said talks had been amicable yesterday. "We both acknowledged that, while we disagree upon the fundamental issues, we respect the other party's position and allow the process to flow without acrimony," said Fraser Wishart, the PFA Scotland chief executive, after meeting Green for the first time.

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Defiant Green vows newco will rise from lower leagues

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