The 30 clubs of the Scottish Football League will convene today at Hampden Park to discuss their response to the ever-fluctuating Rangers newco situation.
However, although David Longmuir, the SFL's chief executive, will be in attendance, and his Scottish Premier League counterpart, Neil Doncaster, might also be at the meeting, there will be no vote taken on any major decision.
Instead, the clubs will discuss the content of a proposal circulated last week that would allow the accommodation of a Rangers newco among their ranks. The detail of that document, including a £1million payment from the SPL to the SFL for TV coverage of Rangers' matches, play-offs and a more equitable distribution of revenue, will be discussed and the mood of the clubs gauged. Then, if a ballot is required, an extraordinary general meeting can be called within five days.
There will be no vote today, though, principally because, as one club official told Herald Sport yesterday: "Technically, Rangers are still in the SPL, and therefore, there can be no move to invite them to join any other body until a decision has been reached about their SPL place." (Which, although it seems cut and dried, has still to be formally ratified).
None the less, the SFL clubs will be focusing much of their discussions on what happens next at Ibrox. Having yesterday canvassed the 10 member clubs in the first division, here are their positions.
No to rangers in first division
Several clubs have taken a hard line, led by Dunfermline Athletic, Raith Rovers, Falkirk, Morton and Livingston, all of whom believe that a Rangers newco should adhere to the existing regulations and start life in the bottom tier.
Douglas Rae, the Morton chairman, summed up the position thus: "Under the current SFL rules, any club making an application for membership should be admitted to the third division, Personally, I see no reason to make any exception to that and would therefore vote accordingly."
Raith Rovers were equally unequivocal, making it clear that they are against anything which might be perceived as a quick way of parachuting Rangers into the first tier, something which they believe would damage the sporting integrity of Scottish football. Livingston, meanwhile, were themselves punished by having to start from scratch in the third division, and believe their punishment created a precedent that should be shared by Rangers.
The undecided
This includes the likes of Partick Thistle, Hamilton Academical, Queen of the South and Ayr United. The former have stated: "We do not have a complete view of or on the proposals and will wait until we have full details"; their stance is likely to be clearer, following today's meeting with the rest of the SFL's clubs.
Ayr, who were relegated to the second division last season, are keeping their cards close to their chest and their chairman, Lachlan Cameron, said: "We will do what is right for Scottish football and Ayr United. Self-interest is short-term benefit and the SPL is hard proof of that."
Hamilton, meanwhile, are sticking to the line that nothing has yet been decided and it is difficult, if not impossible, to predict how the whole saga will pan out. That said, a club source cautioned that solid decisions had to be reached quickly or there was a genuine fear that the new season might not begin on time.
No comment
Herald Sport were unsuccessful in attempts to contact Dundee. Given that the Dens Park club have potentially the most to gain from Rangers being demoted this might be understandable. However, some clubs, not least Dunfermline, have queried the validity of that chain of events.
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