RANGERS managing director Stewart Robertson has revealed the Ibrox club will appeal against the SFA fines they were today hit with – and described the governing body’s disciplinary process as “flawed”.
Rangers were fined £10,000, £3,000 of which has been suspended until the end of the season, for their players, staff and employees failing to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion in the Ladbrokes Premiership game against Celtic at Parkhead on December 29.
They were also fined £5,000, with £2,000 suspended until the end of the season, for breaching disciplinary rule 204 in the league match against Hibernian at Easter Road back on December 20.
Robertson - speaking at the launch of a new “Fans' Charter”, a code of conduct for supporters which is part of their Everyone Anyone campaign, at the Hummel Training Centre – stressed that Rangers would continue to push for changes to the much-criticised disciplinary system.
“We're extremely disappointed,” he told Rangers TV. “We're going to appeal it. We have been disappointed for quite some time in the way that the disciplinary process is working. We've been quite vocal in that.
“We're extremely disappointed in the fact it's almost a double jeopardy. The player can be punished but the club can also be punished. That's just not right. The basic rule that applies, or has been applied in this situation, we don’t feel is fair. There is no natural justice to that.”
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell attended a meeting of the 12 Premiership clubs at Hampden on Monday and was told that frustration with the disciplinary process is mounting in the Scottish game.
Rangers have been scathing about the punishments which have been dished out by the independent panel in the past couple of seasons and believe the system needs to be overhauled.
Robertson added: “We feel there are still severe flaws within the judicial process and we are in active discussion with the SFA to address that.
“There's also been a lot of lobbying going on in the background for changes and it's good to see other clubs are joining in that lobbying campaign at the moment. There will be more to come out on that in due course.
“A lot of that will go on behind the scenes. I know the fans are maybe frustrated that they don’t always see what we are doing or hear what we are doing, but they can be assured that there is a lot of lobbying going on behind the scenes to change that.”
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