The row between Rangers and the Scottish Professional
Football League over the Premiership champions’ refusal to comply with the league’s new sponsors will be settled by the
decision of one high-profile legal expert after both parties agreed to abide by his decision.
Rangers have refused to provide track-side hoardings, man-of-the-match awards or wear branding on their tops for online used car company cinch, claiming that the SPFL’s Rule 17 allows them not to comply with the new five-year £8m deal because they had a pre-existing contract with Ibrox chairman
Douglas Park’s second-hand car dealerships.
With the two parties at loggerheads – and cash-strapped clubs fearing that cinch may walk away from the deal – the matter was handed to the Scottish Football Association as appellant body and they have persuaded them to use the Arbitration Act Scotland to rule on the matter.
The SPFL and Rangers have each been instructed to appoint a legal representative (almost certainly a QC) and, between them, they will agree on the person – a Law Lord or another distinguished figure from the legal profession – to be the chair. They will hear the case put by both sides and, because this is a proper legal process, they will deliver a verdict which is both legal and binding.
It’s understood that the chair has yet to be chosen but there is no time limit as to how long the case can last once he or she is appointed, although the SPFL will be hoping for a swift conclusion in case cinch decide to terminate the agreement. In the meantime, under the conditions of the Arbitration Act, neither side is able to speak publicly about the issues involved.
On their official website, Rangers list their 17 commercial partners, from kit suppliers Castore to official logistics partner SEKO. Douglas Park’s companies are not listed and nor are any other car dealers.
Meanwhile, a report in England claims that the most recent Rangers share issue for supporters, which closed on July 16, has failed to reach its £6.75m target.
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