Prospective Rangers owner seeks Scottish FA talks to prevent FIFA action

Charles Green is in line to take over at Rangers, provided a CVA is passed by creditors.SNS Group

Prospective Rangers owner Charles Green says he is seeking an urgent meeting with Scottish FA chief Stewart Regan to prevent FIFA from intervening in a dispute between the two organisations.

Having been handed a 12-month registration embargo by the governing body for failing to pay tax contributions for their employees over nine months, Rangers challenged the validity of the sanction in the Court of Session.

A judge ruled the punishment was “unlawful” and not permissible based on the Scottish FA’s rulebook, despite a clause in the articles of association saying the relevant appeals panel could use its discretion to impose any sanction it saw fit.

FIFA’s statutes warn against clubs taking football matters to courts of law and, having issued a statement on Tuesday warning for the courts not to be used, are keeping a close eye on the developing situation.

The onus is now on the Scottish FA to punish Rangers for using the courts, or face FIFA’s intervention and the potential suspension of all clubs and the national team from participating in football outside of the country.

“I want to have talks with Stewart Regan to find a way out of this for the good of Scottish football,” Green told the Scottish Sun.

“There is a balancing act here. We accept Rangers should be punished for the sins of the past. I am not disputing that, the SFA have an obligation to do that.

“But I have to stress that the fans of Rangers, administrators and myself feel the initial penalty given to the club was too harsh.

“Now there has to be a solution and a way out that doesn’t cause carnage for the game in Scotland.”

With the Scottish FA essentially left with no choice but to impose some form of sanction on Rangers, Green is eager to stave off talk of a possible suspension or expulsion from Scottish football for the club he is looking to purchase.

“There has been talk that if the SFA appeal to Lord Carloway who rubber-stamped the original decision, then Rangers could be booted out of football for 12 months — or even for good,” he said.

“If everyone steps back from the understandable emotions of this for a second I can’t believe anyone who loves the game in Scotland wants that.

“I want to speak with Stewart Regan to try and find the right path for Rangers and the game as a whole in this country.”

More About Focus on Rangers

Related articles

People who read this story also read