Dons say ‘integrity of sport’ will be central to decision on Gers newco

Aberdeen FC: The Pittodrie club has said it will listen to its supporters before voting on Rangers.

Aberdeen Football Club have released a statement vowing to listen to their supporters before deciding on how they will vote on letting a ‘newco’ Rangers back into the Scottish Premier League.

The majority of Dons supporters are strongly opposed to the idea of a ‘newco’ Rangers being allowed to stay in the top flight.

The Pittodrie club has yet to confirm whether it would vote against Rangers remaining in the SPL but has said that “the integrity of sport in general and football in particular must be central to any decision”.

Rangers would require winning an 8-4 vote if they are to remain in the SPL next season.

Aberdeen daily newspaper The Press and Journal reported on Thursday that Aberdeen would be prepared to suffer the financial consequences and vote against a ‘newco’ Rangers being permitted back into the Scottish Premier League.

In a statement released on the club’s website on Thursday morning, Dons chief executive Duncan Fraser said: "Yesterday's announcement that Rangers FC will reform as a newco brings a degree of clarity to the situation. However there are a number of other investigations ongoing.

“Like everyone we wish to see them resolved as soon as possible.

"A large numbers of our supporters have made their views and feelings very clear and as a club I can assure everyone that these are being taken into account. The integrity of sport in general and football in particular must be central to any decision.

"This issue has our full attention and we will communicate any decisions we take in relation to this situation with our supporters in a transparent way at an appropriate time."

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>Rangers FC will reform as a newco

No, they won't.

Rangers FC will be liquidated, and their assets bought to pay their creditors.

If someone wishes to use those assets to set up a new football team, then good luck to them, but it won't be the same club as the one which previously owned those assets.

Declan Murphy 14/06/2012 Report this place

One question. If Rangers FC cease to be and reform as a "newco" how then can they have a vote on election to the SPL? Rangers FC will no exist, therefore cannot have a vote; the newco is not a member of the SPL and so cannot have a vote. Am I missing something?

Teaghee 14/06/2012 Report this place

The only thing you're missing is the SPL riding roughshod over their own rulebook, and the media doing everything it can to support Neil Doncaster & Co. in their quest to kill Scottish football at the expense of a zombie club.

Declan Murphy 14/06/2012 Report this place

Lot of tosh being talked here and elsewhere in the media. The only difference there will be is that Rangers F.C will no longer be owned by Glasgow Rangers plc. (which will cease to exist) Rangers F.C, as an asset of Glasgow Rangers plc will be sold, to another company, and will continue to trade as normal. There will be nothing different about Rangers F.C, except the owners. So, this 'newco' nonsense is just that: nonsense
Oh, and for anyone at Aberdeen to talk about integrity is an even bigger joke

flamegrill1956 14/06/2012 Report this place

Actually Rangers FC will cease to exist, and its assets sold off.

If someone wants to set up a new club and pretend its the old one, good luck to them.

Tell me this, if it's the same club, then will it be receiving the final instalments of the Jelavic transfer fee from Everton?

No?

Why not?

Declan Murphy 14/06/2012 Report this place

I do hope that Aberdeen along with the other clubs who are voting do the right thing and vote against ANY new club being fast tracked into the SPL as this would just make a mockery of the SPL rule book.If this is allowed then any one with a bit of clout and a bit of cash can chap on the door and expect to be allowed in.Another point raised here is that voting should only be allowed by SPL members and of course as RFC plc will no longer be members then they should have no vote.Just one final point there will be no history as with anything new its simply that new.

wattster 14/06/2012 Report this place

"integrity of sport" from Aberdeen? So how was the First Division in 2000/01 then? Oh that's right, they weren't there, they avoided relegation despite finishing bottom of the league due to league expansion.

Integrity would exist if more than 2 clubs would actually win the thing, lets put it this way, even if Rangers die, if Celtic stayed in the SPL for another 100 years they would win the league 100 times in a row. Only ONE club has finished higher than third & despite the fact we had 10 points removed from us we were STILL 9 points clear of Motherwell in third!

bluenoseam 14/06/2012 Report this place

If newco Rangers is admitted to the SPL then Aberdeen should resign from the SPL and go to the highland league. No point in being part of an organisation like the SPL that is so corrupt and rotten to the core that it is an embarasment to be part of it.

Old Aberdonian 14/06/2012 Report this place

Again, I'll point you to the fact Aberdeen SHOULD have been relegated in 99/00 however because of a technicality were allowed to remain in a place they lost the right to play in with their performance. Aberdeen trade on their history, frankly were it not for Sir Alex Ferguson then Aberdeen would be little more than a footnote in the history of Scottish football.

rather fun statistic, the same number of teams have avoided relegation from the SPL as have won the "competition" - I foresee that the number of teams avoiding relegation will rise before the number who have won the championship.

Mind you, Highland League is about Aberdeen's level - cos it's certainly not SPL level that's for sure.

bluenoseam 14/06/2012 Report this place

I have a hard time equating "integrity of sport" with any team in the SPL. In order to talk the talk you have to walk the walk. When the chips are down, despite the pressure from hometown fans, the SPL clubs will all be motivated by the cash factor. They shall all behave like Rangers and have proven so in many past instances. I hate the obvious posturing of all these so called leaders of the Scottish Game. I wonder if Ladbrokes have a wager board set up to see who does what at the next SPL meeting. If it is Rangers in or out it will be a foregone conclusion and will be an odds on bet for IN. As a bluenose I expect the status quo to prevail. see you all next season same time same places.

Deedledoddle 14/06/2012 Report this place

i agree aberdeen should be in the highland league
with the support they have thats where they should be
and after the way they've been playing over the last few seasons
and there supporters have got a cheek
there club will earn more through sky tv than what they'll get through season tickets
amount that turns up when the old firm not there

kenk 15/06/2012 Report this place

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Dons say ‘integrity of sport’ will be central to decision on Gers newco

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