Stewart Regan under fire as Morton repeat Rangers SPL 'blocking' accusation

Stewart Regan is accused of saying the Scottish FA would prevent newco Rangers gaining entry to the SPL.©SNS Group

Stewart Regan has again been accused of telling Scottish Football League clubs the Scottish FA would prevent a newco Rangers from joining the Scottish Premier League.

Chief executive Regan represented the governing body at an SFL meeting last Tuesday, where the case was made for Charles Green’s new company to potentially join the league but bypass two tiers to play in the First Division.

Greenock Morton chairman Douglas Rae has stated in a letter to fellow SFL chairmen that Regan claimed the Scottish FA would “block” any move by SPL clubs to allow Green to inherit Rangers’ member share, one day before they were due to vote on the matter.

Livingston chairman Gordon McDougall originally stated his opinion on Regan’s remarks on the steps of Hampden after the meeting.

Regan however denied having made the comment, saying his remarks to SFL representatives were “distorted, taken out of context and leaked to the media by a member.”

After Clyde spoke out last week backing up Livingston’s version of events, Rae has now outlined the exchange from his viewpoint, making it clear he believed pressure was being put on SFL clubs to accept Rangers in the second tier.

"The most concerning point about Regan's presentation was that he departed truth as he became increasingly desperate to get his viewpoints accepted," Rae said in his letter to clubs.

"When asked what would have happened if SPL clubs had voted that newco Rangers should be granted entry to the Premier League, he stated that the SFA would block it.

"I then asked why that point had not been made known to the clubs prior to the meeting. In reply he stated that sometimes points are withheld from meetings until the last moment for greater effect.

"I then asked, through the chair, if I could ask Regan to repeat what he had just said about 'blocking'.

"He responded by repeating what he had said minutes before; namely that the SFA would block any result that would see newco Rangers entering the SPL.

"The following day he countermanded in the press what he had told the SFL meeting the previous day.

"It is very disappointing that the SFA chief executive was unable to give a truthful response to the SFL chairmen."

The Scottish FA was unavailable to comment on the allegations made by Rae at the time of publication.

Rae also had strong words for the SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster, who warned the meeting of potential dire financial consequences for his member clubs, and the game as a whole, if Rangers were only admitted into the Third Division.

"Neil Doncaster was a man who didn't appreciate that the current problem relative to newco Rangers, and which league they should be playing in next season, is exclusively the problem of the SPL and little do to with the SFL," he added.

"Neil was totally unable to get his clubs to accept the decision going forward that he wanted, as the SPL vote was overwhelmingly in favour of newco Rangers being refused entry to the SPL.

"Following that mammoth failure, Neil now expects the SFL clubs to bail him out, which to do so would mean SFL clubs ignoring the views of their supporters."

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