22 June 2012

Will Celtic be the club to save Rangers?

On 4th July the Scottish Premier League clubs meet to decide whether to allow a new Rangers company formed from the wreckage of the liquidated one to continue in the SPL.

They need no more than four clubs to vote against their application.  At the moment Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen and Dundee United are committed to voting against a 'newco'.  The Beeb's analysis shows how the other clubs may vote - and bizarrely the liquidated Rangers get to vote on their successor (only in Scottish football!).

But with four definite votes against it will take the vote of just one more club to throw Rangers out of the league as punishment for their misdemenours. 

One would assume that Rangers's greatest rivals Celtic would be guaranteed to be the fifth club needed to do just that.  But Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell's has said, "Our guiding principle is that we will do what is in the best interests of Celtic Football Club and our supporters..."  And the best interests of Celtic may well best be served by voting to keep Rangers in the SPL - without them the old firm veto on all decisions goes and of course they lose significant income without derby games. 

So Celtic vote to save Rangers - surely not?

2 comments:

  1. Think of the spread of wealth from having Rangers newco help give capacity crowds twice a year to every team in the SFL for the next three years, assuming they gain promotion on each occasion Division 1 can be hard to get out of. Far better than the current 'distribution' of wealth from the SPL to the lower divisions.

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  2. Quite - and given Rangers (in whatever form) owe the UK public at least £50 million in unpaid tax, starting at the bottom is the minimum punishment they deserve.

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