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Doncaster's masterplan faces First Division red card

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Scottish League newsNeil Doncaster’s hopes of parachuting Sevco into the First Division look certain to be rejected by SFL clubs.

With the predictable exception of Donald Findlay’s Cowdenbeath clubs in the First Division are coming out in public to state their opposition to the plan.

Dundee and Dunfermline are in the difficult situation of waiting to step up to the SPL but typical of Doncaster’s incompetence both clubs are in the dark as to who replaces Rangers.

In business Doncaster would be commended for the hard work he is putting in to find a solution- in sport his position is untenable as he snaps the rules rather than bends them to accommodate a club with a handful of players, question marks over the ownership of a stadium and no audited accounts.

Falkirk and Raith Rovers have already stated their opposition to Sevco being placed in the First Division with Les Gray of Hamilton dealing with the issue full on.

He said: “My personal view is that clubs in the First Division would never vote for Rangers to be admitted.

“Morally, for reasons of football integrity, I think they should have to apply for entry to the Third Division.

“I have deliberately not spoken to anybody about this because, to be honest, I’m sick hearing about it. But the bottom line is that there is no mechanism for Rangers to be admitted into the First Division.

“Something would have to be changed, which would be a radical alteration requiring a percentage of the member clubs, who would then have to vote on it in a short space of time. That would then have to be put to the other member clubs within the SFL.”

Steven Pressley has been a vocal campaigner for league reconstruction and can back up his argument based on performances.

Last season the First Division side put Rangers and Dundee United out of the League Cup.

At any other time the current proposals would be worth consideration but the haste with which Doncaster has drafted his cunning plan isn’t lost on the Falkirk boss.

Pressley said: “If the proposal is an additional play-off place to the SPL and a small amount of money through greater distribution of wealth in exchange for Rangers finding themselves in Division One, I will be absolutely disgusted by our authorities.

“Once again we would have shirked a terrific opportunity to completely revolutionise our game and take it forward through reconstruction.

“I believe these proposals have been drafted solely to get Rangers into the second tier not to find a solution which is best for the overall game in Scotland.

“This isn’t even about Rangers. This is about how the clubs deal with being forced to change and whether they grasp the chance to do something special.

“The SFL will never have a better opportunity to force change than they do now and if they give up the chance for change for a play-off place and a small amount of extra money they have sold the supporters down the river.”

Doncaster’s reconstruction plans require the backing of 75% of SFL clubs, with three clubs already stating their opposition the votes of another four are required to kill off the Sevco for Division One scenario.

CLICK HERE for STV reveal Doncaster’s Sevco deal

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0 comments

  • dombhoy67 says:

    Well said Stephen Presley!

  • John says:

    Dumbarton have said no to newco

  • Raymy says:

    Hats off Elvis

  • williebhoy says:

    Doncaster seems to think he is the kingpin on Scottish Football and can do as he likes, change rules to suit or make up completely new ones. Now offering / bribing 30 SFL clubs with inducements of £ 1m which won’t be HIS money to donate but other clubs !!

    His comments since the start of this debacle have been nothing short of a disgrace. His complete lack of knowledge of the SFA rules is apparent or down to pure ignorance / conceit. Without question his term in office should be terminated with immediate effect as he has brought Scottish Football down into the gutter.

  • paranoidandroid says:

    I couldn’t agree more with Elvis and the other posters. You’d think by the law of averages we’d occasionally employ a football administrator who’s brave, passionate, and good at his job, but it doesn’t seem to work that way in Scotland. I wonder why? You’d think they had a different agenda than making Scottish football something to be proud of.

  • MaxX says:

    From the Hoosman;

    ‘• The SFL say the decision to accept Rangers into the First Division could require the backing of 16 of their 30 members, not 22 as previously believed’.

    And so the gerrymandering goes on…..

  • MaxX says:

    ‘Hootsman’

  • O'Cahan says:

    This is getting better by the minute, what is Doncaster playing at here, breaking and changing the rules, to accommodate sevco5088.
    I work with supporters of the club formely knowen as rangers fc, and they are all in agreement that they should start in division 3 and start from the bottom.It’s all about if you committ the crime you do the time. These supporters realise that and just want to move on.
    So Doncaster stop this fiasco, if you carry on with this gerrymandering of the rules,just to accommodate 1 team it will cause untold harm to Scottish Football for years to come.

  • eires own says:

    THE GAME IS A BOGEY,BALL BURST, LIGHTS OUT, SHUT IT DOWN ,ETC ETC ETC.

  • Les Gray and ‘Elvis’ restore some faith in Scottish football. They have both emphasised integrity and fan recognition, the two most essential elements in sport.

    As fans we must applaud their courage in the midst of enormous pressure, if not threat, from the authorities. When the time comes, I hope we recognise and remember their stance no matter the final outcome.

    H H

  • dumfriesbhoy says:

    There should not even be a Sevco debate going on about entry to the 1st division they are a new company with no audited accounts for last 3 years.

    Sadly this means there not even eligible for division 3 now jog on sevco and come back in 3 years if you have’nt folded by then.

  • CarlisleCelt says:

    4th Division and they should think themselves lucky at that. By rights they should never be allowed back into Scottish football.

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