Will Dundee United report Rangers over Goodwillie comments?
SPL rules clearly forbid club’s from poaching players with Rangers making no attempt to cover their interest in the Dundee United striker.
Speaking about his disappointment in losing out of free agent Neil Danns to ambitious Leicester City McCoist said: “I’d love the opportunity to talk to David (Goodwillie), but you sometimes don’t get an opportunity to do that.
“Some of the agents like to guard their players from talking. I’d much prefer an opportunity to speak to players direct, 100 per cent.”
SPL rule D8.1 states that: ‘Except during the last 6 months of the term of a Player’s Contract of Service, no Registered Player may be approached, either in person or through or by an agent or other third party, by or on behalf of another Club with a view to that Player entering into a Contract of Service with and/or becoming a Player of that other Club without the permission in writing of the Club for which the Player is Registered being first obtained.’
Rule D8.2 adds: ‘A statement by or on behalf of a Club, Club Official or Player of that or their Club’s interest in a Registered Player of another Club shall be deemed to be an approach for the purposes of Rule D8.1′
The SPL rulebook adds: ‘Any infringement of Rule D8.1 shall be dealt with by the Board or, if the Board considers appropriate, a Commission, which shall be entitled to take such action and impose such penalties and compensation, including, without limitation, fines, against the, Club, Club Official or Player concerned.”
Dundee United haven’t reported Rangers actions although new Ibrox owner Craig Whyte has gone on record as saying that he wouldn’t be prepared to meet the Tannadice clubs £2m valuation of Goodwillie.
With a number of Championship clubs looking at the striker any interest is likely to increase the price paid to secure Goodwillie’s signature.
McCoist was speaking after finding out that former Crystal Palace midfielder Danns had rejected a move to Rangers preferring to stay in the Championship with Leicester.
With the new season less than a month away and a Champions League qualifier coming up next month the new Rangers boss is anxious to bring in new players with Rangers without the five loan signings that they had last season.
Missing out on Craig Conway and Tomer Hemed has clearly set back McCoist’s plans as he attempts to make his first signing since taking over from Walter Smith.
Asked about the Danns decision McCoist said: “Am I disappointed? Yes, I’d have liked him to have come here. It was the same with Craig Conway.
“I respect the two players and I respect their decisions. In many ways, as a guy whose glass is half-full rather than half-empty, the fact they chose another club indicates that maybe their hearts were never in coming here in the first place.
“You’d have to ask them why they chose the Championship over Rangers. I can’t comment on that. We offered them European football and the chance to compete for cups and titles.”
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