Pressure grows on Neil Doncaster as Premiership clubs rebel against his cinch cave in to Ibrox

Soccer Football - Scottish Cup Final - Celtic vs Motherwell - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Britain - May 19, 2018 Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell (2nd L) and Independent non-executive director Dermot Desmond (C) in the stand Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Neil Doncaster is coming under growing attack after renegotiating the SPFL deal with cinch and claiming it to be some sort of victory. 

The car hire firm will put in a reduced figure, the 11 Premiership clubs will provide increased coverage to cinch while the club from Ibrox continue to pick up cinch prize money while negotiating their own commercial deals on the sleeve, trackside and backing boards. 

Unsurprisingly Celtic have made no comment as they lose out on commercial opportunities while their city rivals/business partners bring in more cash such as their sleeve deal with BOXT. 

On Wednesday The Athletic covered much of that ground, last night, using his contact book Keith Jackson explains to Daily Record readers: 

Record Sport understands fears are growing that the long running dispute is set to escalate with the potential for huge financial ramifications – despite last week’s announcement that the Ibrox club can continue to pocket cash from a sponsorship deal with cinch while refusing to promote the car dealer’s branding. Rangers immediately called for a meeting of all 12 Premiership clubs and a showdown with league chief executive Neil Doncaster. 

With Doncaster the architect of The Five Way Agreement in 2012 the Ibrox club know that they can do as they like without any meaningful sanction from the SPFL. 

Having failed to secure another job over the last decade Doncaster is well aware that he is toxic and dependent on the SPFL for an income. 

Celtic’s backing has kept Doncaster in place but handing over more to cinch rather than have effective leadership and sanctions appears to be registering with other clubs. 

Later the report Jackson adds: 

Record Sport understands – with the value of those tie-ins potentially at risk – both Hearts and Aberdeen have asked for urgent clarification on the matter. 

One worried club boss told us last night: “The whole revenue structure of the game in this country could be at stake if Rangers were effectively to opt out and go it alone. 

“That’s the kind of nuclear option that most of the other top flight clubs are anxious to avoid and that’s why these talks are so significant. 

“It’s already a bad situation because enormous damage is being done to the reputation of the Scottish game. It’s hard enough to attract sponsorship money in the current climate but seeing Rangers and the SPFL roll around in the mud is helping no one. 

“The hope is we can finally put it all to bed and move on but the nature of the ongoing email tennis between Hampden and Ibrox suggests this dispute is, if anything, more likely to escalate than be defused.” 

Future commercial deals seem unlikely with the Ibrox club having a veto due to their numerous sponsorship packages.

If Doncaster is removed it will be a significant step towards publication of the Five Way Agreement. There are a lot of vested interests in keeping that secret but since 2012 Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United have new regimes in place while St Mirren and Motherwell are fan owned. 

Getting that separate set of rules out in the open will go some way to freeing Scottish football from its toxic Ibrox dependency, fully supported by the Celtic board and their former CEO. 

Should Neil Five Way Agreement Doncaster be sacked as CEO of the SPFL?

Yes, sack him. Horrendous in every area, rules, TV deal, sponsorship

No, he makes the best of a difficult job, great man to have at the helm

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