The Scottish Football thread

[Noah]

Odds on a documentary being made of all this at some point?

[Crybaby Bunting]

As of 15 minutes ago, Rangers haven't managed to get a license to play football.

Word on the wire is that they'll be taking a year out (at the very least) and Spartans will take their League 3 place.

[MDK]

This is madness

[Berober]

...if Spartans get promoted in this scenario, does that mean Rangers would start in Div 2?

[Adam]

...if Spartans get promoted in this scenario, does that mean Rangers would start in Div 2?

What? They're not starting in any division...unless you mean next season, where I could see them doing something like restructuring the leagues and accomodating them somewhere in there.

Was it Spartans who had that really good Scottish Cup run the other year? What league do they compete in, I don't recall them being a Highland League side last season?

[Berober]

I was talking about General's rumour that Spartans could take the Rangers place while they take a year out.

[METALMAN]

...if Spartans get promoted in this scenario, does that mean Rangers would start in Div 2?

What league do they compete in, I don't recall them being a Highland League side last season?

They play in the East of Scotland League. The reason they don't play in the Highland League is because they are from Edinburgh.

[Adam]

Cheers, I figured they weren't a highland side I honestly just don't know what the equivalent league in other regions is, don't think it's covered on BBC's red button text thingy.

[Lineker]

Rangers have been granted a conditional Scottish FA membership, which will allow Sunday's Ramsdens Cup tie with Brechin City to go ahead.

The relaunched Ibrox club have been trying to obtain the old Rangers' licence to play after the latter headed for liquidation.

But agreement between all interested parties, including the Scottish Premier League, had not been forthcoming.

The permanent transfer of membership is due to take place next week.

A joint statement on behalf of the SFA, SPL, SFL and Sevco Scotland Ltd - the company relaunching Rangers - read: "Following the completion of all legal documentation, the Scottish Premier League will conduct the formal transfer of the league share between RFC (IA) and Dundee FC on no later than Friday 3 August 2012.

"At this point, the transfer of Scottish FA membership will be complete."

Dundee have replaced the old Rangers in the SPL after the SFL agreed to place the new Ibrox team in Division Three.

But the new Rangers needed membership to play any competitive matches in Scotland and negotiations over inheritting the old club's licence were protracted.

The club agreed to incur punishments handed to the old club over disrepute charges, including a year-long transfer ban, which is expected to begin on 1 September.

But issues relating to media rights and an SPL investigation into how the old Rangers paid players in the previous decade were holding up the process.

The key points of the joint statement are:

• The Scottish FA has received all necessary information and documentation from Sevco Scotland Ltd, including details of the company structure, shareholders, financial projections and business plan
  
• Sevco Scotland Ltd has agreed to accept all conditions relating to RFC (IA)'s charges of bringing the game into disrepute, namely the 12-month transfer embargo, beginning at 0.01a.m on 1st September 2012, and payment of all outstanding fines and costs
  
• Sevco Scotland Ltd has agreed to settle all outstanding football debts to other members of the Scottish FA plus clubs under the jurisdiction of other football associations
  
• The SPL and SFL have reached agreement on the purchase of a package of broadcasting rights which will allow the former to include The Rangers FC matches in contracts with broadcast partners
  
• The SPL has reserved its position in relation to the on-going investigation into EBTs

[Crybaby Bunting]

Fuck football.

That is all.

[METALMAN]

Cheers, I figured they weren't a highland side I honestly just don't know what the equivalent league in other regions is, don't think it's covered on BBC's red button text thingy.

Basically, once you get below the SFL it's split regionally, with the Highland League, East of Scotland League (where Spartans are) and South of Scotland League being roughly equal. These teams are members of the SFA but not the SFL.

Then there's the Scottish Junior Football Association which has North, East and West leagues. The teams in this are affiliated with the SFA, but not actually in the SFA. However, junior teams have recently been allowed to play in the Scottish Cup, with the best of these, Auchinleck Talbot, being incredibly lucky to lose to Hearts last season. A lot of other junior teams have beaten SFL opposition.

Out of the non-SFL teams, the best are found in Junior football. In fact, quite a few are better than SFL clubs. But they aren't really SFA members either.

It's quite confusing actually. That's why a pyramid system has never been introduced. Far too many leagues, and some of the best teams aren't even in the SFA.

[Lineker]

Rangers manager Ally McCoist has criticised the Scottish Premier League for pursuing "as hostile an agenda as possible" towards the club.

The relaunched Ibrox outfit have been granted conditional Scottish FA membership, allowing them to start their season at Brechin on Sunday.

Protracted discussions over membership, which involved the SPL, had placed the Ramsdens Cup tie in doubt.

"Rangers have not been punished enough in [the SPL's] eyes," said McCoist.

McCoist last week insisted he would "never accept" Rangers being stripped of titles won during the period being probed by the SPL.

And, in a lengthy statement, the manager described the recent uncertainty over Rangers' status as "a ludicrous situation".

"No one is denying that Rangers were badly mismanaged for 10 months," said McCoist. "Nor are we disputing that we should be punished for that. We have been. We accept that punishment and want to start putting the past behind us and move forward.

"But that is not being allowed to happen - and I have to ask myself why?

"In recent days, I have been in a number of meetings with Stewart Regan, Rod Petrie and other senior SFA figures - and despair at the lack of leadership shown.

"In my years in professional football, I have not always agreed with everything the SFA did or said. But, no matter what you thought of their decisions, there was no doubt they ran the game firmly and robustly.

"I can only imagine [former chief executive] Ernie Walker looking down on us now and shaking his head in disbelief at the sad state of affairs and the way they have been mishandled.

"The SPL kicked us out - which was their right - and we acknowledge that. But that doesn't seem enough for [chief executive] Neil Doncaster and some of his board.

"Having said they don't want us they do want a bigger share of the TV money that our presence will bring to the SFL and its clubs. Never mind sporting integrity - where is the moral integrity there?

"And there is no line to be drawn in the sand. Rangers have not been punished enough in their eyes and along with one or two people who have a vested interest within SPL clubs, our right to past titles will be challenged.

"They want what we and our fans bring, yet seem determined to strip us of every bit of our dignity. It has to stop."

McCoist went on to thank the SFL for inviting Rangers into the lower league set-up.

"It is time to start playing football again," he added.

McCoist was appointed manager of the old Rangers last summer and, by February of this year, the club had entered administration with mounting debts.

The club could not be saved from liquidation and were reformed by a new company.

However, the Rangers 'newco' had their bid to replace the old club in the SPL rejected and were eventually accepted, in principle, into the Scottish Football League Third Division.

But the issue of inheriting the old Rangers' SFA membership - required for league and cup participation - remained unresolved until a conditional transfer was granted, with the permanent transfer due to take place on completion of legal documentation.

Rangers have agreed to incur a 12-month transfer ban that was handed out to the old club by the SFA as punishment for bringing the game into disrepute.

But issues relating to media rights and possible sanctions as a result of the SPL's investigation into how Rangers paid their employees in the previous decade had held up the process.

[Lineker]

Newco Rangers vs. Brechin is on BBC Alba. Rangers already winning after 5 minutes.

[Kaney]

Good to see it wasn't a complete walk over for them. It was a pretty obvious win but maybe people will start to realise its not the overpowered 'SPL strength' team people seem to expect it to be.

[Baddar]

Every time I see Neil Lennon I want to punch the little ginger bastard in the face.

I'm not even sure why, he just annoys the hell out of me.

[Colly]

Motherwell probably not going much further in the Champions League after a 2-0 home loss.

[Lineker]

Great effort from them though, against stiff competition.

Details of the new TV deal:

Broadcaster Sky Sports has confirmed it has reached agreement with the Scottish Premier League to continue its coverage of Scottish football for at least another five years.

Five live Rangers fixtures in Division Three are included in the deal along with 30 from the top flight.

There had been fears that a TV deal might disappear as a result of Rangers dropping out of the SPL.

But no figures have yet been released about the value of the new deal.

The SPL had agreed a TV deal worth £80m over five years with Sky and fellow broadcaster ESPN before the old Rangers slipped towards liquidation.

And SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster and Scottish FA counterpart Stewart Regan had both warned of dire financial consequences should the new club not start life in Division One.

Negotiations that followed Rangers being voted into Division Three by the Scottish Football League clubs have produced a new deal, with coverage beginning with Celtic at home to Aberdeen on Saturday, with a kick-off time of 12:45 having already been announced to suit television coverage.

Rangers' first game in the Third Division, away to Peterhead on 11 August at 12:45, will also be broadcast live.

The new deal is subject to ratification by the SPL clubs on Friday.

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: "We've supported Scottish football since we started, over 20 years ago, and have always wanted to continue that commitment.

"Our viewers will see the SPL for five more years and our schedule includes the opening league match for Celtic.

"We will also follow Rangers as they plot their way back to Scottish football's top flight.

"Clubs now have certainty over their income and exposure across the UK and Ireland and we look forward to the new season."

Meanwhile, the SFL has rearranged the Ramsdens Cup second-round tie between Rangers and Falkirk for Tuesday 21 August, with a 19:45 kick-off.

[GA!]

I'd laugh if Rangers did a Luton and just struggled to get out of Division Three for the next several years.

[Matt]

Anyone else think this potentially sets a dangerous precedent? Rangers essentially have negotiated their own TV deal here, how long before teams actually do start demanding their own TV deals?

[GA!]

Anyone else think this potentially sets a dangerous precedent? Rangers essentially have negotiated their own TV deal here, how long before teams actually do start demanding their own TV deals?

If most TV deals didn't already favour the big clubs, it would have started years ago. Don't Real Madrid and Barcelona negotiate their own deals?