RAITH ROVERS chairman Bill Clark insists Rangers’ war with the SPFL is an unwanted ‘distraction’ and is costing Scottish football valuable time amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Clark was one of 41 club chiefs who received the Gers’ 200-plus page document on Thursday, outlining their grievances with the voting process which saw the lower leagues called last month.
Among the key allegations put forward by the Glasgow giants were that SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster withheld information prior to the ballot, a potential £10 million liability to Sky was not disclosed and that Dundee’s infamous U-turn is yet to be satisfactorily explained.
While adhering to terms of confidentiality, Clark did note that ‘there is a difference between accusations and evidence’.
Clark also sought to emphasise that Raith felt neither mislead nor bullied by by the SPFL, Doncaster or any other member club during the process.
He is adamant Raith, who were declared champions of League One when the divisions were ended, ‘have no intention of becoming involved in an issue between Rangers and the SPFL’ – but feels this has become a lamentable sideshow.
He said: “It’s an exceptionally long document and there is a lot to digest – but there are a few points already in the public domain, it seems.
“Speaking as the chairman of Raith Rovers, I can say that we were not bullied or coersed in any way.
“I’m not really the type to be bullied!
“I can also say that I don’t feel misled or underserved by the information provided by the SPFL prior to casting our vote.
“I feel like we had the relevant information at the time, and I still feel like that.
“I’ve no intention of becoming involved in an issue between Rangers and the SPFL but it is fair to say this continues to be a distraction.
“This is costing us valuable time when all of our focus should be on the future and ensuring Scottish football manages to come through this.”
Rangers need 32 clubs to back their call for an independent investigation in the SPFL’s conduct. Clark chose not to publicly declare Raith’s position.
