Scottish football at huge disarray !The indebted Scottish giant Glasgow Rangers was barred from playing in the Scotland Premier League after a vote by top-tier clubs rejected their bid to stay in SPL on Wednesday. Rangers News

Glasgow, Scotland / NationalTurk – Scottish Premier League clubs voted overwhelmingly to reject Glasgow Rangers’ bid to stay in the Scottish Premier League. Rangers face the danger of being relegated to the third division. Glasgow Rangers needed an 8-4 majority but top-tier clubs St. Johnstone, St. Mirren, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibernian, Dundee United and Inverness had already announced their opposition. On Tuesday, Motherwell was the first SPL club to declare their fans had voted to reject the application by the giants of Scottish football.

The rejection decision of the bid from a new Rangers ownership to play in the Scotland top league following Glasgow Rangers’ financial crisis bordering on bankruptcy could also threaten the economic status of teams around Scotland.

Glasgow Rangers Bankruptcy: Farewell to Scottish Premier League

The 140-year-old club, flagship of Scottish football along with city-rivals Celtics, has won a record 54 domestic league titles but entered bankruptcy protection in February as the club’s tax debts exceeded 21 million pounds ($32.7 million). This failure to secure agreement with tax authorities led to Green launching a takeover and establishing a new company.

Glasgow Rangers chief executive Charles Green stated the historical club was ‘ deeply disappointed ‘ with the outcome of the vote and will be applying to join the Scottish Football League, which is comprised of three league divisions.

‘ We had asked the SPL whether it would be more appropriate for us to withdraw our application but were advised against this … Sadly this was rejected by the other clubs and we regret that our club and our supporters were given false hope by this initiative.’ Ranger CEO Charles Green stated.

‘ If our bid were to be accepted, Glasgow Rangers will play in whichever division the SFL sees fit and we will move forward from there,’ explains Green, who purchased the club’s assets in a 5.5 million pound ($8.6-million) deal after Glasgow Rangers went bankrupt in February.

No more ‘ Old Firm’ derbies between Rangers and Celtics for 2 years ?

David Longmuir, chief executive of the Scottish Football League, announced last week that if Rangers enter the Third Division, 16 million pounds ($25.-million) in television money would be lost to the Scottish game. Domestic broadcasters are likely to drastically decrease the value of their TV deals without the attraction of the four Old Firm derbies whose  stranglehold has already been broken due to Glasgow Rangers ‘ tax debts of 21 million pounds.

Rangers and fierce Glasgow rival Celtic have won every league title since Aberdeen under current Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 1985. No other Scottish club has finished as high as second since Hearts in 2006.

A club from the Scottish First Division, second top tier of Scottish football — most likely to be Dundee following its second-place finish last season — could replace Glasgow Rangers in the 12-team SPL. Dunfermline, which was the only club relegated from the SPL, is also a firm candidate fo taking Rangers’ place at Scotland Premier League.

Glasgow Rangers Fans react : Send us to third division !

Glasgow Rangers’ financial situation has already sparked an exodus of players from the 104 years-old club, with Steven Naismith and John Fleck the latest players to leave Wednesday to Everton and Coventy City respectively. More players are expected to leave Rangers following days.

Meanwhile Glasgow Rangers fans urge Charles Green to grant their wish and start the new Scottish football season in the Division Three. ‘ The Rangers fans want to be able to hold our heads up and fight our way back through the leagues. It’s of significance to us that we do it on our own merits from the bottom tier. That’s our unequivocal position – it isn’t tactics on our part.’ said Andy Kerr, from the Rangers Supporters Assembly.

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