SPFL call to repair relationships after 'bruising' period

The chief executive of the SPFL believes it is time to “repair relationships” after a “bruising” two months in Scottish football.

Rangers have been unsuccessful in their quest for an independent inquiry into the vote that ended the lower-league season, as they failed to win the required backing at Tuesday’s EGM.

The meeting, forced by the Ibrox club with the support of Hearts and Stranraer, saw 13 votes in favour, 27 against and two abstentions.

Since its postponement in March, Scottish football has been shrouded by uncertainty.

A vote to end the lower-league season conducted in April has been followed by a flurry of back-and-forth statements from the SPFL and many of its member clubs.

And now Neil Doncaster, who has faced calls from Rangers to be suspended, has said relationships should be restored.

“We will work hard on repairing relationships that have been damaged by the events of the last two months,” the SPFL’s chief executive said.

“There is no doubt about that and the chairman Murdoch McLennan made it clear in his statement today, we agree with that,” he added.

Doncaster believes it is now vital that all 42 clubs pull together and focus on the future.

“We face a very genuine existential threat in Covid-19 and the response to it, it is vital that for the benefit of all 42 senior clubs in Scotland that all of our time, attention and energy is spent on getting the game up and running as soon as is possible, that is what the clubs want and that is what we will do,” he said.

“The board members, who have worked incredibly hard over the last two months to work through all of the various issues, including myself, have found the whole experience very bruising and uncomfortable but to have a very clear decision made today by all of the clubs I think is ver positive and enables us to move forward working together for the good of all clubs,” he added.”