Neil Doncaster claims Rangers were going to vote for new Sky TV deal but only if SPFL apologised for cinch row

Neil Doncaster has blamed his long running feud with Rangers on a determination to ‘settle old scores’ - after cutting them out of the vote to secure a new £150m TV deal.

In a no holds barred Q&A with Record Sport, SPFL chief Doncaster today reveals that 41 of Scotland’s 42 professional clubs backed his proposal to isolate the Ibrox club after they threatened to torpedo the new £30m a season package with Sky Sports.

The SPFL’s own rule book had to be ripped up to allow the 11 other top flight clubs to push the deal through without Rangers’ approval. And Doncaster confirmed that Rangers were willing to agree to the new seven year broadcast tie-up - on the condition they received an apology and a cash pay out from the league governing body over an ongoing dispute with title sponsors cinch. He said: "Yes, it is the case."

Asked if he felt the simmering bad relations between himself and the Ibrox boardroom had become ‘personal and toxic’ Doncaster responded: “I’m not sure whether it’s personal or not but I was struck by a comment about ‘settling old scores’. I don’t know what the motivation is but my focus remains on serving all 42 clubs.”

After winning the title in 2021, Rangers vice chairman John Bennett spoke of being driven by a need to settle scores following the club’s financial collapse of 2012.

He said at the time: “I know what was done to my club. Rangers are part of your family and this member of my family was hurting and being hurt. I turn it to anybody else and if a really loved member of your family is suffering to that extent at the hands of people you have got to change the people and stop the hurt. And restore that club. We are going to right our club. And that is all that matters to me in this whole