Rangers request for SPFL cinch probe booted OUT as Douglas Park investigation deemed non starter

Ian Maxwell has kicked out Rangers ’ request to hold a top level probe into the Ibrox club’s bitter sponsorship battle with the SPFL.

And the SFA chief executive called on both warring parties to bury the hatchet once and for all for the good of the Scottish game. Rangers chairman Douglas Park called on Maxwell to oversee an independent investigation into the long running feud which was finally settled by lawyers last week - with both sides claiming victory.

Rangers will still pocket cash from a deal with title sponsors Cinch despite opting out of displaying the car dealer’s branding on shirts or advertising boards. And SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster escaped the potential disaster of having the long term deal ripped up as a result of Rangers’ refusal to play ball, but the simmering bad blood remains and Maxwell has refused a request from Park to delve deeper into the wounds.

Speaking after the SFA annual general meeting he said: “The arbitration is closed. The SPFL have written to us to say it was their arbitration, they instigated and they have withdrawn their notice. So the arbitration as far as we are concerned is over.

“In a broader sense, none of those disputes can be good for the game. “There have been two or three since I have been in the post that we have had to deal with. They cannot be good for the public perception of the game because it is in-fighting and actually you need to get round the table and sort things out.

“The arbitration has been dealt with. In terms of Rangers and the SPFL if they have a misunderstanding or there’s a complication around the rules or there’s a question mark around how they should be interpreting the rules then that’s actually for them to sort out amongst themselves.

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