SPFL's new cinch deal grants 'vindicated' Rangers exemptions as club makes pointed statement on matter

The Scottish Professional Football League has agreed a revised sponsorship deal with its current partners cinch, which will allow Rangers to be excluded from displaying the car firm’s branding.

A war of words erupted last season between Rangers and the SPFL after the Glasgow club refused to display cinch’s branding or logo at Ibrox or on their attire, due to a conflict of interest with a previous agreement made with current chairman Douglas Park's own vehicle company.

The matter ended up in the courts, with Park winning a legal battle with the Scottish FA after the SPFL requested that the governing body to step in to find a solution, and this new deal with cinch has the potential to end the dispute with Rangers.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has confirmed that Rangers are exempt from promoting cinch in the new arrangements, while Rangers said in a statement that their stance has been “fully vindicated” by the revision, although the club stressed that the matter “further highlights wide-ranging concerns regarding the corporate governance of the SPFL”.

The fresh deal with cinch has been approved by the Premiership clubs and the SPFL have confirmed that the agreement gives “the same level of financial support” to the clubs.

In a statement, Doncaster wrote: “Under the terms of the revised cinch contract, Rangers are no longer required to participate by providing the sponsorship inventory that they have so far not provided, whilst, crucially, the overall income to Scottish football is expected to remain materially unchanged over the original five-year term of the sponsorship.

“This revised package has now been approved by cinch Premiership clubs.

“It’s extremely good news that we have been able to work with our partners