McCoist furious with SFA

Ally McCoist: Rangers manager is heavily critical of the SFA and SPL

Rangers manager Ally McCoist has hit out at the Scottish Football Association for leaving the newco club in a 'ludicrous situation'.

The Rangers Football Club have been given permission to begin life at Brechin City on Sunday in the Ramsdens Cup and will have full SFA membership by the end of next week.

But the new club will bear the football debts and 12-month transfer ban imposed on soon-to-be-liquidated Rangers FC, while an SPL investigation into the old club's use of Employee Benefit Schemes remains ongoing.

And McCoist has launched a withering attack on the SFA's 'lack of leadership' and the 'hostile' attitude of the SPL.

"The SPL seem determined to pursue as hostile an agenda as possible. They kicked us out of the SPL - which was their right - but that doesn't seem enough."
Ally McCoist Quotes of the week

Disbelief

He said: "In my years in professional football, I have not always agreed with everything the SFA did or said. But, no matter what you thought of their decisions, there was no doubt they ran the game firmly and robustly.

"I can only imagine (former SFA secretary) Ernie Walker looking down on us now and shaking his head in disbelief at the sad state of affairs.

"As for the SPL, they seem determined to pursue as hostile an agenda as possible. They kicked us out of the SPL - which was their right - but that doesn't seem enough.

"Not only are they withholding our prize money for last season - they won't tell us how much it is but we reckon it to be about £1.3million. And having said they don't want us - they do want a bigger share of the TV money that our presence will bring to the SFL and its clubs.

"And along with one or two people who have a vested interest within SPL clubs, our right to past titles will be challenged. They want what we and our fans bring, yet seem determined to strip us of every bit of our dignity. It has to stop.

"Sadly, only one Scottish football body has offered us any help or assistance - the SFL. I would like to thank David Longmuir, Jim Ballantyne and 29 of their 30 member clubs for inviting us into the SFL. We are grateful for the opportunity."