Ibrox View: Bennett is spot on with SPFL claim, this dispute is about more than just Rangers
RANGERS OPINION
This ongoing war of words between Rangers and the SPFL will be remembered as an ugly blemish in the history of Scottish football for years to come.
The dispute has reached fever pitch in recent days, with the Gers finally releasing their dossier of information on the governing body, and a historic EGM planned for May 12th to decide whether an independent investigation will be brought against the organisation for their handling of last month’s vote on ending the lower league season early.
The things is though, just because something is ugly doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary.
Despite an ongoing media campaign from SPFL top brass – such as chairman Murdoch MacLennan – to portray the Gers’ challenge as some kind of petty feud that will damage the Scottish game in the long term, the fact remains that this is actually a matter of holding those in a position of authority to account.
And Ibrox vice-chairman John Bennett has been eager to reemphasise that point in recent days.
Speaking to Rangers TV, he said: “That [the SPFL’s disparaging stance] is very convenient, very easy, and very cynical once again by the SPFL to isolate Rangers. Again, it’s been a concerted attempt to isolate Rangers.
“Someone said they are playing the big bad Rangers card and it’s easy to do that.
“I do think many people see through it. This was never about Rangers versus the SPFL. Let’s be clear on that. This was about Rangers and other clubs, many people asking questions.
“That’s all Rangers have been trying to do, with other clubs, and if it takes us to lead that, and we have had a good number of clubs saying we need to lead it, well then we will lead it and we will not stop asking questions.”
Bennett couldn’t be any more on the money here.
The SPFL were never going to take this lying down.
It’s why MacLennan already has another rebuttal in the offing as he scrambles to keep the narrative he and his cronies have created surrounding this whole debacle intact.
The Gers have been portrayed as troublemakers from day one here – a club obsessed with stopping Celtic from winning a ninth consecutive title and absolutely nothing else, regardless of who or what they damage in the process.
That rhetoric has been reinforced by comments from pundits such as Michael Stewart, who has slammed the Gers on social media for their “unacceptable” behaviour.
But the reality is that this is about so much more than a league title.
In our heart of hearts, we all know that the chances of us catching Celtic this season would be slim to minimal, even if we were to play all of our remaining fixtures as initially planned.
Instead, this is about ensuring there is an effective means of scrutiny in our professional game, and asking questions of a governing body that have, at the very least, made a pig’s ear of an incredibly delicate situation.
Interim Ibrox chairman Douglas Park has even revealed that the Gers are willing to foot the bill for an independent probe, should it come to pass.
That hardly sounds like a side who are looking to bring their peers crashing down around them.
While MacLennan, Stewart, and countless others argue that Rangers are at risk of damaging the Scottish game, perhaps they should consider the counter-argument that we are leading a battle to try and uphold its integrity when so many others seem to have given up on it.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox Exclusive: Bruce backs Alex Rae claim that Turnbull would improve Gers squad.