ian1964 10,367 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Sky has rubbished claims it is set to pull the plug on Scottish football if Rangers are not playing in the top flight next season. The satellite broadcaster which, together with ESPN, is three years into a £65million five-year deal, has so far kept its own counsel on the crisis that has engulfed Scottish football since the Ibrox club lurched into administration, before being liquidated last week. With Charles Greenâ??s Sevco consortium attempting to smooth a passage back into the top flight for the newco Rangers, there is no guarantee the four Old Firm games that are central to the existing deal will take place next season. An improved £80m five-year deal, to supercede the existing agreement, remains unsigned and, barring a remarkable turn of events, looks likely to remain so. The prospect of the existing agreement being shredded as a result of the ongoing saga looks nil, however. Reports last week claimed Sky were ready to rip up the existing deal if its terms were breached. But a senior London source told Sportsmail that, although a degree of renegotiation might be required in that eventuality, there is no question of the broadcaster walking away. Sky has never, ever discussed pulling out of covering Scottish football,â?? he said. 'We have not discussed that possibility, either with the SPL or any other footballing authority. Nor has that been on the agenda for consideration within Sky, despite all the problems and difficulties being faced by Scottish football at present. 'If Rangers are not in the SPL, that would change things for us, naturally. It would leave a quality hole in Scotlandâ??s top division. Competition would deteriorate and, in that event, we would have to renegotiate. â??But let us be very clear â?? we have always tried to be supportive of Scottish football and have never made any negative noises or sent any negative messages. â??Scottish football is still very much in our plans for the future. Walking away has never been on our agenda.â?? Sportsmailâ??s source also stressed that Sky would not try to influence the outcome of the current crisis. â??We have, in the past, been asked for our opinions, but we believe that football should be run by the football authorities. We are a TV company,â?? he said. The ongoing crisis in the Scottish game will be illustrated on Monday when the SPL releases its fixtures for season 2012-13 with â??Club 12â?? taking the place of Rangers. The club representatives attending the SPLâ??s monthly meeting will also be given an update on the investigation into alleged double contracts, following Sportsmailâ??s revelations that off-shore payments were excluded from playersâ?? contracts over a decade. However, the new incarnation of the Ibrox club could yet be playing in the top flight, if Green gets the seven additional votes he requires from the SPL in two weeksâ?? time. Such a scenario is being bluntly opposed by the majority of fans throughout Scotland, who believe sporting integrity should override any commercial interests. Weekend reports suggested a compromise might come in the shape of a radical revamp of the Scottish game, which would see the SPL and SFL merge into one body in time for the new season. It has been suggested the newco Rangers would begin life in the second tier â?? SPL2 â?? with Dundee promoted to the top division. The fudge would be designed to punish the new Rangers by ensuring they do not re-enter at the highest level â?? while keeping sponsors and TV companies onside through the expansion of the SPL to two divisions. Promotion and relegation play-offs for all divisions, a pyramid system for league entry and a rethink on TV revenue distribution would be the other facets of the plan being hatched within the SFA. However, David Longmuir, chief executive of the Scottish Football League, said he was against any such plan. â??It would be a newco scenario and the only way we could accommodate any new application would be to create a gap in the Third Division through the play-offs with teams shuffling up,â?? he said. â??We would then judge every case on its own merits. â??There would be no provision for any newco Rangers to go into the First Division rather than the Third. â??The decisions that have to be made by the SPL and SFA in the coming weeks are far more crucial than the knock-on effects that come to the SFL. â??There are no winners in this situation. The good of the game is balancing sporting integrity with the finances available and to be realistic about the future.â?? Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1y5mbHlRr 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 0 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 A renegotiation which would see the 110M the deal is currently worth probably halved. Which would still kill the SPL. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewarty 1,876 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Yawn. A source says, it is suggested that, blah blah blah. What a crock of crap. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete 2,494 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I stated that yesterday that I would be very surprised if Sky pull the plug altogether. I also said the SPL will not die without us and believe me it won't but it will be a poorer place. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 0 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I stated that yesterday that I would be very surprised if Sky pull the plug altogether. I also said the SPL will not die without us and believe me it won't but it will be a poorer place. tbh you're wrong. As has been stated by a few, SPL clubs are already living beyond their means. Take that money away and how exactly are they going to survive? Gate receipts alone? The only option is if another broadcaster buys the rights, and no one apart from ESPN has Sky's money levels, and it's unclear as to whether or not ESPN would be legally able to take exclusive control of the SPL rights. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete 2,494 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 tbh you're wrong. As has been stated by a few, SPL clubs are already living beyond their means. Take that money away and how exactly are they going to survive? Gate receipts alone? The only option is if another broadcaster buys the rights, and no one apart from ESPN has Sky's money levels, and it's unclear as to whether or not ESPN would be legally able to take exclusive control of the SPL rights. Danny how can you now quote as fact that I am wrong when you can have totally no idea how things pan out. You may think I am wrong but that is totally different to me being factually wrong. I don't think you are always right Danny although I may be wrong. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigy1881 79 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Surely hearts are the next team to go? Are they not on the edge anyway? Less money from tv and rangers games will hit them hard 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,196 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Matter of fact, my only sentiments (which does not say it is a lot, BTW), will go to Ross County, ICT, and St. Johnstone. The rest, IMHO, can meet their doom head on. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,196 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 On a sidenote, if we drop out of the SPL, that will end the 11-1 vote, right? As in, the Scum loses power in their play with the SPL teams ... even though they have plenty of vassals drooling at their feet, it seems. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim1955 12 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Surely hearts are the next team to go? Are they not on the edge anyway? Less money from tv and rangers games will hit them hard I think we still owe them quite a bit on Lee Wallace and as things stand they may never see it. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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