No quick way back to top flight for Rangers, says United chairman

[ian1964 10,457]

Stephen Thompson, the Dundee United chairman, last night denied there is any realistic prospect of Rangers making a short-cut return to the Scottish Premier League.

 

Thompson, an SPL board member, is aware that talk of league reconstruction could be viewed as an opportunity for the Ibrox club to be promoted to the top flight from the third division of the Scottish Football League.

 

On the day his club posted a welcome profit of £1.5m for the period to June 2012, Thompson insisted that such a scenario is very unlikely.

 

"Unless we get the voting structure changed, I can't see anything happening at all," he said. "Rangers can't be voted back in. They've got to earn the right by coming back up through the leagues. I'm not saying it won't, but I can't see it happening. There's no way the leagues will be reconstructed for them.

 

"Ideally, you would like to see everything changed at once, but I just can't see how 11 clubs would agree on the size of leagues, money redistribution and voting. It's a very different league this year. We're no worse off than we would have been if Rangers were still in the league. If anything we've gained by Dundee being in the SPL. We've benefited more than most from having them up."

 

United's sales of David Goodwillie to Blackburn Rovers for £2m and Scott Allan to West Bromwich Albion for £400,000 put the club in a much healthier financial position and Thompson has assured the supporters that there will be no further cuts to the squad next season.

 

"We did sell Goodwillie and still ended up fourth in the league," he noted. "All credit for Peter for doing that. It's all about trying to get the balance between finance and showing ambition on the park.

 

"We're no different from any other club but we're in a good position at the moment. We need to make some sort of cuts. But we don't intend to cut the playing budget at all for next season."

 

Thompson rejected a bid of £1.25m from Huddersfield Town for Johnny Russell and Gary Mackay-Steven during the August transfer window and insists they are under no pressure to sell their leading players on the cheap.

 

"Two or three other chairmen told me I was nuts when I knocked back the bid for Mackay-Steven and Russell but we believed they were worth more than that. I could have easily taken the money to take another £1m off the debt but we would have lost our two best players.

 

"The big difference from the Goodwillie deal 15 months ago was that we were under pressure from the bank. I held out for £2m which we got in the end. These are tough times but I believe we're going in the right direction."

[Super_Ally 0]

Good. Longer to fuck the rest of them.

[Anchorman 0]

I just wish this lot would stop talking about us like they are sitting at some top table and we are crawling about hoping for a seat or even some crumbs. Why don't we just tell them we are glad to see the back of them so "stop discussing us as you have enough to sort out with the dwindling crowds and dross entertainment in your SP(Hell)!" We should and will NEVER hold out a begging bowl to anyone. That is why they underestimated the overwhelming feeling of our support i.e. "Division 3 for us as we will never beg!".

Give it a year or two and re-visit comments like this. Lets see who is sinking down while the cream makes it's way to the top.

Edited October 26, 2012 by Anchorman

[gisabeer 409]

its a good news story from the SPEEHELL to let us know how fine and dandy the world is without us.

[GovanAllan 0]

This from a chairman who voted for the Hearts transfer ban, then buys the player Hearts had in mind. The same chairman voted Dundee into the league a direct conflict of interest.

 

Never mind the fact that he can't count very well, if he thinks a couple of games against Dundee are going to cover next seasons shortfall.

 

And finally for the last time Thompson ya baldy twat, we don't want a help up we will get back on our own and hopefully some of you pond life will be bust by then.

[BlueMazza 0]

Good grief at what point have we the fans or the club said we WANT this? These headlines make it sound like we are trying to circumvent our 'punishment' when in fact we're fair enjoying being out of the toxicity of the SPL.

[RANGERRAB 3,306]

Is this idiot oblivious to the real world ? look at the SPL today - Hearts are on the verge of meltdown, Motherwell & Killie would appear to be the 2 clubs on the verge of quiting the SPL ( mentioned in the full article not this one) and according to Leggo's sources SKY are considering binning Scottish football next summer ( presumably due to the abysmal viewing figures). It's biggest sponsor could walk away not to mention the fact that Clydesdale bank have already said they're quiting at the end of the season.

Yet this eejit thinks the SPL garden is rosy. Are Dundee Utd, Aberdeen, Hibs & last but not least Ra Sellik planning a four team league by any chance ? that's the way it's beginning to look.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

Equally when the Sphell shortly goes tits up by the demise of Hearts and a few others. There should be no quick entry into the SFL 1st division, what's left of the corrupt Sphell should be made to join the SFL third division, all in the name of sporting integrity of course.

[RANGERRAB 3,306]

Equally when the Sphell shortly goes tits up by the demise of Hearts and a few others. There should be no quick entry into the SFL 1st division, what's left of the corrupt Sphell should be made to join the SFL third division, all in the name of sporting integrity of course.

 

Couldn't agree more. Excellent

[blueflag 378]

Only crap thing would be having to mingle wae any that shower o Shit a bit sooner than expected