Six Premiership clubs criticise and question SPFL governance

Six Premiership clubs have voiced 'serious concerns' about the governance of the SPFL.

Rangers, Aberdeen, Motherwell, St Mirren, St Johnstone and Livingston signed a letter earlier this morning criticising the league's governing body and questioning the findings of an independent review.

SPFL Chairman Murdo MacLennan recently said the review had given Hampden bosses - who had been under-fire - approval.

In a joint statement today, the clubs wrote: "On behalf of SPFL Premiership clubs Aberdeen, Motherwell, Livingston, Rangers, St Johnstone and St. Mirren, a letter was today issued to the SPFL executive in response to the handling of the recent Independent Governance report.

"The clubs hold serious concerns regarding the report's independence, transparency, and the overall governance of the SPFL.

"The letter seeks full clarity on numerous issues so that the clubs, as shareholders of the SPFL, can determine if further action is necessary."

"In conjunction with a draft report being made available to the SPFL Board, SPFL Chairman Murdoch MacLennan hastily released a statement that did not reflect the full findings of the report.

"Additionally, the statement was issued without the approval or knowledge of members of the SPFL Board or SPFL member clubs.

"The SPFL Board is to meet at a future date to discuss the draft report's contents, making it highly inappropriate for the SPFL Chairman to have made any public comment ahead of that meeting.

"Regarding the report itself, the clubs and others are deeply concerned about its independence, given that the SPFL Executive received the first draft of the report and made changes to it prior to sending it to SPFL Board members.

"Of the 42 member clubs, only one had the opportunity to input into the report’s investigation, outside of current or previous SPFL Board members.

"Despite several requests from the clubs, the report has yet to be released to any of the member clubs despite the clubs footing the bill for its creation.

"The handling of the Independent Governance report has brought the clubs governance concerns to a head, and it is now incumbent on the SPFL Board and Executive, for the sake of trust in those running our game, to provide clarity over these clear and deeply troubling concerns as a matter of urgency."

Auditors Henderson Loggie had been commissioned to undertake a detailed analysis of the game’s governance - with Rangers leading calls for change on following their cinch sponsorship fall-out.

The findings of the three-month review haven't been made public but it was said that the report said the SPFL’s commercial expertise and knowledge is ‘strong’ with ‘a diverse range of skills.’

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