SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster last night stated that Rangers’ own dossier proves Ibrox chairman Douglas Park defamed and threatened him during a telephone call last month.
Park, the motor tycoon who succeeded Dave King on an interim basis in March, described claims in a letter sent by eight SPFL board members to member clubs last week as a “fabrication” this weekend.
However, Doncaster yesterday insisted that his version of events was accurate - and argued the dossier that Rangers have supplied clubs with ahead of the extraordinary general meeting on Tuesday shows that.
“I am quite happy to give you the details,” he said. “I did speak to Douglas Park on Good Friday. He made what was a very serious and defamatory allegation and threatened to act in a particular way.
“I reported that right away to my chairman (Murdoch MacLennan) and to Rod McKenzie (legal adviser). I took a note of exactly what was said and that is why Rod then wrote to Rangers a number of times that evening seeking their undertaking not to repeat that defamatory allegation. So I am absolutely certain what happened.
“In 25 years of being in football I have learned you have to have a thick skin, you have to take the rough with the smooth. But when a line has been crossed you do need to act.
“On this occasion, frankly the only occasion in my 25 years involved in the game, a line was crossed such that I needed to seek an undertaking not to repeat what was such a defamatory allegation. That is the reason why Rod then wrote a number of times to Rangers that evening.”
Doncaster added: “It is interesting seeing the comments in this morning’s press because if you actually turn to page 13 in the Rangers dossier it backs up exactly what I am saying.
“It is clear what happened, I have a note what happened that evening and Rangers’ own dossier, that has now been provided, backs up exactly what happened if you look at page 13.
“I am not going to go into the detail of what the allegation was or the threat. It is ongoing in the sense that, to be frank, there hasn’t been a public repeating of that allegation.
“So what effectively has happened is Rod wrote those letters on Friday evening seeking an undertaking not to repeat the allegation. Now, we never received an undertaking, but the allegation hasn’t been repeated.”
Asked about Park’s denial, Doncaster said: “I just simply point to page 13 in the Rangers’ dossier which makes it absolutely clear that their own version of events corresponds precisely with what I’m saying.
“It crossed the line. There are robust conversations because that is the nature of the business we are in. This is the first and only time in 25 years in the business that I have ever had to go to our lawyer and ask them to send a letter seeking an undertaking not to repeat what was a very serious and defamatory allegation.”
Meanwhile, Doncaster has dismissed Rangers’ offer to fund an independent investigation into the handling of the vote on the resolution on the end of the season last month.
“I think for any report to be truly independent, as the Deloitte one was as an example, it shouldn’t be funded by any one individual or any one club,” he said.
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