SPFL announce Rangers chief appointed to the board

Fraser Thornton took up the role of acting CEO at Ibrox following the dismissal of Patrick Stewart, who was on the SPFL board before he left Rangers.

Later this season, when Jim Gillespie departs St Mirren and assumes the role of Rangers CEO, Mr Thornton will become the executive director at the Scottish Premiership giants.

Until then, he will serve on the SPFL board alongside Kilmarnock's managing director, Phyllis Carroll, and Hibernian's Malcolm McPherson.

The SPFL announced this in a statement: "Rangers CEO Fraser Thornton was appointed to the SPFL Board today as clubs voted to make the Scottish FA’s Cooperation Agreement System a permanent feature of SPFL competitions."

Mr Thornton was elected to the board by William Hill Premiership clubs at a general meeting of the SPFL.

He is set to serve as one of the three Premiership representatives until the end of the 2025/26 season, with the rest of the club-appointed directors on the SPFL board.

The board's composition also includes Willie Houston and David Cook, who represent the Championship clubs, with Andrew Allan and Iain Dougan covering leagues One and Two.

Meanwhile, the SPFL board has cast their votes in favour of maintaining the SFA's Cooperation loan system as a permanent fixture.

The system was introduced to provide increased flexibility for players aged 16 to 21 in the 'transition phase,' allowing them to move between their parent club and a cooperation club throughout the year.

The statement from the SPFL elaborated: "At the General Meeting, the SPFL’s member clubs also voted to implement the Scottish FA’s Cooperation Agreement System permanently in SPFL competitions following a successful trial period during the current campaign."

Recent data has found young Scottish players have seen their playing opportunities rise almost 50%, following the introduction of the Cooperation System and the revamp of the SPFL's KDM Evolution Trophy to include William Hill Premiership B teams.

The total number of playing minutes for Scottish Under-21 players (born in the calendar year 2005 or younger) has risen by 71,395.

These increases spanned across several leagues and competitions, including the William Hill Championship, League One and League Two, Highland League, Lowland League, Premier Sports Cup, and the KDM Evolution Trophy.

A survey conducted by the Scottish FA with SPFL clubs showed widespread support for the continuation of the cooperation system.

Clubs subsequently voted to retain the system on a permanent basis.