SPFL call in SFA in Rangers/Cinch row as £8million deal hangs in the balance

Rangers‘ spat with the SPFL over their sponsorship with cinch has taken another twist after the league wrote to all member clubs advising them they were taking the process to the Scottish FA’s arbitration process to find a resolution.

Rangers have so far refused to engage with the league’s new sponsor, failing to carry any advertising or wear the sleeve patches while also refusing to accept delivery of “inventory” such as interview backboards to be delivered to Ibrox.

That has led to fears cinch could pull the plug on their “record” sponsorship of the league and deprive clubs of revenue through the league’s prize money payments.

The deal is worth a reported £8million over 5 years but Rangers believe that rule I7 of the SPFL, which states that clubs are ‘not obliged to comply with this rule if to do so would result in that club being in breach of a contractual obligation entered into prior to the commercial contract concerned’ gives them a way out of the deal.

SPFL chairman Murdoch McLennon claims that the Gers have so far failed to provide any proof of their existing contracts that would allow them to effectively opt-out of the cinch partnership.

McLennan’s email to SPFL clubs in full:

“The one SPFL club that has failed to deliver club inventory for cinch is also hampering the SPFL from promoting the SPFL’s relationship with cinch by, for example, refusing to permit cinch-branded interview backboards to be delivered to, or used at, its home ground and to be used for broadcast partner interviews with club representatives at away matches.

“At their opening league match, none of that club’s players wore the cinch branded sleeve patch; there were no LED advertising or static advertising boards with cinch branding allowed in the stadium; and the club concerned also refused to allow the use of the standard SPFL broadcast partner interview backdrop board displaying cinch branding.

“Over several weeks now, your board has sought to engage with the club concerned to find a way through this very serious impasse.

“However, we have been met with a refusal to give the board sight of any pre-existing third-party contract that would prevent the club from providing inventory for cinch.

“The refusal by one of our clubs to provide inventory for cinch presents a real and substantial commercial risk to the SPFL – and one which materially threatens the SPFL’s fee payments to all 42 SPFL clubs.

“This is the first time in the history of the SPFL, or the SPL before that, where a club has not provided agreed inventory to the League for use in fulfilling a commercial Contract.

“Your board considers it has been left with no realistic option, in compliance with Scottish FA articles, other than to refer this dispute to Scottish FA arbitration. Your Board has reached this conclusion with great reluctance.

“However, your board believes that it has a clear obligation to embark upon this course of action to protect and advance the interests of the SPFL and all of its member clubs.”

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