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| Thursday, August 1, 2002 18:26 EST |
Discussions continue to end disagreement with Celtic, Rangers
[Reuters]
GLASGOW -- Ten of Scotland's 12 Premier
League (SPL) clubs have resigned from the league after failing
to resolve their disagreement with Celtic and Rangers.
Representatives of the clubs handed in letters of
resignation on Thursday after failing to reach agreement on the
league's voting structure at a meeting on Wednesday.
"I can confirm that we have received the resignations of the
10 clubs at 3 pm today," Iain Blair, the the SPL's secretary,
said in a statement on Thursday.
Dominic Keane, chairman of premier league side Livingston,
told Reuters that discussions would continue to try and resolve
the impasse.
"The sooner we find a resolution the better and anything I
can do to ensure we get a resolution to end the disagreement, I
will," Keane said.
"I'm hopeful and I want the problems to be resolved.
Discussions are ongoing."
All 12 SPL clubs agreed a two-year contract with the BBC for
TV coverage on Wednesday, but that could not prevent the split.
The group of 10 first raised the prospect of resigning after
Celtic and Rangers, Scotland's two biggest clubs, blocked the
launch of an SPL TV channel in April.
Under current rules an 11-1 majority is needed to implement
a major change such as the TV rights deal, but plans to change
to an 8-4 majority were rejected by the two Glasgow clubs.
League rules state that two years' notice must be given for
clubs wishing to leave the SPL.
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