The SFA arbitration panel has officially ruled that Hearts and Partick Thistle will be relegated after hearing their case against the SPFL.
The two clubs challenged the SPFL decision to relegate them from the Scottish Premiership and Championship respectively after the season was ended prematurely.
But an SFA panel has ruled that the decision must stand following months of high profile campaigning by the two clubs.
At the time of writing, it remains unclear what Hearts and Partick will do now but there remains an option to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan released a statement in the wake of the “unanimous judgement”:
No-one should be under any illusion about the rigorous and challenging nature of this process,” said MacLennan [SPFL].
“I would fully expect all those involved to agree that no stone was left unturned, no allegation left unanswered.
“Every aspect of the various arguments put forward by both Heart of Midlothian and Partick Thistle was examined minutely, with full access to all relevant documents, records, emails and telephone logs.
“The panel heard from many witnesses, including senior figures from across our game and three members of the SPFL executive team. Thousands of pages of evidence were considered.
“I’m therefore very pleased that the tribunal unanimously held that the challenges to the written resolution of 15 April 2020 failed, and that the SPFL were entitled to pass, and give effect to, the written resolution and all that flowed from it.”
Rangers have a particular interest in this decision after the Ibrox club demanded the suspension of chief executive Neil Doncaster and an investigation into the league-ending vote back in April.
Rangers called out apparent foul play in the handling of the vote and the decision to end the season, which saw Dundee controversially change their vote, after originally having the deciding say on the league binning the proposals.
Here’s how some members of the Rangers support reacted on Twitter, with many demanding serious changes in the governance of the Scottish game:
https://twitter.com/JimJimiblu/status/1287738699162234883
https://twitter.com/davidcowan81/status/1287759989038370817
https://twitter.com/glasgowsportsfa/status/1287759818678317056
https://twitter.com/Lewis_McKxnzie/status/1287746148019646466
https://twitter.com/DennyFord5/status/1287738414108946435
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