Hearts owner Ann Budge to make second attempt to join SPFL board

Hearts owner Ann Budge lost out on election last year to Dundee United's Stephen Thompson

Hearts owner Ann Budge will make a second attempt to be elected to the SPFL board, after narrowly missing out last year.

Budge will seek election at the annual general meeting on July 20

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawell and Partick Thistle managing director Ian Maxwell also intend to stand.

However, Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson has decided not to vie for one of the three available positions.

Robertson, who joined the Rangers board just over a year ago, said after "much thought and consideration" he would not seek election.

In a statement on the Rangers website, the club said they were "confident its views are being listened to and treated with the utmost respect" by other Premiership clubs.

They added "it is accepted that Rangers' voice is being heard within Hampden, both at SFA and SPFL levels."

Dundee United's Stephen Thompson beat Budge to the Premiership position last year after three rounds of votes, but quit the board in protest at the club's three point deduction and fine for fielding ineligible players in a match against Inverness in May.

He will seek election for one of the two vacant positions in the Championship alongside Hibernian's Leeann Dempster and Eric Drysdale of Raith Rovers.

In Leagues 1 and 2, from which there will be one position, Brechin City's Ken Ferguson is the sole nominee.