Park's of Hamilton demands independent inquiry into SPFL's cinch sponsorship deal
- Published
Rangers did not display the cinch logo last season like other SPFL clubs
Park's of Hamilton has asked for an independent Scottish FA inquiry into its sponsorship dispute with the Scottish Professional Football League.
The governing body on Wednesday announced a revised deal would mean Rangers would not be asked to display league sponsor cinch's branding.
Park's had gone to court pointing out that Rangers chairman Douglas Park owned the rival car dealership.
"The SFA must carry out an independent investigation," Park's said.
"The SPFL leadership owe their members an apology, they owe Park's an apology, they owe the SFA an apology and they also owe an apology to Rangers."
Park won a court order in August to delay SFA arbitration, with the Court of Session backing his request for his company to be able to take part in the process as an interested party.
Rangers, who refused to display cinch branding last season, and his car dealership now say the SPFL's decision to renegotiate the deal "vindicated the stance held by the club for over a year".
"The fact that the SPFL prevaricated and continued to stall an arbitration process they themselves initiated in August last year, and which was ruled upon by the court of appeal in October, underlined the weakness of the case they truly had," Park's said.
"Were it not for our interim interdict, it is clear their strategy was to try to bully one of their members and shareholders; a strategy which they have employed on numerous occasions.
"Throughout the last year, Park's have kept their counsel as the SPFL leadership insulted us and misled the SFA, their member clubs, their title sponsor and various other stakeholders in Scottish football.
"We have a long standing and proud association with Scottish football and it was entirely wrong that we were compelled to take the SFA to court because the SPFL decided to abuse the SFA's arbitration process.
"We believe that the SPFL and members of its leadership have brought the game into disrepute and have failed, as have the SPFL as an organisation, to act with the utmost good faith towards their members."
Park's claims it "has cost all parties involved hundreds of thousands of pounds" as well as "reputational damage" to the company.
A spokesperson for the SPFL noted "with interest Park's version of events".
"We are currently bound by the confidentiality of the legal process," the league statement said. "However, we have written to Rangers and Park's seeking confirmation that this confidentiality no longer applies following yesterday's announcement of our revised title sponsorship agreement with cinch.
"If they agree to our proposal, we will be able to provide a full and frank narrative to our member clubs. We very much look forward to the opportunity to set the record straight."