DEES ABSTAIN FROM VOTING DUE TO CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Dundee FC will not vote in the SFL vote on Friday 13th July to decide which league The Rangers FC will enter. Rangers in their new form are out of the SPL after the SPL teams voted 10-1 with Kilmarnock abstaining from voting. It is said that it will be a conflict of interest for the Dees if they were to vote.

Dundee FC have released a statement regarding the situation.

"In order to try and bring some clarity to the situation for our fans and sponsors, I would like to outline some of the events of the last week or two in relation to Dundee FC and our position within the SFL.

When it became clear that the Clubs of the SFL were going to be called into Hampden on 3rd July to either take a vote or as it has been put, give a steer, in advance of a vote on Rangers Football Club being admitted into either Division 1 or Division 3, I immediately called the SFL.

The purpose of the call was to receive some guidance on whether Dundee FC would be conflicted in voting for either option as we would potentially be the direct beneficiaries of a yes vote in either case. I was very concerned that Dundee FC could be attacked or criticised for trying to influence the situation and or gain benefit for the Club by voting for either option.

The initial advice was that SFL rules clearly state that, save in extraordinary circumstances, ALL Members must vote and cannot abstain, such action would incur a heavy fine and there was an existing precedent.

Prior to the meeting however and following discussions with the SFL Office Bearers and their legal team, we were informed that these were extraordinary circumstances and there was indeed a clear conflict of interest and it would be against natural justice for us to vote. We could take part in the debate but not the vote. We were the only team in Division 1 told this as no other Club was conflicted.

Now that there is to be a formal vote on these matters at Hampden on the 12th July, our technical position is clear. We do not have to abstain as we cannot vote due to the stated potential conflict of interest which would be against natural justice. This is not our choice, it is however a fact that we cannot vote.

None of this means that we have been notified by the SPL, SFL or the SFA that our status as an SFL Club has changed or is due to change because we have not. We do hope however that this situation can be addressed as quickly as possible as it is clearly and obviously a tremendous distraction for all of us at Dundee FC with the season looming larger than ever."




Source for statement : http://www.dundeefc.co.uk/home/news_detail.asp?newsid=2383