Charles Green, Rangers’ chief executive, has claimed the club should investigate the prospect of leaving Scottish football. Plans are afoot to implement two divisions of 12 and a bottom tier of 18, possibly as early as next season, in the Scottish game. Rangers object to that and have been irked by the fact they were not invited to talks relating to that issue at Hampden Park on Tuesday.

Even if Rangers win this season’s Third Division, as is almost certain, they would remain in the lowest league if reconstruction plans are immediately passed. Green, who previously prompted an instant rebuttal from Manchester United after claiming the Old Trafford club were “not hostile” to Rangers joining the Premier League, has maintained the theme.

Meaningless matches

Green told RangersTV: “If this does happen what is the point of us finishing the season? Why should we send players out to get broken noses – like Ross Perry last week – or have players getting surgery when no one can get promoted and no one can get relegated?

“We might as well have a winter break now until next August. I can’t see any point in carrying on with meaningless matches. In what league do you win a division and end up playing the same teams again the following season? There is no meaning to it, in reality.”

Green added: “I haven’t read anything other than what is in the press and if that is what we have sat here eagerly awaiting to transform Scottish football, my advice to the board of Rangers is the quicker we can leave Scottish football the better.”

Green conceded Rangers are short of alternatives to Scotland, but pointed to the ongoing situation in Belgium, with Standard Liege threatening to exit their domestic division and instead play in France.