FOOTBALL: Rangers chairman Dave King not backing down on suspension demand

Ibrox chairman King made his initial call for an investigation on Tuesday after reports emerged detailing MacLennan’s recent appointment as non-executive chairman of Irish-based Independent News & Media Group (INM).

Desmond is listed as a major shareholder in INM - which publishes titles including the Irish Independent and Belfast Telegraph - along with Denis O’Brien, who has a minor stake in Rangers’ Glasgow rivals.

That call was quickly rebuffed by the SPFL, who insist that MacLennan informed its board of his new role before taking up the offer and denied claims there was a conflict of interest.

But King insists that response is not good enough and insists there are still key issues which need to be resolved.

In a statement given to Press Association Sport, the Ibrox chief said: “I am surprised at the SPFL’s response to my request for an independent investigation into the relationship of its chairman to major shareholders in Celtic FC. Any organisation that has behaved properly would welcome an independent and transparent review.

“The SPFL’s response does not even attempt to answer why there was non-disclosure of the conflict that immediately arose when the SPFL chairman accepted this appointment.

“SPFL board members were informed that their chairman was taking up a non-executive directorship with another business but they were not told there was a conflict of interest due to common shareholders with significant influence within that company and Celtic FC.

“We need to be told if the SPFL chairman chose not to disclose the conflict.

“If it transpires that he did in fact make the required disclosure then to whom did he address this and why did that person not relay this critical information to SPFL board members?

“Had the conflict been disclosed the SPFL board members could have carried out their fiduciary obligation by interrogating this conflict of interest and agreeing how the chairman would deal with it going forward.

“The existence of this conflict means that the SPFL chairman must recuse himself from much of the business of the SPFL going forward thereby rendering his present position as being not fit for purpose.

“The SPFL’s rather hurried and inadequate response merely reinforces my personal view that good governance is not a priority for the SPFL executive.

“These questions must be addressed immediately if confidence is to be restored in the SPFL executive and its chairman.”