MORTON chairman Douglas Rae today lambasted the SFA and SPL for trying to "bully" and "deceive" SFL clubs into accepting newco Rangers into the First Division – by warning of financial armageddon if they refuse.

He accused the SFA chief Stewart Regan of "trying to tighten the thumbscrews" at last week's SFL summit on the crisis engulfing the game.

And he said SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster had lost his way after failing to persuade SFL clubs to open the door to the Irn-Bru First Division for Rangers.

Now, Rae, one of the longest-serving chairmen in Scotland, has pinpointed SFL chairman David Longmuir as the man to lead a united body that could save the Scottish game from implosion.

He delivered his withering attack in a memo sent out last night to fellow SFL chairmen.

Rae said: "I was very disappointed indeed with the input of the two visiting officials at the recent SFL meeting which lasted some five hours.

"The visitors were (Stewart) Regan, chief executive of the SFA and Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the SPL.

"Neil Doncaster was a man who didn't appreciate that the current problem relative to newco Rangers, and which league they should be playing in next season, is exclusively the problem of the SPL and little do to with the SFL.

"Neil was totally unable to get his clubs to accept the decision going forward that he wanted, as the SPL vote was overwhelmingly in favour of newco Rangers being refused entry to the SPL.

"Following that mammoth failure, Neil now expects the SFL clubs to bail him out, which to do so would mean SFL clubs ignoring the views of their supporters.

"Never have I known supporters to be more single-minded than how they feel over this newco Rangers drama.

"Quite frankly, Neil Doncaster seemed to many to be a man who had lost his way and (is) unable to get back on the right road.

"The SPL CEO made scant contribution to the SFL meeting other than trying to impress to clubs that if we did not vote newco Rangers into the First Division, that financial disaster of epic proportions would be the experience that many clubs would suffer.

"A forecast from Neil was that up to six SPL clubs could go 'bust' if the SFL clubs did not follow his advice and back newco Rangers.

"(Stewart) Regan made a good start to his presentation until he attempted to tighten the thumbscrews.

"From that moment on his presentation fell apart as he tried in vain to elicit the support of the clubs.

"(Regan) expected SFL clubs to fall in line with the measures that he considered necessary despite his proposals failing to gain support at the SPL meeting."

And Rae has not only called on Longmuir to take charge, but has also insisted that Scottish football needs one governing body rather than the trio it currently operates under.

"Scottish football is definitely in crisis and needs a man of honesty, vision and strength at the helm," he said.

"That man is already known to all SFL chairmen as I refer to David Longmuir, the SFL chief executive. "David addressed the meeting last week and gave a clear picture of how he saw the way ahead for our clubs.

"He did not minimise the problems which currently beset us nor did he make out that the SFL had to bail out the SPL from its problems.

"David Longmuir was the only one of these three speakers who spoke with clarity which he managed to do without misleading the chairmen.

"I am sure that I am not the only chairman who considers it absurd to have three different organisations looking after Scottish football.

"There should be one organisation looking after all aspects of our game."

The SFA and SPL both refused to comment last night in response to Rae's memo.