The Goalie
Well-Known Member
Hmmmm......
Robert Bridge, now a senior exec at cinch, was hired by telegraph media group in 2016 and reported directly to Murdoch MacLennan.
Story in the Times tomorrow.\
Robert Bridge, right, was pictured with Neil Doncaster, the SPFL chief executive, at the unveiling of the partnership
JOHN PHILLIPS/GETTY IMAGES
A senior executive at an online car dealership involved in a sponsorship row between Rangers and Scotland’s football chiefs used to work for the chairman of the Scottish league.
Robert Bridge was hired as the chief customer officer at Telegraph Media Group (TMG) in 2016 and reported directly to Murdoch MacLennan while he was running the business.
MacLennan now chairs the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). A five-year, £8 million package with Cinch, a car sales business, was announced by the SPFL in June.
Bridge was pictured with Neil Doncaster, the SPFL chief executive, at the unveiling of the partnership. There was embarrassment the following month as Rangers, the Premiership champions, said they could not comply with the arrangements as the club felt it broke the SPFL’s rules. Those state the rules do not need to be followed “if to do so would result in that club being in breach of a contractual obligation entered into prior to the commercial contract concerned”.
Rangers also said they had pointed this out before the SPFL signed the sponsorship contact. Rangers are refusing to allow Cinch branding on team shirts or on advertising boards.
Douglas Park, chairman of Rangers, owns Park’s of Hamilton, one of the largest privately owned motor dealership groups in Scotland. He believes that the deal struck by the SPFL breaches a commercial agreement which has been made between his company and Rangers.
Concerns have also been raised an external agency would receive a fee of £500,000 for brokering the Cinch deal.
MacLennan, who it is understood played no part in the commercial negotiations with Cinch, wrote to the other 41 SPFL clubs expressing his annoyance with the situation.
Park won a legal ruling stopping arbitration proceedings to resolve the situation and which instead sees the dispute being heard in the courts.
Earlier this week it was suggested by Lord Keen of Elie QC that Cinch approached Rangers to discuss potential commercial opportunities prior to announcing the SPFL deal.
Rangers denied negotiations had taken place which could have led to Ibrox being renamed but acknowledged there had been contact.
Rangers previously raised concerns about MacLennan having a conflict of interest in his SPFL position as he was the chairman of Independent News and Media. At the time that company included Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s largest shareholder, and Denis O’Brien, another Celtic shareholder, among its investors.
MacLennan, 72, stepped down as the TMG chief executive in June 2017 but remained deputy chairman. He became chairman of the SPFL in July 2017.
Bridge had worked at Yahoo before he joined TMG in the spring of 2016. At the time of the appointment it was announced he would be reporting directly to MacLennan who said: “Robert Bridge will have a crucial role in developing and offering new products to the customers who lie at the heart of our business.
“I am delighted he will be joining our senior team.”
After a brief spell with a maker of children’s cosmetics Bridge joined Cinch in January this year as its chief customer officer.
The SPFL, Cinch and Rangers all declined to comment. It is understood the Rangers hierarchy still have doubts over the governance arrangements at the SPFL.
Earlier this week it was suggested by Lord Keen of Elie QC that Cinch approached Rangers to discuss potential commercial opportunities prior to announcing the SPFL deal.
Rangers denied negotiations had taken place which could have led to Ibrox being renamed but acknowledged there had been contact.
Rangers previously raised concerns about MacLennan having a conflict of interest in his SPFL position as he was the chairman of Independent News and Media. At the time that company included Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s largest shareholder, and Denis O’Brien, another Celtic shareholder, among its investors.
MacLennan, 72, stepped down as the TMG chief executive in June 2017 but remained deputy chairman. He became chairman of the SPFL in July 2017.
Bridge had worked at Yahoo before he joined TMG in the spring of 2016. At the time of the appointment it was announced he would be reporting directly to MacLennan who said: “Robert Bridge will have a crucial role in developing and offering new products to the customers who lie at the heart of our business.
“I am delighted he will be joining our senior team.”
After a brief spell with a maker of children’s cosmetics Bridge joined Cinch in January this year as its chief customer officer.
The SPFL, Cinch and Rangers all declined to comment. It is understood the Rangers hierarchy still have doubts over the governance arrangements at the SPFL.
Robert Bridge, now a senior exec at cinch, was hired by telegraph media group in 2016 and reported directly to Murdoch MacLennan.
Story in the Times tomorrow.\
Robert Bridge, right, was pictured with Neil Doncaster, the SPFL chief executive, at the unveiling of the partnership
JOHN PHILLIPS/GETTY IMAGES
A senior executive at an online car dealership involved in a sponsorship row between Rangers and Scotland’s football chiefs used to work for the chairman of the Scottish league.
Robert Bridge was hired as the chief customer officer at Telegraph Media Group (TMG) in 2016 and reported directly to Murdoch MacLennan while he was running the business.
MacLennan now chairs the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). A five-year, £8 million package with Cinch, a car sales business, was announced by the SPFL in June.
Bridge was pictured with Neil Doncaster, the SPFL chief executive, at the unveiling of the partnership. There was embarrassment the following month as Rangers, the Premiership champions, said they could not comply with the arrangements as the club felt it broke the SPFL’s rules. Those state the rules do not need to be followed “if to do so would result in that club being in breach of a contractual obligation entered into prior to the commercial contract concerned”.
Rangers also said they had pointed this out before the SPFL signed the sponsorship contact. Rangers are refusing to allow Cinch branding on team shirts or on advertising boards.
Douglas Park, chairman of Rangers, owns Park’s of Hamilton, one of the largest privately owned motor dealership groups in Scotland. He believes that the deal struck by the SPFL breaches a commercial agreement which has been made between his company and Rangers.
Concerns have also been raised an external agency would receive a fee of £500,000 for brokering the Cinch deal.
MacLennan, who it is understood played no part in the commercial negotiations with Cinch, wrote to the other 41 SPFL clubs expressing his annoyance with the situation.
Park won a legal ruling stopping arbitration proceedings to resolve the situation and which instead sees the dispute being heard in the courts.
Earlier this week it was suggested by Lord Keen of Elie QC that Cinch approached Rangers to discuss potential commercial opportunities prior to announcing the SPFL deal.
Rangers denied negotiations had taken place which could have led to Ibrox being renamed but acknowledged there had been contact.
Rangers previously raised concerns about MacLennan having a conflict of interest in his SPFL position as he was the chairman of Independent News and Media. At the time that company included Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s largest shareholder, and Denis O’Brien, another Celtic shareholder, among its investors.
MacLennan, 72, stepped down as the TMG chief executive in June 2017 but remained deputy chairman. He became chairman of the SPFL in July 2017.
Bridge had worked at Yahoo before he joined TMG in the spring of 2016. At the time of the appointment it was announced he would be reporting directly to MacLennan who said: “Robert Bridge will have a crucial role in developing and offering new products to the customers who lie at the heart of our business.
“I am delighted he will be joining our senior team.”
After a brief spell with a maker of children’s cosmetics Bridge joined Cinch in January this year as its chief customer officer.
The SPFL, Cinch and Rangers all declined to comment. It is understood the Rangers hierarchy still have doubts over the governance arrangements at the SPFL.
Earlier this week it was suggested by Lord Keen of Elie QC that Cinch approached Rangers to discuss potential commercial opportunities prior to announcing the SPFL deal.
Rangers denied negotiations had taken place which could have led to Ibrox being renamed but acknowledged there had been contact.
Rangers previously raised concerns about MacLennan having a conflict of interest in his SPFL position as he was the chairman of Independent News and Media. At the time that company included Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s largest shareholder, and Denis O’Brien, another Celtic shareholder, among its investors.
MacLennan, 72, stepped down as the TMG chief executive in June 2017 but remained deputy chairman. He became chairman of the SPFL in July 2017.
Bridge had worked at Yahoo before he joined TMG in the spring of 2016. At the time of the appointment it was announced he would be reporting directly to MacLennan who said: “Robert Bridge will have a crucial role in developing and offering new products to the customers who lie at the heart of our business.
“I am delighted he will be joining our senior team.”
After a brief spell with a maker of children’s cosmetics Bridge joined Cinch in January this year as its chief customer officer.
The SPFL, Cinch and Rangers all declined to comment. It is understood the Rangers hierarchy still have doubts over the governance arrangements at the SPFL.
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