Survey: More than a quarter of Rangers fans think club should be demoted

More than a quarter of Rangers fans think their team should be demoted next season, according to a survey for STV.

The ScotPulse poll for Scotland Tonight found that 27% of the club's supporters believed relegation would be fair, while 30% thought a points deduction would be appropriate.

Among non-Rangers fans, 59% believed the club should be demoted with 27% saying they supported a points deduction.

Asked whether Rangers should be stripped of their titles, 29% of non-Rangers supporting football fans said yes, while only 1% of Rangers fans and 14% of non-football fans agreed.

With the liquidation of Rangers FC ongoing and a new company taking its place, those polled were asked if they believed the new team should be allowed to play in the SPL next year.

Although most Rangers fans – 68% - said yes, a significant 23% said they thought the club should not be allowed back in the SPL next year.

The numbers were more balanced among non-football fans, with 32% saying they thought the Ibrox team should be in the top flight next season and 38% disagreeing.

Among supporters of rival teams, 67% predictably said they though a ban for next season was the correct course of action. However, a magnanimous 22% had no problem with seeing the team back in the Premier League in 2012-13.

A total of 38% of Rangers fans believed the club should not face any penalties, although only 10% of other teams' supporters agreed with this. Other sanctions such as transfer bans and expulsion from the Scottish League received the backing of 30% and 22% of rival fans, respectively, but were not supported by most Rangers fans.

A final question asked who was most to blame for the Rangers crisis. Former owner David Murray received the most blame, with 66% of Rangers fans and 74% of other teams' fans saying the responsibility lay with his custody of the team.

Outgoing owner Craig Whyte was also in the line of fire, with 59% of Rangers supporters saying he was the major reason for the team's troubles.

Administrators Duff and Phelps were held responsible by 15% of the team's fans, while the HMRC were blamed by another 9%.

The poll surveyed over 1000 Scots, 540 of whom said they were football fans and 200 of which were Rangers fans.

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