Ally McCoist believes the Professional Footballers' Association Scotland was wrong to put his players in a position where Rangers fans might turn against them.
The union raised an employment tribunal against the Ibrox club on behalf of 67 players, many of whom are still on the staff, and McCoist says this could have compromised them.
The action relates to a failure "to inform and consult" the players when their contracts were transferred last summer between Rangers Football Club plc and Sevco Scotland, which is now The Rangers Football Club Limited. The action was revealed in the share prospectus published last weekend, but within hours of the story breaking on Monday, Lee McCulloch, the Rangers captain, had firmly distanced himself from the claim.
"I find it strange," said McCoist. "Why would you not tell someone like Lee McCulloch, especially if it puts him in a position where the fans could turn against him? Maybe there's an answer to it. I've no doubt Fraser [Wishart, the PFA Scotland chief executive] and the PFA lawyers might have an answer to it, and I'd like to hear it. I thought it put the players who are still here in a bit of a position.
"Somebody's going to have to explain this one to me. Is it the union's – and I'm a union man myself – place to inform their members that there's a possible court action against their employers, or is it their employer's place to inform their employees about the union? I would have thought that it was the union's place to tell them. Especially if it's put them in a compromising position. The fact that Lee came out with the statement on his Twitter would indicate that he tried to pre-empt what could have been a situation. I believe Sone Aluko did [the same], and Steven Naismith, in his defence."
McCoist also insisted that Rangers do not have an interest in Ryan Fraser, the Aberdeen winger who has declined the offer of a new contract and will leave the club in the summer. Fraser was linked with the Ibrox side, but looks destined to move to England. "If I had any interest in the player, Craig Brown would be the first person I'd phone," he said.
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