Don't see why it ain't worth setting up a thread for this. After all, it is really big news in my area.

I'm not a big fan of Rangers, but this is still sad news, especially for such a big club that has been around for so long.

Someone said on Facebook earlier that, should Rangers close down, the SPL may well die with them.

Can't disagree there.

Rangers and Celtic are just so far ahead of all the other teams... and if Rangers went, then Celtic would be almost guaranteed to win it all the time.

Much worse now, Rangers liquidated and the newco will be denied a place in the SPL

Well, new Rangers have been officially disallowed into the SPL, and will be in the lower leagues next season.

The SPL is now in serious trouble

Ok time to add my tuppence worth, I'm a huge Celtic man.

The league is doing much better than most people thought, crowds for all teams have increased, the Sky SPL TV deal is still in place and in my opinion the league is better without them.

They cheated everyone for well over a decade so they deserve all they get, I have no sympathy for them and neither should anyone else.

Celtic played fair, and almost went bust ourselves back in 1995 but we were saved thanks to a Canadian businessman known as Fergus McCann, who cleared our debts, built the new stadium and set us back on the road to greatness and by God we have had good times since. He did what he had said he would and bowed out, no more, no less.

Rangers had 'sir' David Murray who spent millions that they didn't have for players that won them titles galore, he initiated EBT's payments for several players staff which exempts any of them from paying Tax (this is currently being investigated by the SPL), and borrowed it all from the Banks. Now they have been found out to have cheated everyone over the years with all of the secret payments, unpaid Tax and loans that were not paid back therefore, The Tax Man came calling.

I knew once they went into administration that was it, the only destination was liquidation (which they still haven't been put into due to ongoing investigations by the liquidator's & the SPL).

Overall I believe the league is actually flourishing and is much more competitive because we are all that stands in the way of other sides having a shot at winning the title, which I think is a good thing more teams challenging, kinda like your league down south were the Top 4/5 normally compete for 3/4 of the season.

Celtic have played 2 games (won 1, drawn 1) and have a game in hand, andso far we have been given 2 hard games against Aberdeen at home on the opening day (which we won 1-0 with a goal in the last 11 minutes) and against newly promoted from the 1st division Ross County away last Saturday lunchtime when we managed a 1-1 draw (by equalising in the last 15 SECONDS of injury time!).

So, is the league better off without Rangers - Yes.

Congratulations on winning the 2012-13 SPL, thoroughly deserved!

Well, time for an update I feel.

Celtic, as predicted, currently lead the SPL - by 49 points to 2nd-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle's 37, a comfortable 12-point margin.

(For the record, at the wrong end of the table, newly-promoted Dundee are 11 points adrift of safety, with 14 points in comparison to 11th-placed St Mirren's 25.)

So, it appears that we have clear winners of the 2012-13 SPL in Celtic as beaker predicted, and clear Div 1 promotion-chasers for 2013-14 in Dundee (as most people probably predicted); however, we do still have a while to go yet in the season.

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As for Rangers, the new club has settled into Div 3 life very well indeed; as we all will have forecast, they lead the division - and by 53 points to Queen's Park's 33, a healthy (and probably unassailable) 20-point lead.

Being able to hang on to players of the ilk of Neil Alexander, who hadn't had much of a chance previously, Lee Wallace and Lee McCulloch (who's been outstanding this season), while adding new faces such as Fran Sandaza, David Templeton, Dean Shiels, Ian Black and Kevin Kyle, has contributed hugely to the club's success so far this campaign.

I believe keeping Ally McCoist on as manager (and him staying after the reformation in Div 3) was also very important.

Oh, and crowds at Ibrox have reached the 50,000 mark at points this season too; talk about fans getting behind their club no matter what the circumstances.

The SPL I think has thrived without Rangers. I think it would thrive even more without Celtic.
From a neutral's point of view - I'm a Southampton supporter - it's been more exciting for me. Rather than just have two teams at the top all the time, it's different this season.

I mean, look at the phenomenal success Inverness have had - who expected that, 2nd place in late-January?
Then we have Hibs, who had a season to forget last time around - this time, spurred by the goals of loanee Leigh Griffiths, who appears to be enjoying himself up there, from 11th (I think?) last season to sitting 4th this.

(It wouldn't surprise me if Griffiths made his loan a permanent move, either, at that - if Wolves permitted, which they clearly wouldn't, but still...)

Well, there's my tuppence's worth, for what it's worth. Well, tuppence I suppose...