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RELATIONS between Rangers and the SFA are in disarray over claims Stewart Regan misled the Daily Record about a Scottish Cup meeting.

Record Sport can reveal there have been angry exchanges after the SFA chief executive cancelled a get together scheduled for yesterday he tried to deny was even taking place.

The issue strikes at the very heart of the integrity of one of Scottish football’s most influential figures and puts Regan’s reputation - and maybe even his £250,000-a-year job - on the line.

Ibrox managing director Stewart Robertson and Regan last week arranged a meeting for “early next week” to discuss the aftermath of the publication of the Bowen Report into the chaos that followed the cup final in May.

However, Regan subsequently told Record Sport no such meeting had been agreed because the judicial process had to be seen to take its course and he was mindful of the reaction of Hibs, in particular.

Rangers are furious at Regan’s version of events and the questions it unfairly raises over the trustworthiness of Robertson.

A club spokesman said: “Rangers have written confirmation that such a meeting was to have taken place early this week.”

After verbally agreeing the meeting last week, it was formally put in the diary by the offices of both men on Thursday afternoon, to take place yesterday at 10am.

However, Regan claimed he was unaware that admin task had been completed between personal assistants and scrapped the get together, accusing Rangers of trying to score points.

Rangers had released a statement on Friday August 5 demanding urgent talks with Regan, Bowen and McGlennan because they felt the independent report missed the point in several key areas.

Robertson and Regan held discussions over the phone last week and Rangers were told a meeting with Bowen and McGlennan was out of the question.

However, he agreed to an “informal” get together with Robertson, in the presence of the SFA’s chief operating officer Andrew McKinlay.

Record Sport, following up on the initial Rangers statement, contacted the SFA last Wednesday to ask if the Ibrox club had requested a meeting, as they promised and, if so, when it would take place.

Regan confirmed to us a meeting with McGlennan and Bowen was impossible, but he would be happy to meet Robertson at an “appropriate” time and ideally when the independent process had been completed.

In a call to us the following day he added: “The fact of the matter is, if that meeting is positioned as a formal meeting then clearly it’s not right to be doing it before the process is played out.

“There was no meeting, there was nothing finalised, nothing arranged. It was literally left that we weren’t going to get involved because of the independent process.”

Rangers maintain they are well within their rights to ask for talks and have no desire to influence the position of compliance officer Tony McGlennan, who has yet to rule what football charges, if any, should be brought against the cup finalists.

The Ibrox club have drawn up a series of recommendations, with the assistance of security boss Robin Howe, they were adamant would safeguard all players and clubs in future, but which were overlooked by Bowen.

(Image: Getty)

The spokesman added: “Rangers have no wish to become embroiled in a situation not of their making. All Rangers did – and it was a perfectly natural and understandable reaction – was to request a meeting.

“We wished to point out inaccuracies contained within the Sheriff’s report and make suggestions which might help prevent any repeat of the scenes witnessed at the end of the Scottish Cup final when Rangers players and members of staff were attacked.

“It is important to stress we sought nothing more than to discuss safety procedures so that no other club suffers such a terrifying experience. We should all be united in trying to achieve that outcome.”

The SFA last night declined to comment.