• St Mirren 'battling to stay solvent' after SFL decision
• Queen of the South 'incredibly angry' over SFA/SPL leaders
Scottish Premier League clubs meet on Monday to discuss reaction to the decision to place the Rangers newco in the Third Division after warnings that up to five of them could follow the Ibrox club into administration.
The St Mirren chairman, Stewart Gilmour, revealed his club were among those battling to stay solvent after Scottish Football League clubs rejected a plan to put the relaunched Rangers in the First Division.
Gilmour's comments, accusing SFL clubs of damaging Scottish football, revealed an expectation that the lower-league clubs would accept the reconstruction deal that accompanied the rejected plan. The deal was formulated by executives of both leagues along with the Scottish Football Association chief executive, Stewart Regan, whose position has come under serious scrutiny.
Queen of the South, one of the few clubs who voted for the First Division plan, hit out at Regan and his SPL counterpart, Neil Doncaster.
The Dumfries club said they voted for the First Division plan because they believed it is inevitable the new Rangers will end up in the second tier, and they wanted to ensure reforms, such as top-flight play-offs, came with it.
A statement read: "We have been incredibly disappointed and angry at the actions and leadership of the senior members of the SFA and SPL throughout this whole saga. There have been statements, both public and private, that have amounted to little more than threats.
"The dialogue has been negative, focusing on and exaggerating the possible 'Armageddon' rather than rallying and actively trying to find solutions that all clubs and, more importantly, supporters would feel comfortable supporting.
"Instead we were presented with a set of proposals that no one was happy with.
"More importantly, the message from the governing bodies was that, even with a no-vote, they would continue to pursue the newco Rangers playing in one of the top two tiers next season.
"There has been a lot of talk about how this is not possible under the current rules, but as the saying goes 'where there's a will there's a way'."
There remains scepticism among many SFL clubs that Rangers will start off in the bottom tier after Regan's earlier comments that he could not allow the game to suffer a "slow, lingering death" that such a scenario would, in his opinion, prompt.
Clyde this weekend hinted that the Ibrox chief executive, Charles Green, had been promised by Regan that such an outcome could not come about amid warnings of an SPL2 breakaway.
The SFA has said little of substance since Friday's vote and the governing body has still to decide on Sevco's application to assume Rangers' membership of the association, and what sanctions might come with it.
It emerged that a motion of no confidence in Regan had briefly been discussed by SFL clubs.
However, Regan's plan to "relegate" Rangers suggests he may have underestimated the power of the democratic process involved in deciding where the new company would begin life.
SPL clubs now face a serious financial crisis, according to Gilmour, who warned of "catastrophic" consequences for his club. Inverness directors held emergency talks while the Motherwell manager, Stuart McCall, admitted the decision would scupper any hopes of signing a player this summer.
However, both Hearts and Dundee United, meanwhile, have dismissed suggestions that the SPL's rejection of the newco Rangers, managed by Ally McCoist, would be reversed or that a breakaway was possible.
United said in a statement: "The club would not support any counter-proposals for the formation of SPL2 or regarding any other route for The Rangers Football Club to join the SPL."
The Hearts managing director, David Southern, said: "We certainly do not plan to go over any old ground.
"Rangers, as has been elected, will play in Division Three. That's how it stands at the moment and that's how we fully expect it to stand at five o'clock on Monday evening."
SPL clubs, who hold their annual general meeting on Monday, will be most keen to discover the accuracy of predictions of commercial losses resulting from the departure of Rangers.
Most, if not all, contracts have an exit or renegotiation clause should either of the Old Firm teams be absent and the television deals are the biggest cause for concern.
Sky and ESPN were due to sign an £80m five-year deal this summer, although their existing £13m annual contract has a year left to run.
Doncaster told SFL clubs that a total of £18.7m would be lost to the SPL if the Third Division option was taken, all but £1m from broadcasting deals.
Doncaster has apparently valued TV revenue at just £3m if the Rangers newco was made to start in the Third Division.Sky Sports has maintained their silence while ESPN has said they "want to have a continued relationship with Scottish football". Read More
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