Rangers booted out of SPL

London - Rangers were dramatically kicked out of next season's Scottish Premier League after rival clubs voted overwhelmingly to exclude the ailing Glasgow giants, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

The soon-to-be-liquidated Ibrox club had applied to rejoin the league after reforming as a new company (newco) but their request was turned down following a vote of the other clubs which make up the Scottish top-flight.

"At today's General Meeting, SPL clubs today voted overwhelmingly to reject the application from Rangers newco to join the SPL," an SPL statement said.

The statement came after more than five hours of talks at Hampden today as Rangers' new management clung on to the hope of staving off exclusion.

It caps a humiliating fall from grace for the most successful club in Scottish football, who were plunged into crisis earlier this year after entering administration following a tax dispute.

It was not immediately clear where Rangers' new incarnation will begin life next season. One option under consideration is to start in the First Division, the league below the SPL.