The Scotsman reports

Heat turned up as SRU takes firm stance over Edinburgh dispute
DAVID FERGUSON
RELATIONS between the SRU and the new owners of Edinburgh have soured further with the claim yesterday that the union have told the club that the provision of a hospitality table on international match days is a privilege rather than a right.

The professional team have hit back in its escalating dispute with the governing body by threatening to take the team away from Murrayfield and play at Meadowbank Stadium.

Edinburgh have considered legal action during their dispute with the SRU, insisting that revenues agreed at the time of their takeover in July have been changed by the SRU's executive board. It emerged yesterday that the SRU are unhappy with recent bad publicity over the Edinburgh situation, and have told the club's management that a guaranteed table at internationals will now be available only at the discretion of the union.

The executive board, chaired by Allan Munro, has been angered by Edinburgh's recent questioning of their actions. Less than six months after the new Edinburgh owners, Bob and Alex Carruthers, stepped in to allow Scotland to keep three professional teams, recent events have placed a great strain on what Gordon McKie, the SRU chief executive, had hailed "an important development for all of us at [the SRU] and one we are determined to see succeed. This is a considerable commitment by our new partners and we look forward to working closely and effectively with them."

There was no comment yesterday from Alex Carruthers or Graeme Stirling, Edinburgh's executive director and managing director respectively, but a statement issued by the club said: "Edinburgh Rugby Ltd is awaiting clarification from the [executive] board of the Scottish Rugby Union in connection with various statements made to them by the chief executive on behalf of the SRU board. Edinburgh Rugby Ltd remains confident that these issues can be resolved without course to litigation."

That is a clear indication that legal proceedings are still being considered, and there was no denial of the apparent grievances that have emerged, but a source close to the Edinburgh directors has revealed that the club are growing alarmed at what they perceive to be "bully-boy tactics" by the union's executive board.

The source said: "There remains a real commitment to work with the SRU, but they must enter into the spirit of the partnership they claim exists and stop acting as bully-boys."

The issue of a hospitality table - at a game where Edinburgh are supplying the Scotland captain and 12 of the 22 players - is just the latest in a series of disputes. A changing picture on the revenues due to Edinburgh from the Heineken Cup and Magners League, and a pressing by the SRU for the Magners League to start at the end of September next year, four weeks late, remain other more serious concerns.

As well as legal routes to solving the conflicts, Edinburgh are also understood to be contemplating withdrawing from the agreement to release their internationals the week before Test matches and moving the team away from Murrayfield to Meadowbank, though Edinburgh have played there before and it was deemed not suitable.

This article was posted on 24-Nov-2006, 08:27 by Hugh Barrow.