Patrick Stewart ends silence on Rangers crunch talks with SFA over penalty snub - 'I'm waiting for a response'

New CEO Stewart got straight down to business to demand answers from the SFA

New Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart says he's waiting to hear back from the SFA after contacting them about the non-award of a late penalty at Hampden.

The Ibrox side felt they should have had a spot-kick in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes against Celtic in the thrilling Premier Sports Cup Final, which the Hoops eventually won on a shootout. Vaclav Cerny went down under contact from Liam Scales but ref John Beaton saw nothing awry and VAR Alan Muir elected not to call him over for a review.

New CEO Stewart started his role the day after the final and Record Sport broke the story on Monday night that, in one of his first acts as Ibrox supremo, he contacted the SFA to demand answers over why it wasn't awarded. Now in his first interview since taking on the position, he has spoken out on it - and says he is waiting for the governing body to come back to him.

He said: "The performances in the SPFL have been really positive, we are scoring, not conceding, of course the Cup Final - I don’t want to dwell on it again, but it could have been such a memorable day. We have a lot to be positive about. The manner which we lost was hard to take, and as I think people will know, I have spoken with the SFA to ask for an explanation about the non-awarding of a penalty in extra-time, so I will wait to hear what the SFA have to say about that."

New chairman Fraser Thornton started his new job on the same day and Stewart says he already has a good working relationship with the man he will be working closely with. He went on: “I have really good discussions with Fraser. I initially spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and we had a good connection. I am excited about Fraser starting. I am meeting him again today and we will dive into lots of different issues.

"In terms of how the roles differ, I guess very high level - Fraser is a non-executive chairman and I am an executive CEO. What that means, is day to day I will be in the club, running the club, looking after operational matters, whereas Fraser is non-exec where he is one step removed. Clearly, whatever I am doing day to day, I have to operate in a framework which is agreed with the board and with Fraser, and I am accountable to the board and to Fraser. But day to day it will be me who is coming into Ibrox, going to Auchenhowie and helping drive the club forward.”