Dundee chief John Nelms attempted to offer rival clubs sweetheart deals after his SPFL voting U-turn.
Record Sport has seen an email sent by one leading SPFL chief executive to another, outlining the controversial dealings of the Dens powerbroker over the weekend.
It includes details of a plan by Nelms to cut prize money to rival clubs, including neighbours Dundee United, and distribute it to sides facing the drop from League One and the Championship.
Nelms also dangles the carrot of friendlies against top-flight clubs – and claims he has already arranged a match against one of the “big hitters”.
Dundee secretary Eric Drysdale sent his club’s ‘no’ vote to the SPFL offices shortly before 5pm on Friday but league bosses insist it didn’t arrive until later in the evening.
In the meantime, Nelms was alerted by the SPFL and told them not to consider his club’s vote cast. It would have led to the defeat of a resolution to call time on the season and distribute prize money to clubs.
Nelms contacted another SPFL chief executive by telephone the following day, Saturday, and outlined the pressures he was put under the night before when it became clear his vote was still up for grabs. Nelms said he had already been contacted by “five teams [who] were quite vociferous around approving the resolution”.
The SPFL club chief executive claims Nelms told him he was trying to broker a deal that would see prize money to promoted clubs Dundee United and Raith Rovers cut and offered to relegated outfits, particularly Partick Thistle and Stranraer.
The email, sent on Saturday evening, added that Nelms appeared to be trying to “negotiate percentages of league fees from teams that may be promoted... to offer to relegated clubs”.
Nelms also appeared to offer the chance to play lucrative pre-season friendlies with top-flight clubs and even claimed one had already agreed to a match at Dens when football starts again.
The chief executive’s email added: “Also pre-season friendlies with ‘big hitters’ then added that one top-flight outfit 'were coming to him [Nelms] this year.’”
Nelms did not respond to a request for comment.
