Another bitter Rangers fan.
If we go bust then of course we have to start over from the Third division. It's the rules and I have yet to hear anything from our club to suggest we will cry and moan about a demotion. New club, new start.
There's actually nothing in the rules to say that an SPL club re-formed as a new co would be automatically granted a place in the Third Division. See the example of Gretna: still an SPL club when liquidated, the new co - Gretna 08 - now play in East of Scotland Premier (i.e. the juniors). During last summer's close season, there was a significant delay in the granting of a license to Rangers to play in the Third Division, during which I'm sure some concessions and payments were secured. So there is no guarantee that a new co Hearts will be a senior league team - they could well join Gretna 08 in the juniors.
Not sure how "karma is a *****" though? You were rightly demoted.
I'm not sure that you are correct. There is no such thing as "demotion to the Third is punishment for liquidation". It simply does not exist. The rationale behind Rangers going into the Third Division was that they were a new business entity and thus a new club. As a new club, Rangers would have to start from the bottom. But there is no pyramid system in Scottish football, and there were plenty of junior clubs eager to take up the vacant spot in the league - notably Spartans and Forres Mechanics. Rangers did not start from scratch: they were parachuted into the Third division. Whilst Rangers were no doubt glad not to have to play in the juniors, it does undermine the notion that a new club has to start from the bottom. If it was acceptable to parachute new co Rangers into the Third, why was it not acceptable to parachute them into the Premier, or the First?
But, the stated reason for Rangers going into the Third is that they were a new club - even if financial concerns persuaded the league that Rangers would bring more money to the league than, say, Spartans. But new co Rangers have also been made liable for debts owed by the old co to other football clubs - transfer money to Hearts, gate money to Dundee United, legal bill handed out by the SPL for investigating the dual contracts, etc. So Rangers are a new co for the purposes of league position, but are also the old co whenever someone hits them up for money.
It might be a blessing though, starting over debt free with a squad of young players and a strong following would mean steady profits year in and out.
There would also be considerably less income. Rangers can sustain the loss of TV money because they have 40,000+ fans at every home game. Also, whilst it is assumed that Rangers will achieve promotion in every consecutive season - the same result is much less likely for a new co Hearts. They could be in the lower divisions for a very long time.