Soccer:The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has announced that it will conduct a full independent inquiry into the activities of Rangers.

The governing body will investigate whether there have been any potential breaches of its Articles of Association.

The SFA said attempts to obtain information relating to its “fit and proper person” requirement — regarding Rangers owner Craig Whyte — have been restricted by the club’s solicitors’ failure to share information.

An SFA statement read: “We are concerned by the developing situation at the club and the new information that has come to light since the appointment of the club administrators, Duff and Phelps.

“The chairman and his panel will be briefed by the chief executive, Stewart Regan, next week and will consult further with the administrators, Duff and Phelps, as part of their inquiry.

“We have been guaranteed full co-operation by Paul Clark, representing the company.

“The Scottish FA’s previous efforts in obtaining information relevant to the fit and proper person requirement has been restricted by the club’s solicitors’ continued failure to share information in a timely or detailed manner.

“We now feel there is no option but to undertake an independent inquiry to establish the clear facts and to determine the extent of any possible rules breaches.”

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said they had “no option but to appoint an independent committee to investigate a number of concerns”.

He added: “We expect the investigation to be concluded as quickly as possible and will confirm the outcome in due course.

“We will be making no further comment on the investigation in the meantime.

“Finally, I would like to reiterate the need to learn the lessons from this unedifying episode.

“It is essential that we work together to improve the overall sustainability and competitiveness of the game in this country.”