Dundee United have become the second club to announce that they will vote against Rangers' bid to re-enter the Scottish Premier League.

Rangers 'newco' need the support of seven rival clubs to secure their place in next season's top flight when the matter is put to the vote on July 4.

Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov previously confirmed that the Edinburgh club will be voting against the Ibrox outfit's appeal, describing the club's former owners as the "football mafia".

United chairman Stephen Thompson was inundated with letters from fans stating that they will not be renewing their season tickets if he votes in favour of Rangers' reinstatement.

Thompson met with fan representatives after season ticket sales saw a year-on-year decline of 2,600, confirming after the meeting that he will not be backing the newco club.

"The club's position on how we will vote was substantiated by the viewpoint of the various supporters groups," said a United spokesperson.

"The board of directors of Dundee United are unequivocal in the belief that a form of sporting punishment must form part of the reasoning behind any decision made and, therefore, cannot vote the newco into the SPL.

"General sporting integrity and, more importantly, the integrity of Scottish football must also play a significant part in the decision making process.

"It is our belief that any form of sporting punishment must be unambiguous in the message it displays.

"The board of directors will act in the best interest of Dundee United and our supporters and Scottish football on this matter."

Motherwell have announced that they will hold a fan ballot to establish how they should vote, while other SPL clubs such as Kilmarnock and Inverness Caledonian Thistle have expressed concerns about the financial impact of a league without Rangers.