[h=1]
An End To Hostilities[/h]
October 26, 2014October 26, 2014 /
billmcmurdo / The Ibrox Boardroom Wars are over.
For the second year in a row the rebels have been sent packing, though this time on a much more permanent basis. After months of hype, the Fight of the Century was all over in a flash. Dave King was fast off the blocks after the bell sounded with his bid but then The Haymaker finished him off with one knockout punch. Mike Ashley, as predicted by yours truly, has sent Dave King to sleep through better tactics and much stronger firepower.
Reports say that Mike Ashley’s loan to Rangers is only about £2-3 million, probably lower than Brian Kennedy’s last-minute offer and way less than King’s “rescue” package. But it’s not the what that matters, it’s the who. By this I mean that Ashley is a giant compared to both King and Kennedy. He is now effectively the lender of last resort to Rangers and he has pockets so deep you could lose his rivals in them. In essence, if Rangers need cash to see them through these choppy and challenging waters, Ashley will supply it. Far easier than emergency share issues or begging bowls to “Rangers men” and other lenders.
The need for emergency funding will be much less pressing because Ashley will supply two board members to do what others failed to do and that is run a tight ship financially. Graham Wallace was brought in to do just that but failed to do so, I am told, on an epic level.
On top of this there is talk of a new share issue which Ashley will underwrite and that will provide substantial funds as Rangers seek to get back into top tier football. The worry for fans is that Ashley will not be a custodian at Rangers but rather someone who bleeds the club dry. This is understandable but the propaganda from the defeated King camp is on overdrive right now saying this very thing. Whilst caution should be exercised by the support, this should not deter Gers fans from getting behind the new Ashley regime at Ibrox.
Detractors of Ashley are keen to cite the so-called 10% barrier imposed by the SFA on the tycoon’s shareholding at Ibrox. My own understanding is that this figure is arbitrary and thus very likely flexible. It would be a very brave but foolish legislator at Hampden who tried to turn away someone who was willing to invest substantial money in a Scottish club at this time when the game is crying out for funding.
I would also not be surprised to see the chairpersons of Premiership clubs declaring staunch backing for this rule to be scrapped if it meant it hindered Rangers’ progrees back to the top flight. As I blogged recently, SPFL Premiership clubs are in a state of near panic at the prospect of Rangers spending another year in the Championship. The lunatic fringe at Ibrox will continue to try and agitate against the Ashley regime but a few well-chosen bans on certain people will help solve that problem. The rebel opposition is expected to fade away, especially as fans see stability and progress replacing the times of uncertainty they have had to endure recently.
It all looks rosy for Rangers Football Club at present, after long, arduous battles.
However, it all hinges on one critical factor and that is the intent of Mike Ashley himself. If he wants to enhance his profile and achieve a level of respectability which is still perhaps beyond him, he can do so by throwing away the Newcastle scarf and putting on a blue blazer.
I have two things to say openly on this blog to Mike Ashley. Firstly, smarten yourself up if you are going to sit in the Directors Box. Button your top button and get a blazer on. Rangers is not Newcastle. Secondly, don’t even think of messing the Rangers fans about. Again, Rangers is not Newcastle. Other than that, welcome to The Famous Glasgow Rangers!
