fans have made a last-ditch appeal to Rangers not to sell Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park to ease the club's financial problems.

The Union Of Fans - an umbrella group comprising six supporters' organisations - has been urging fans to withhold season ticket cash in exchange for guarantees over the stadium and training ground.

Yesterday the club revealed about 17,000 tickets have been sold so far. It plans to launch an £8million share issue to fill a £7m shortfall to meet its spending plans.

In a statement the Union Of Fans said it was obvious supporters had rejected the running of the club by the current board, led by chief executive Graham Wallace.

The 17,000 tickets is about half the number the club sold during the past two seasons.

The statement said: We will now make one final attempt to engage with the board and see if they wish to secure the money committed by providing a legally binding pledge that they will not sell Ibrox or Murray Park."

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