Investor count now 'five or six' says Green Gers fans welcome promise of season ticket price freeze

PROSPECTIVE Rangers owner Charles Green has revealed only "five or six" people have invested in his consortium aiming to buy the club.

Loading Comments
Share
Print

Green yesterday held showdown talks with the Scottish Football Association and Scottish Premier League.

He also met with representatives of the various Rangers supporters' organisations and members of prominent websites in a meeting lasting more than 90 minutes.

But he again refused to reveal the names of the other members of his consortium, who have entered into a binding agreement with administrators Duff and Phelps for the purchase of the financially stricken Gers.

It had been thought the English businessman, a former chief executive of Football League club Sheffield United, was the figurehead of a group of 20 investors willing to put their money into Rangers.

But while the group has a pot of "over £20million" set aside, the number of potential investors is far less than initially understood.

Former Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd and Mike McDonald, with whom Green worked at Sheffield, have been linked with a place in the consortium.

But the Yorkshireman has again opted not to divulge the identities of those behind his plan to rescue Rangers, although he did state that neither Shepherd nor McDonald had put his money on the table as yet.

Green also revealed the deal struck by disgraced chairman Craig Whyte with Ticketus, which saw the London-based firm pay Whyte £27m in exchange for thousands of season tickets at Ibrox in the coming years, had been terminated, with the Gers now owing them money rather than match briefs.

It means Ticketus will join Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and thousands of other creditors awaiting a draft CVA from Green as he bids to strike a pence-in-the-pound deal to stave off liquidation.

The Englishman reiterated that he had met with Whyte on three ocassions, with the documents signed that will see the Motherwell businessman transfer his shares to Green as he bids to complete his takeover of the club, with a share flotation also likely to be on the cards.

There was good news for Rangers fans, with Green confirming he will not implement a rise in the cost of season tickets for the new campaign.

With the club at war with the SFA and its place in the Scottish Premier League next term still undecided, any plans to hike the price of tickets would have further alienated the fanbase.

And Mark Dingwall of the Rangers Supporters Trust is pleased the prospective Gers owner is taking the concerns of fans on board.

He told the Evening Times: "I think that [freezing the season ticket cost] is very sensible in the circumstances.

"When he canvassed the fans at the meeting it was universal that that was the preferred course of action and he has listened to them.

"He wouldn't say who the investors were. He seems to be keeping his cards close to his chest.

"I think people gave him a fair hearing. People asked questions and he gave answers to them.

"The one thing he didn't give an answer to was the identity of potential investors.

"Obviously, people are apprehensive about that. Trust has to be built up.

"As someone said, we have been twice bitten so we will be twice shy. He has got a job to do to get people on board.

"What we have always argued is that the fans are the biggest investor in Rangers so it is sensible for any prospective owner to listen to what the fans have got to say.

"Not just pay lip service to them, but to listen to what they have got to say."

'

'

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on Evening Times on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

96755

Have you got a story?

Contact the news desk on 0141 302 6520 or email news@eveningtimes.co.uk

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Latest looks and shopping news

Latest looks and shopping news

Fashion

In our new blog, FFS - For Fashion's Sake, Rachel Loxton explains why The Great Gatsby look is dead

Services
Ask the Doctor - Help and advice about medical problems from Dr George Crooks

Ask the Doctor

Help and advice about medical problems from Dr George Crooks

Pothole Watch - Keeping you up to date with all the latest stories, photos and comments on Glasgow’s pesky potholes

Sinking streets:

Pothole Watch

Keeping you up to date with all the latest stories, photos and comments on Glasgow’s pesky potholes

Laying down the Law - Ask Austin Lafferty for legal advice on everything from debt to divorce

Laying down the Law

Ask Austin Lafferty for legal advice on everything from debt to divorce