Reasons to be cheerful: Three-way power axis can provide the financial muscle needed to resurrect Rangers

Talk of a tax bill needing to be paid must have sent a shiver down the spines of so many supporters given all the torment they have been through in the last few years.

But I am more optimistic now than I have been for a long time.

The reason? There are three different groups who want to put money in.

The so-called Three Bears - the consortium comprising George Letham, Douglas Park and George Taylor - and Dave King have both bought large chunks of shares.

Together, the lifelong Gers fans now owns nearly 40 per cent of the club.

On top of that, the American financier Robert Sarver, the owner of the Phoenix Suns NBA franchise, is looking to takeover the entire club and has had an £18million bid turned down.

Now that is a big change from before when Rangers were make substantial losses, money was fast running out and nobody wanted to know.

The Three Bears and King aren't going to invest all of that money - around £5million in total - in shares if the club is going to go into administration.

There was speculation about HMRC winding up the company if they didn't receive money that was due to them.

And chief executive Derek Llambias was apparently summoned to Hampden by the SPFL to reassure the governing body the Championship club wasn't going to go out of business.

But that is just not going to happen with so many wealthy and reputable individuals now on the scene.

Anyway, Sandy Easdale only handed over the money for a short period - until the transfer fee from Brentford for Lewis Macleod had been received.

Yes, more money is needed. And quickly. But I just think that things are finally starting to happen.

A group with over 51 per cent of the shares is entitled to ask for an EGM - at which they can appoint their own board.

I know that jointly The Three Bears and King do not own that many shares. But I would think they have the support of enough of their fellow fans and investors to get to that level.

I don't pretend to understand the logistics of the situation fully.

But if somebody is ready and willing to put money into the club then what is the problem?

I am told that Sarver sold the bank he founded for $2billion. And, by all accounts, he is still involved with it in some capacity.

So this is a very, very clever man who has money to spend.

I also saw the clip of him addressing the crowd during a Phoenix Suns basketball match.

The opposition rested half a dozen of their first team players and the fans were far from happy.

So he apologised to them and promised to reimburse them. I thought it was fantastic.

He is clearly somebody who cares about supporters and cares about giving them what they want.

That is the sort of person Rangers need. Mike Ashley has, quite frankly, done little.

The Sports Direct tycoon, it would appear, is interested in making money for his own company.

But now there are some serious players alongside him who weren't there before.

Can Ashley even be a serious player now after the SFA blocked him from increasing his shareholding in the club to 29.9 per cent?

But The Three Bears and Dave King are getting involved because they have a love of Rangers.

Sarver, meanwhile, looks like he is keen to own and run a European football club that has, at some point down the line, the opportunity to play in the Champions League.

So the heat is well and truly on. Matters are going to have to come to a head one way or another.

More money is required by the end of January. Rangers supporters want to see Rangers men who are in there for the long haul and who have the best interests of the Ibrox club at heart.

If the Newcastle United owner was willing to put £20m or £30m into Rangers then I'm sure the supporters wouldn't have minded that.

Ashley was the only show in town a couple of weeks ago.

Now there is a fight for control. Something has to happen one way or another in the weeks ahead.

If it doesn't then the club will run out of money.

A lot of talking has to be done between the club and the three groups who want to cut a deal.

But I think the fans are excited, or at least cautiously optimistic, about the future for the first time in three years.

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