FORMER Rangers chairman Malcolm Murray today claimed the Ibrox club has "gigantic" potential - if the bitter boardroom power struggle can be settled.

And he suggested the warring factions were stopping the club from rivalling Manchester United on the global football stage.

He said: "Rangers are gigantic. One of the reasons I was asked to become chairman by the institutions was that I was Manchester United's biggest shareholder. When I bought a quarter of Man United it was almost exactly the same size as Rangers are now. And it has turned out to be a giant global brand."

Murray is among a group of concerned shareholders, backed by wealthy entrepreneur Jim McColl, who are

trying to seize control of the stricken Glasgow giants.

He will have his name put forward for election to the board at the AGM, along with Paul Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson, after taking successful legal action against the current directors. However, the city businessman has been frustrated that no alternative date for an AGM has been set by remaining board members James Easdale and Brian Stockbridge.

Because he firmly believes that the potential for growth, both on and off the park, at Rangers is massive if stability upstairs at the Govan club can be achieved.

"If you put Rangers and Celtic together, the globalisation is fantastic. At the moment we are in a small position.

"We are acting as a domestic brand. But these are genuinely global."

Over 35,000 Rangers supporters have bought season tickets for Ibrox once again this season despite the fact that Ally McCoist's team is playing in SPFL League One.

And Murray believes that incredible fan base - one of the largest in Britain - underlines what the Glasgow club can achieve once they eventually return to the top flight.

He said: "If you look at the stats, last year, and this is one of the few things I agree with Charles Green on, our crowds were regularly the fourth biggest in Britain with only Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester United ahead of them.

"The fans are watching a slightly lower level at the moment. Goodness knows what will happen when they get back to the top, which is inevitable."

Speaking to TalkSPORT, Murray added: "What is going on is not encouraging, but the end of the tunnel is encouraging. I am at most games and speak to fans leaders all the time.

"The fans have been fantastic. "What the group that I am involved in with Paul Murray is trying to do is change the board, create total transparency so that there are no secrets, where every door is open.

"It is not about me. I really enjoy being in my own seat. We want to get the commercial contracts optimised.

"We want big names on the shirt. And financial transparency is one of the biggest things we want."