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Rangers: Craig Mather defiant over move to oust him

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments51

Rangers manager Ally McCoist (left) and chief executive Craig Mather

Rangers chief executive Craig Mather has issued a statement in response to "the recent frenzy" surrounding the club.

The chief executive said supporters were aware of those "trying to grab pieces of their club" and seize power.

"But we will not be defeated, I certainly won't," he told the Rangers website.

Among those requesting a general meeting of shareholders is former Ibrox director Paul Murray, who is also seeking a place on the board.

A statement to the London Stock Exchange confirms the request and a proposal to get rid of Mather, Brian Stockbridge and Bryan Smart.

"Rangers fans are well aware that there have been various people trying to grab pieces of their club for years now and to force themselves into positions of power," said the chief executive.

"However, all they have ever done and continue to do is have a negative effect when I and the other directors are trying to focus totally on taking Rangers back to the pinnacle of Scottish football.

"It is a difficult task and yet again we are seeing people attempting to make it impossible.

"But we will not be defeated, I certainly won't, and we will meet this latest ill-considered and ill-timed challenge head on."

Mather said he and the rest of the Ibrox board were fully behind manager Ally McCoist.

Former chief executive Charles Green has returned to Ibrox as a consultant to the company to help "promote the interests" of the club.

Mather was given the chief executive officer's role on a permanent basis last month, following Green's departure. His annual salary of £500,000 is believed to have angered some within the club.

The chief executive added: "I urge all of our fans not to listen to rhetoric or empty promises and continue to support the manager and those of us who do genuinely have Rangers' best interests at heart.

"Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including Charles Green. But what I want to make clear is this: backing the manager and the playing staff in their quest to restore Rangers' fortunes is critical to our ambitions."

Non-executive directors Malcolm Murray and Phil Cartmell left the board last month, with James Easdale joining in the same capacity.

Malcolm Murray had been installed as chairman by Green and the pension fund manager survived several attempts to oust him from his position before stepping aside in late May, allowing former manager Walter Smith to take over as non-executive chairman.

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51 comments

  • Comment posted by User0658675588, at 17:00 3 Aug 2013

    Rangers is either still being run incredibly badly or someone is syphoning money out of the club. Even with the wages they are allegedly paying it is inconceivable that they can be losing £1m a month when they have nearly 40,000 season ticket holders.

  • Comment posted by User0910411581, at 16:34 3 Aug 2013

    All I want to do is show up and support my club. I'm getting sick and tired of the same old dubious characters sniffing around waiting for the time they can pounce and get a bit of extra cash for themselves at the expense of the football and the fans.

  • Comment posted by User0415245618, at 16:30 3 Aug 2013

    Not every Rangers fan sings born to reign over us I'm Scottish and I support Scottish football we need all our clubs to be strong financially so that we can have good competitive leagues not the bitching nor sly digs snide comments about other clubs that's why Scottish Football is in the state it is in it start's from the fans and we get what we deserve

  • Comment posted by educationhardknocks, at 16:25 3 Aug 2013

    This is desperately sad.

    All involved seem to prioritise Money then Rangers then Football. The height of their ambition seems to be a return to the same old debt fuelled struggle to field a team that can beat Celtic in a few years time.

  • Comment posted by Jota180, at 17:06 3 Aug 2013

    #9 you can think what you like but the backing from gers fans for Craig Whyte when the BBC did their expose was overwhelming. They kept lapping up the watp bullmud coming from him and then from Green and seemed incapable of seeing the light.. Murray previously too. Fiver for every tenner nonsense.

  • Comment posted by Melbourne1872, at 15:14 3 Aug 2013

    Yeaahhhhh, so if everyone could just shut up and stop embarrassing the club with very public internal warfare every other week, that would be great. This boardroom merry-go-round - with some very suspicious characters involved - is getting very, very old.

    Mather is CEO. Unless other people are willing to put their money where their mouth is - then shut up, and back off.

  • Comment posted by User0262675359, at 15:30 3 Aug 2013

    I think you may find he get's no where near the 500K salary you suggest. I also think Mather is doing a very good job in dificult conditions. But as he says turning the clubs fortunes around is a top priority.

  • Comment posted by Socialism is the only answer, at 19:34 3 Aug 2013

    AMcC speaking after the Forfar defeat on the return of CG.
    "I'll tell you, that would be bad luck - to have the worst Rangers team in history and the worst chief executive in history at the same time. That's downright bad luck."

  • Comment posted by User0722826456, at 15:50 3 Aug 2013

    He can make his case at the shareholders meeting.

    However since he was involved in Charles Green's return to the club, I don't see him being all that popular.

  • Comment posted by ToonToon, at 10:05 4 Aug 2013

    An absolute disgrace that Rangers FC is being run by power hungry self serving vultures.
    Probably the worst run boys/ "gentlemans" club in the world ?!
    Ally McCoist does not look good in this shambolic set up either.
    To slate Green after getting beat by Forfar is just downright pathetic and brings into question his managerial abilities on and off the park.

  • Comment posted by User0830077009, at 20:53 3 Aug 2013

    No one will invest further in this shambles and its now open internal warfare between the different factions with some serious questions being asked by institutional investors about transparency and financial governance. What can supporters do? Well the trust and the associations are quick enough to to make statements about everyone else in Scottish football, why not about the boardroom antics?

  • Comment posted by User0868011903, at 08:11 5 Aug 2013

    Sevco/The Rangers or whatever they are called look set to implode now that Chuckles is back on the scene. Although, as the single biggest individual shareholder and the man who appointed most of the current board of directors he is only trying to protect his investment. Goodbye Ally and Walter - it's been a hoot! Now watch as ticket prices soar and Murray Park is sold off to raise revenue.

  • Comment posted by thequarryman, at 19:26 4 Aug 2013

    Unless Rangers sort out this in fighting they are destined to stay in the doldrums, no club that is at loggerheads at the top can ever succeed on the field - this has been proved time and time again.
    Such a shame to see a great British institution in this mess - I suggest all those involved before disapear and let the new guys run the club. I am a Leeds fan and we know!!!!!

  • Comment posted by User0513558117, at 11:47 5 Aug 2013

    Charles Green vs Super Ally - who do we want? It's time to stop listening to Mr Green, Super Ally's interview on Saturday is the best thing that any Rangers fan has said in the past year. It was unfortunate it came after a defeat but it needed said. Let's all remind Mr Green that he has nothing to offer us and that he's only a shareholder, his say is a lot less important than what we the fans say

  • Comment posted by Jota180, at 15:51 3 Aug 2013

    Pays tax? What's this novel new thing from The Rangers? lol.

    Generally speaking, when you talk about people's salary it's pre tax salary.

    Green has been levered in by the majority shareholder group he represents and we're now going to be treated to open warfare as all sides battle for The Rangers and who gets the right to milk it for all it's worth.

    I imagine fans have no idea who to trust.

  • Comment posted by Gary H, at 12:47 5 Aug 2013

    I'm a celtic fan and find this story really sad. Sick of seeing football being run and influenced by people who's only interest in the club is their own. I'm sure Ally and Walter have the club's best interests at heart and it would be naive at best for Mr Green and co to think that Rangers fans will take all this lying down....and rightly so.

  • Comment posted by User0429916716, at 16:13 3 Aug 2013

    Just how are Rangers affording to pay the wages they are , rumour has it they are losing 1 million pound a month , will they be liquidated again ?

  • Comment posted by User0316431426, at 16:25 3 Aug 2013

    "An occasional disgrace and a permanent embarrassment", has always summed them up nicely.

  • Comment posted by User0916458582, at 15:48 3 Aug 2013

    @3 of course he doesnt get anywhere near £500k, he pays 40% tax on it so he's lucky to clear £300k

  • Comment posted by Socialism is the only answer, at 10:29 5 Aug 2013

    @43 that's because most of the GFC fans are being rather shy on this subject. Hiding in fact. What is your opinion on the story? Are GFC a shambles, an embarrassment or a menagerie?

    Come, come we await your answer, your chance to shine.

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