John Bennett has resigned as chairman of Rangers with immediate effect due to health reasons, the club have now confirmed.
The 61-year-old has stepped down from the role he took up in April 2023 and has told Rangers he feels it is ‘time to step away’ as chairman as a result of health issues.
The Athletic broke the story first, reporting that Bennett was set to step down and that there was no ‘immediate plan’ at the moment to appoint a successor at Ibrox.
Well, it has now been confirmed that former director John Gilligan will take up the chairman role until a permanent successor is found.
The Athletic stated that they contacted Rangers directly on Friday evening as well as approaching senior sources close to the club to either confirm or deny the shocking development.
Bennett was previously vice-chairman of the Light Blues before replacing Douglas Park as chairman just before Celtic wrapped up the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership title.
Under Bennett’s stewardship as chairman, Gers have won just one trophy – that being the Viaplay Cup last year which was also manager Philippe Clement’s first major honour at Rangers.
However, Bennett’s history with Rangers stretches back to 2015 when he joined the Board of the Govan giants after Mike Ashley and his regime left.
Bennett has pumped millions of pounds out of his own pockets into the club he supports but bar covering a number of financial losses since 2015, his investment hasn’t proved very fruitful.
Certainly on the park, with Rangers struggling to wrestle back control of the Scottish domestic landscape from a dominant Celtic team, who are also performing way better as a club off the park.
Bennett’s July Rangers interview revisited
Here’s what Bennett had to say in the summer, among many other topics, about Philippe Clement’s leadership at the club.
Bennett told fans that he wanted to ‘end the years of rinse and repeat’ at Rangers. He told Rangers TV: “I think Philippe brought a lot of things, a lot of the right things.
“It’s maybe unfair or wrong or you’re going to miss certain other points or words or strengths if you only mention one or two.
“Leadership, which is crucial, vision, and he’s all-in, Philippe like a number of us, is all-in on this.
“And when I say he’s all in, I’ve been struck by something that I completely endorse that he’s said only recently and he’s been very, very clear. And that’s regarding the player trading model, transfers if you like.
“When Philippe’s been asked in the media about the recruitment strategy he’s nailed it and we endorse it. And that is recruiting for the long term as well as for the short term.
“He’s gone further than that and if I can paraphrase him, recruiting only for the short term has caused problems historically.
“I completely endorse that, even to the point to say that lessons, and at times brutal lessons, have been learned. While I am chairman I want to end the years of rinse and repeat.
“And I think you know what I’m talking about, by October there are big changes at the club, hugely damaging at every level.
“That must end, we must all be all-in. Philippe’s all-in, we’re all aligned and we have to deliver, that very tricky challenge we have to rise to.”
