Ex-Rangers chairman Dave King has gone public with his wishes to return to Ibrox as the club’s main custodian.
The Gers’ corporate structure is under intense scrutiny after chairman John Bennett was forced to step down over the weekend due to health reasons.
Everyone associated with the club wishes John, a devout bluenose who remains a key shareholder at Ibrox and someone who has pumped millions into the club, all the best in his recovery.
But the situation leaves the Gers without a chairman and also without a CEO following the departure of James Bisgrove to Saudi Arabia earlier in the summer.
At the same time, Rangers are looking at a season of on-pitch challenges as Old Firm rivals Celtic storm ahead off and on the field.
Dave King – who left his role as Rangers chairman in 2020 and who remains the club’s largest individual shareholder – believes he’s the man to bring stability back on the rocky blue seas of Ibrox.
But following a public appeal to be invited into the boardroom as the good ship Rangers’ new captain, the latest news suggests there’s an ocean between the South Africa-based businessman and the club’s incumbent crew.
Rangers board send firm Dave King chairman message
Dave King started the week by throwing his name in to the hat to become Rangers chairman via an interview with the Rangers Review.
Having taken aim at the ‘virtually non-existent’ corporate structure at Ibrox, King offered his services for a period of two-to-three years in order to rebalance the scales.
The ex-Rangers chairman then went on TalkSPORT to provide further clarity surrounding his approach, King claiming that he wants to implement a more defined structure and source outside investment.
The diehard bluenose also took aim at successor Douglas Park and the misuse of funds over the last three seasons in the process.
This ‘vociferous’ approach – as it was labelled by TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan – was never likely to curry favour in the Ibrox boardroom and so it has reportedly proved.
Writing for the Rangers Review, established journalist Chris Jack claims that there is currently ‘no desire’ to see Dave King return to Ibrox at present.
The report claims that interim chairman John Gilligan – another of the club’s key investors during the 2015 takeover – will continue in charge ‘for as long as is required’.
Instead, the Gers are looking to a recruitment agency to go out and find a new chairman and CEO who can come in and take the club in a more positive, stable direction.
Rangers saw a move for Jim Gillespie collapse last week, the St Mirren vice-chairman and CEO of the Kibble opting not to move to Ibrox to fill the vacant chief executive void.
It’s also said that Philippe Clement – who crashed out of Champions League qualification and who finds himself five points off the top of the Scottish Premiership – retains the ‘full commitment’ of the Ibrox board.
Can Philippe Clement buy Rangers board time?
Rangers fans will be looking at the situation at the top of Ibrox through the cracks in their fingers.
Philippe Clement has had to navigate some serious challenges at the club this summer, with the Copland Stand reconstruction delay coming at the worst possible time.
With the Belgian manager trying to fuse together a new-look, talented young squad, the club was forced to play their opening matches at Hampden Stadium.
The situation with the stadium was cited by King as part of the failure to reach the lucrative Champions League group stages.
Whilst there is cause for some optimism on the park, the Rangers squad does look short in several areas and there are fears a challenging Europa League campaign could stretch it to its limits.
At the same time the expectations of supporters remain as high as ever, with the challenges on the pitch intensifying the scrutiny off it.
If Rangers can build up a head of steam over the period until the next international break it will offer the Gers board some respite as they hunt for Bennett and Bisgrove’s successors.
But should the situation continue into late October and November, questions will be raised about the efficiency of the club’s bumbling leadership which ultimately fumbled the Gers’ brief grip on Scottish football in 2021.
With the Gers set to finally return to Ibrox for this weekend’s Premier Sports Cup clash with Dundee, it’s a positive step in the right direction.
Similarly, the hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Dundee United at ‘bogey ground’ Tannadice provides a solid foundation for the next few weeks.
With the challenges at Rangers on and off the park increasingly apparent, it is crucial for Clement to build on this and to buy some time as the club’s corporate leadership is restructured.
