Former Rangers chairman Dave King has refuted the suggestion that there has been any fall-out between himself and the current Ibrox board.
As the South African-based businessman opened up on the high-profile proposed sale of his Rangers shares to Club 1872, King answered questions about his relationship with the Gers board.
This is amid rumours that there had been some kind of a fall-out between the current regime and the businessman as he looks to move on from his time at Rangers.
Speaking exclusively to leading fan media Four Lads Had a Dream, King makes it clear that there is no fall-out between himself and fellow powerbrokers at Ibrox.
However he did reveal that he was not in a financial position to help out those within Rangers during the breakout of the Covid crisis.
“I certainly haven’t heard any rumours in that regard and there has been no fall-out between myself and the board,” King told Four Lads.
“I stepped down at the end of March, which was consistent with the statement that I made at the AGM to step down once we had the funding secured so that the legacy of the financial deficit that I had been party to incurring was properly squared away.
“At the time when I stepped down, I did say that Douglas did ask me at the end of March if I would consider extending my stay on the board to see the club through the Covid crisis.
“I said ‘Douglas, I just can’t do that’. There was an intention, from a board point of view, to keep me on the board a little bit longer.
“But I felt that the Covid crisis was a new crisis and probably best dealt with by those on the ground in Scotland given the travel restrictions.
“It was an issue that the people in Scotland should deal with. Plus, from my own perspective, I had some very challenging, and continue to do, times for my business in South Africa.
“I was not able to agree to the request of the board to extend beyond March.
“I think they were looking at it saying ‘it is another crisis, Dave, can you come and help us out with this?’ I just couldn’t do it, but I don’t think there was any falling out with that. It was just a request from the board that I was unable to comply with.”
King would go on to say there was “absolutely not” an issue between himself and the Board before opening up on his views about the share purchase proposal and the current regime’s take on it.
King is adamant there was no requirement to tell the board prior to the plans going public as it was a “shareholder issue” and maintains he had to keep “confidentiality” between himself and Club 1872.
The South African businessman also believes that the current regime will be “delighted” with the proposals.
“Not only is there not a problem, but I would be very surprised if the Rangers board weren’t delighted at this development,” said King.
“I guess they would have some concern over what was going to happen with my shareholding some time in the future if I wasn’t around.
“I think what this has done is take away a lot of uncertainty and at least the board can now look forward and say ‘well, we now know where Dave’s shares are going to end up’. They are going to end up with the supporters.
“This board certainly is very alert to the fact that supporters have been key in getting the club back to where it is at the moment and very alert to the need to retain a close relationship with supporters and avoid the disconnect we saw from the Ashley/Easdale era.
“So I would be very surprised if any of the board members were not happy and didn’t welcome this initiative from me.”
You can listen to Dave King’s interview with Four Lads Had a Dream in full HERE as the ex-Ibrox chair also puts to bed lingering rumours concerning Rangers’ £25m deal with Castore
