Interim Rangers chairman John Gilligan has been speaking to the press as the challenges continue at the top of the Ibrox club.
The Ibrox investor has taken over from John Bennett at the helm of Rangers and conducted a press conference as he looks to shift the focus away from manager Philippe Clement.
The Rangers boss hinted last week that there would be a change in approach at the club and so it has proven as Gilligan faced the press.
Here are the big takeaways as the Rangers chairman provided an update on the club’s hunt for a new CEO, Dave King’s controversial comments and the gap between the Old Firm in Scotland.
Full credit to the Rangers Review for their recording of the press conference, which has provided the quotes for this article.
CEO a priority with Gilligan staying put
John Gilligan has been appointed Rangers chairman on an interim basis after John Bennett stepped down from his role.
The question then becomes just how long will the Ibrox shareholder be at the club’s helm.
It’s clear the Gers believe this is a short-term fix, with Gilligan suggesting that the process of hiring a CEO and a new chairman will be complete in a matter of months.
“I’ll stay on as long as required,” said Gilligan. “But the priority is to get a chief executive and we’re working on that right away.
“I can stay on indefinitely, but I’m expecting a few months and a chairman would come in too.”
The new Rangers chairman then went on to discuss the club’s hunt for a new CEO, with Gilligan’s Ibrox mandate to deliver the ideal candidate.
As a result there was much said about the sort of candidate Rangers are hoping to recruit, with a reported pursuit of St Mirren vice-chair Jim Gillespie collapsing at the final moments.
“The person we need needs to be multi-faceted,” said Gilligan. “They need to be good at everything.
“But it needs to be an assertive character and we’re looking much more to support the CEO with the chairman.
“The CEO would have a lot of power day-to-day, the chairman would be slightly behind that.”
When asked about the search, Gilligan said: “We’re moving quickly on it.”
Similarly, Gilligan claimed that it’s ‘possible’ that a non-executive chairman separate from the current board could be appointed.
Rangers do however have an ideal candidate in mind, with Gilligan listing the attributes that the new CEO must bring to the role.
“They need to have a strong business acumen, knowledge, experience,” Gilligan said.
“They need to have run businesses where there is pressure and they need to deliver.
“It can’t be a comfortable business because the stress and pressure of a football club is very big.
“They need to be a good communicator and good at getting to people.
“They need to have a tremendous work ethic, because it goes without saying it’s unbelievably difficult.
“And last it needs to be a good person, I like decent people.”
There were also some questions about potentially recruiting outside of football, something Gilligan was not so keen to endorse.
The interim Rangers chairman is clear that nothing is off the table, but when it comes to going outside of the football world to find a suitable option, a candidate would need to blow the club’s board away.
The Rangers chairman also responded to questions about Scottish Rugby’s challenging search for a new CEO.
“It would need to be exceptional,” said Gillian. “When you’re recruiting you’re looking at four or five must-haves, and that’s not really a must-have, but it’s pretty close.
“But if someone exceptional appeared. I think if they didn’t have an interest or an understanding of football, it’s difficult.
“This is Rangers Football Club. With respect to the other sports it’s the dominant sport in the country and much more attractive.
“As a golfer, not as a rugby player, I accept that. We would expect to attract a top level candidate.”
Gilligan finished the press conference by saying the club’s executive team is in ‘a strong place’.
The Rangers chairman also said he was ‘honoured’ to take on the role at the top of the club, even on an interim basis, but joked that his wife wasn’t so delighted.
“Honoured,” said Gilligan when asked about taking the role as chairman. “Mrs Gilligan is not too happy but we’ll not say too much about that.
“I’m honoured and it’s a privilege. I’m delighted to come in after John had to step away, because he’s a personal friend, and I know that I can help.
“I wear two hats, I’m a supporter and I’m the chairman.
“Now I’m the chairman I have to take the supporter hat off and focus on the job.”
Rangers board insist there is a plan at Ibrox
Before we go deeper into the comments of Dave King regarding Rangers’ leadership, one of the biggest accusations levelled at the current board surrounds the perceived lack of planning.
With James Bisgrove’s departure to Saudi leaving the club in the lurch, Rangers have been scrambling amid the Copland Stand works and a challenging start to the season.
Despite this, Gilligan reassured fans that there is a coherent plan in Govan, even if he didn’t want to divulge any details.
“There is a plan,” said Gilligan. “I am here to bring stability to that and enforcement to that plan.
“We’ve been distracted terribly by having to play at Hampden for a few months and a lot of people forget that the original objective here was to create a great facility for our disabled supporters.
“It wasn’t a renovation, it wasn’t a reconstruction, that was the objective.
“Unfortunately the timing was wrong, we got that part of it wrong and we had to go to Hampden.
“The position’s in place, the manager’s in place, January will be January and we’re ready to keep going.
“We see some fruits of the labour now with some of the young players that are coming through and that we’ve signed.
“I’m just here to bring stability and help recruit the CEO.”
The decision-making at Board level has also come in for substantial scrutiny in the last few seasons, but Gilligan has defended the club’s recent record.
Whilst the interim chairman acknowledges that there have been ‘bad’ decisions, Gilligan was also insistent that there are a lot of good things happening too.
“Decisions have been made, good, bad, and things evolve from the decisions that are made,” said Gilligan.
“It’s only fair to say we are where we are, but there’s a lot of great things happening too.”
Quarrelsome Dave King offered extensive Ibrox rebuttal
Dave King courted controversy when he went public with his demands to be reinstated as Rangers chairman earlier in the month.
The Ibrox side’s biggest single shareholder, the decision to go public caused a storm amongst Rangers supporters and has polarised the Ibrox support ever since.
Criticising the pre-existing structure at Ibrox and the incumbent board, Gilligan insists King’s approach is all wrong and that for the time being, there is no appetite for the ex-Rangers chair to return.
What’s more, Gilligan invited King to compile a dossier and send it to the Rangers board for their consideration.
“Dave’s a major shareholder and he can say whatever he wishes to say,” said Gilligan.
“My view is it’s a wee bit unrealistic because Dave’s a real businessman, he knows how shareholdings work, and he’s a 15% shareholder, our directors are 10, 12, 13% shareholders, it’s unrealistic.
“It’s a wee bit unrealistic because EGMs are invariably called by people who wish to change something.
“So the current board don’t wish to change so why would we call an EGM?
“I think he’s got it wrong.
“I think it’s unfair. What exactly is he saying is not good? What exactly is he saying is going wrong?
“Give us a plan. If Dave had some terrific plan to tell me where we’ll all going wrong we would read that plan and we would consider it.”
King also compared the current situation at Rangers to that of 2015, when the businessman launched a takeover at Rangers alongside many of the club’s main shareholders.
Gilligan was asked about these comparisons, and whether King’s approach could destabilise the boardroom, with the Ibrox chairman branding the suggestion ‘ridiculous’.
“It’s almost ridiculous to compare it,” said Gilligan. “It’d make me cry rather than laugh.
“Fifteen years ago you can’t describe how low we were and what we inherited in terms of all sorts of aspects of the club.
“It’s unrecognisable since that day.
“Every day at Rangers Football Club is a challenge, the expectation is enormous and as a fan I’m part of that problem.
“But it’s just ridiculous to compare it.
“It’s only destabilising if the people who are the major shareholders and operating the business don’t have a plan and we don’t have people in place to execute it.
“We have had some difficulties recently with the stadium and things but destabilising, not particularly.
“Dave’s entitled to say what he wants, it’s a free world, but I don’t feel destabilised at all, no.”
Gilligan also says he has ‘no idea’ what King is referring too with regards criticism of hiring outside consultants in the recruitment process.
When asked about King returning to the club as chairman, Gilligan insists that there is ‘just no appetite’ to see the shareholder back.
The Rangers chairman also urged the South Africa-based businessman to stop his public campaign to mount a coup on the Ibrox boardroom.
“Do I wish he would stop? Yes,” said Gilligan. “I’d just say, Dave, please, take it below the radar.
“Really, behave like a proper shareholder and don’t do what you’re doing.
“But it’s just a shame because he’s a great character and he had a massive influence on the club at the time and I’ll always respect him.
“I haven’t spoken to Dave. Dave gave me one of the happiest days of my life when he asked me to join him ten years ago.
“I’ll never forget it, never forget it.”
Gilligan discusses ‘considerable’ Rangers Celtic gap
John Gilligan was also pressed on the financial and playing gap between Rangers and Old Firm rivals Celtic.
The Parkhead side humbled Rangers in the first Old Firm derby of the season whilst Celtic’s repeated Champions League qualifications and superior player trading model has them ahead of their eternal rivals on and off the park.
But calmly defiant, Gilligan insists what he believes is a ‘considerable’ gap is not unbridgeable with Champions League football and player trading success key to the club’s aims.
“History tells you that happens,” said Gilligan. “Sometimes we’re ahead, sometimes Celtic are ahead.
“At the moment we’re chasing. There’s no argument there. I’m not stupid enough to say otherwise.
“But we’ll keep chasing, we’ll be there.
“Player trading is the biggest success and qualification for the Champions League.
“It’s a kind of catch 22. Player trading gets you income, Champions League gets you income, if you fail to get it it’s difficult.
“Scottish football’s level of TV sponsorship etc, you can’t compare it to England.
“It’s always a challenge, of course it is, but it’s all about the squad, bringing in players, winning your matches and moving forward.”
Pressed on Dave King’s claims that Rangers need fresh investment of £50m to catch Celtic, Gilligan was coy.
Claiming that it’s impossible to put a number on the investment needed, the Rangers chairman insists things can change ‘quite quickly’.
“I don’t think you can put a number on it,” said Gilligan. “The gap at the moment is considerable.
“But you just have to win your games, get back challenging for the top spot and if we get into the level of Europe that we hope to get into, then the gap can change quite quickly.”
Rangers set for fresh investment
Gilligan was also asked about fresh investment coming into Rangers off the back of Dave King’s £50m claims.
King had suggested that Douglas Park turned down feasible US investment from the much-publicised Kyle Fox-led consortium.
Gilligan insists that the current Rangers investors are ready to once again go to the well for the club as they look to ‘chase’ down Celtic.
The Rangers chairman also insists that the club are open to all and any investment, but that they categorically do not want any one party owning a majority shareholding.
“There is fresh investment coming into the club,” said Gilligan.
“But in fairness Dave is talking about fresh investment but he doesn’t want to invest so I’m not quite sure where he means the investment is going to come from.”
When asked if there would fresh investment, Gilligan responded directly: “Yes there will be.
“The current investors have invested considerably over the years and are willing to do so again.
“We are open to anyone who approaches us with investment, as you would be.
“We get approaches from all over the world from various sources but it has to be the right people, it has to be the right conditions and it has to be for the right amount of shares.
“We don’t want one person owning the club.”
Rangers thank SPFL on return to Ibrox
Rangers and the SPFL haven’t always seen eye-to-eye but John Gilligan took the opportunity to thank two controversial characters in the recent history of Ibrox.
With the Gers locked out of their home stadium, the club had to start the season at Hampden Stadium, something which would not have been possible without support from the authorities.
Whilst Gilligan is delighted to be back at the club’s spiritual home, the new Gers chair paid tribute to Mike Mulraney and Neil Doncaster for their support in the switch to Hampden.
“I think it’ll be huge,” said Gilligan when asked about the return to Ibrox. “But winning on the pitch always does everything.
“It’s been a real tough time.
“I have to thank Mike Mulvaney and Neil Doncaster at the SFA and the SPFL for helping us and allowing us to play at Hampden.
“Because that was a big thing for us, there’s nowhere else big enough for us.
“But this is home and we’re back home so it’s phenomenal the difference.”
Gilligan also claimed local authority approval on the Copland Stand – which positions Rangers and Ibrox as a leader in disability inclusivity – is now ‘imminent’.
Philippe Clement has backing of Rangers board
There was also time for John Gilligan to discuss the situation on the park and talk about Rangers manager Philippe Clement.
The Belgian boss has had to front up much of the off-field drama this season already and Gilligan was asked about the club’s support of the ex-AS Monaco manager.
It is clear that Clement commands huge respect at Rangers with Gilligan branding Clement ‘impressive’ following a meeting last week.
The Gers boss has also pledged to support Clement with stronger communications from the hierarchy of the club to help share the burden of responsibilities with the press.
“I was very impressed with the manager,” said Gilligan. “We had quite a long talk with myself and George Letham.
“Very impressive. The long and short of it is I don’t talk about the football myself, as much as I want to.
“The manager is in charge. We’re here to operate the business, the manager is supported to operate the training academy and football club side of things.
“We’ll never interfere in that.
“One thing I will say to you guys is that the manager has been put forward as the kind of spokesperson for the club, which has put him under undue pressure.
“It’s an area of the business that is not his and hopefully I’ll pick up some of that or someone else will.
“But the manager is very impressive.
“Absolutely (Clement has the backing of the board). Definitely. The famous last words of the chairman. No, absolutely.”
When asked if he believes Clement can deliver success this season, Gilligan responded: “Yes, personally, yes. He inspired a bit of confidence.
“He’s a very intelligent man that knows exactly what he’s trying to do and what he’s trying to do for the club.”
