John Gilligan, the interim Rangers chairman, has told major shareholder Dave King to stop his public criticism of the Ibrox club.King has been vocal over the last week as he has publicly criticised the running of the club, insisting that Rangers are a club in crisis and without any genuine leadership.
The former chairman wanted an EGM – and also wanted a way back to his former role.
Gilligan has returned to the club after John Bennett was forced to step down as chairman on health grounds last weekend and has urged King to do his talking out of public view.
“Has any director or any person at the club said anything about Dave? No,” said Gilligan.
“Have they responded publicly? Will I say anything bad about Dave? No. Do I wish that he’d stop [airing his thoughts in public]? Yes.
“Please take it below the radar. Behave like a proper shareholder.
“Don’t do what you’re doing. It’s a shame because he’s a great character and was a massive influence at the club [of Rangers’ last league title success].”
One of King’s headlines last week asserted that Rangers need investment of £50m if they are to catch-up with Celtic. The Parched side posted pre-tax profits of just under £41m and will boost that considerably with access to this season’s revamped UEFA Champions League campaign.
Celtic’s win on their opening game of the tournament will net them just under £2m; Rangers will need three Europa League wins to keep pace with that return.
“I don’t think you can put a number on it,” said the interim chairman.
“The gap at the moment is considerable but you just have to win your games, get back challenging for the top spot and then if we get into the level of Europe we hope to get to then the gap can change quite quickly. There is fresh investment coming in to the club. But in fairness Dave is talking about fresh investment, but he doesn’t want to invest.
“I’m not sure where he thinks investment is going to come from.
“I think it’s [his criticism] is unfair. What exactly is he saying is not good? What’s he saying is going wrong?
“Give us a plan and tell me. If Dave has some terrific plan to tell me where we’re all going wrong, we will read that plan and consider it.’
Gilligan also maintained that there is “no appetite” from the board for a return of King as chairman.
“Dave was chairman, Dave’s still a major investor and can attend the AGM and ask questions, but there’s just no appetite for it at the moment because, one, Dave was here before and he stepped away,” he said.
“Other people stepped up – Douglas (Park) stepped up, then stepped down and John stepped down. There’s just no appetite.
“It’s almost ridiculous to compare (Rangers now to Rangers in 2015), it would make me cry rather than laugh.
“You cannot describe how low we were and what we inherited in terms of all sorts of aspects of the club and it is unrecognisable to that now.
“Every day at Rangers football club is a challenge, the level of expectancy is enormous, and as a fan I am part of that problem, but it is just ridiculous to compare it, it doesn’t even begin to compare.
“His comments would only be destabilising if the people who are the major shareholders don’t have a plan or have the people in place to execute it, we have had some difficulties recently with the stadium and things but destabilising? Not particularly.
“Dave is entitled to say what he wants, it’s a free world, but I don’t feel destabilised at all.”
