Ibrox fans have right to demand answers from board

[ian1964 10,410]

Monday at Ibrox guarantees to be the most intense Rangers AGM in many years. The club is in crisis, seemingly unwanted on the open market, and is facing a highly uncertain future. For Rangers shareholders, the following are the 10 most pressing questions to be put to the club's board during the (sometimes farcical) open Q & A session . . .

 

1 Who is to blame for Rangers� financial mess?

 

On this one, it seems that everyone is running for cover. The banking crisis has left Rangers looking like a house built on sand, although discovering, via the media or anywhere else, who exactly is to blame has proved taxing. Is it Sir David Murray? Is it the banking system itself (though few other British clubs are floundering quite like Rangers)? The banks � and Lloyds in particular � appear to be held up for particular venom, while Murray, whom many supporters hold accountable, still warrants scarcely a negative mention in the popular press. It is not for vengeance that some Rangers fans want to know who brought their club to its knees, so much as having the knowledge for it never to happen again.

 

2 Who is running Rangers � the club�s board or the bank?

 

The clubââ?¬â?¢s board say they are running Rangers. Walter Smith says it is the bank. Alastair Johnston, the chairman, says the board are very much in day-to-day control of the club, with the ââ?¬Å?supportââ?¬Â of Lloyds. This is a murky area for concerned Rangers shareholders and a straightforward ââ?¬â? and accurate ââ?¬â? response from the clubââ?¬â?¢s directors tomorrow would help. The feeling persists that, while Rangers are indeed in daily control of their own business, the clubââ?¬â?¢s ultimate fate will be determined by their bankers.

 

3 What remaining influence does Sir David Murray have over Rangers?

 

Murray, who stepped down as Rangers chairman in September, wants a clean divorce from the club as soon as possible (there has been fat chance of that) but until it happens he is still a near-90% owner. Is Murray still involved in key club decisions? Would he still have a say � as he always did in his heyday � in any January comings and goings? The former Rangers chairman, who is left clutching a stricken bairn he doesn�t want, currently occupies a strange twilight world at Ibrox.

 

4 Will Murray � or the Lloyds Group � be the final arbiter on who buys Rangers?

 

Murray, with his vast shareholding, has indicated in the past seven days that he will still decide to whom he sells his stake ââ?¬â? but will he? There is still a perception that Lloyds are ââ?¬Å?actively trying to find a buyerââ?¬Â for Rangers, as if Murray is now almost an irrelevant bystander. The question is, when Rangers are sold, who will determine the suitability of the buyer? Murray has persistently stated that he will only sell to someone who will ââ?¬Å?be good for Rangersââ?¬Â ââ?¬â? can this still be the case?

 

5 For how long does Walter Smith plan to be the Rangers manager?

 

Smith has told one or two in the media in private of his plans, but this is still a grey area among many Rangers supporters. Does he want to stay or go? Johnston has previously said that he would want the current Rangers manager to sign a new, extended contract, though that very issue has gone quiet for almost two months now. Someone should stand up and ask Smith tomorrow, what it�s to be: does he plan to stay or go?

 

6 Can Rangers afford to keep their best playing assets in January?

 

Barring a Roman Abramovich figure suddenly appearing on the scene, Rangers almost certainly face a period of financial downsizing over the next two years. During the past two transfer windows not a single player has been bought, and more sales might even be considered in January. Many supporters also want to know when a new signing will next be made.

 

7 Does the board think that a supporters� buy-out of Rangers is feasible?

 

There has been quite a lot on message-boards and in the newspapers � much of it unconvincing hot air � about fans� buy-outs, membership schemes, etc. A relatively small but impassioned group of Rangers fans dream of owning the club, and, given their current state of limbo, the Rangers board should come clean on what they think of such a proposal.

 

8 Does Alastair Johnston know of any imminent, credible buyer of Rangers?

 

David Murray was undoubtedly right � Johnston has moved to Rangers with considerable knowledge of the north American scene, both in business and sport and, given his life-long support of Rangers, should be as well placed as anyone to know of potential buyers who have the wealth and knowledge to back up their interest. Now is the time for the Ibrox chairman to tell the assembled throng what he really knows.

 

9 Is Dave King really a potential owner of Rangers?

 

Standing among the enduring murkiness of the current Rangers situation is the elusive Mr King. He is reputed to have already invested some �£12m in Rangers, and is said by many to still be interested in buying Murray out. Well, whatâ��s it to be? Moreover, would Kingâ��s chaotic and controversial battles with the South African authorities over various financial allegations deter Rangers from wanting him as their new owner?

 

10 What is the future of Ally McCoist at the club?

 

McCoist, a Rangers legend, is also at the centre of much uncertainty. Both Walter Smith and David Murray have previously stated that, in an ideal world, the former striker would be the next occupant of the manager�s chair, but much has changed since those statements were made six months ago. If Smith leaves the club at the end of the current season, is McCoist still seen as the man to pick up the baton? The first-team coach himself has admitted little about his own personal preferences, but some Rangers fans wish to know where McCoist stands in any imminent post-Smith era at Ibrox.

 

Duffy�s pipe dream for the people

 

Is there anyone out there who has generated more hot air over his proposed plan to ââ?¬Å?saveââ?¬Â Rangers than the Florida-based Graham Duffy? The more this guy wafts through the pages of a gullible press, the less likely I find his plan to succeed.

 

So far Duffy has revealed the following. First, he has not carried out any due diligence. Two, he wonââ?¬â?¢t be investing himself. Three, despite wanting 45,000 Rangers fans to invest Ã?£1,000 each in a buy-out, he admits himself this is ââ?¬Å?unlikelyââ?¬Â. Four, he has no idea if a majority of supporters favour a fansââ?¬â?¢ co-operative. But apart from all that, claims Duffy, heââ?¬â?¢s at the get-go to save Rangers.

 

Those who succeed in business do their talking in private, then strike when the deal is ready. Mr Duffy happily babbles in public, even while his plans look, at best, half-baked. Folks, don�t hold your breath for salvation for Rangers coming out of Florida.

[Tannochsidebear 2,306]

Sadly, I think you haven't a hope in hell's chance of getting an open honest answer to any of those questions, nor dozens more I can think of, from the Punch and Judy show that is the Rangers AGM. They will hide behind guarded statements about privacy, takeover regulations, and reiterate the same old guff we have had in the official press releases in recent weeks.

 

The fact you are not allowed a follow-up when your question gets fudged by the board means that no debate can take place.

 

For these reasons, I am not attending this year's farce, and will be at work instead. It says it all when I actually enjoyed the kids AGM more than the adult one last year.