Leggat - Green Looks Set To Survive Race Row

[ian1964 10,457]

THE next few days will be vital for the future of Rangers and for Charles Green, with confused Ibrox supporters already creating a groundswell of opinion which is turning against him.

 

There is no doubt that Greenâ??s continual outbursts have now placed Rangers at the centre of an embarrassing race row which has been cranked up by the fact sponsors, Tennentâ??s Lager are unhappy by Greenâ??s racist remarks.

 

Just as there is no doubt, reports that Walter Smith is on the brink of quitting as a director in disgust at the events of the last few days, are equally accurate.

 

But make no mistake about it, I understand from a source on the board that Charles Green is on the brink too. Green has blundered Rangers into one crisis too many with his racist remark, using the â??Pâ? word and then making things worse by trying to justify it, before finally issuing a belated and somewhat qualified apology.

 

That Green outburst infuriated Walter Smith. Smith believes in the Rangers tradition and in the Rangers way and such inflammatory language is most certainly not the way he believes things should be done inside the Blue Room.

 

Indeed, Charles Green did not so much reveal, as boasted, that he often called Imran Ahmad a â??Paki,â?? in what many have described to me as a Ron Atkinson moment.

 

Now non executive director Smith, who staked his impeccable reputation for honestly, probity and integrity by joining the board after countless pleas from Green, which also saw Smith being assured all was as it should be, is near the end of his tether. And not just over the racist stuff either. The nine-in-a-row legend is also in a fury at discovering Imran Ahmadâ??s links with Craig Whyte. That has particularly enraged Smith and he will demand answers from Ahmad.

 

Greenâ??s two business partners, Imran Ahmad, who is not on the board, and financial director, Brian Stockbridge, who is, may well now be forced to fear their friend Green has become a liability as far as their investment in Rangers and the clubâ??s image with sponsors is concerned, unless he tones down his act.

 

They must surely also fear that the concerns sponsors, Tennentâ??s Lager have now raised about having their name on the jerseys while Rangers are at the centre of a race row because of Charles Green, could impact on other sponsorship and commercial deals and rob Rangers of much needed income.

 

But I do not believe they will ditch Green at what promises to be a stormy board meeting. Though they may try to rein him in.

 

Certainly, during Greenâ??s television performances on Tuesday evening on STV, the increasingly beleaguered Rangers chief executive gave the appearance of a man wilting under the strain, leading many to fear for what may come next. Rangers supporters â?? many of them with impeccable boardroom sources and who spend tens of thousands on the club every year â?? have told me they are extremely worried as to what Greenâ??s next damaging outburst will be. And just what any further damage he may do to the financial future of Rangers, as well as the Rangers reputation?

 

There is already evidence that Green is hitting the Ibrox investors where it hurts them the most and costing them cash. The Rangers share price has been on the slide in recent days and as the news about the Scottish Football Association putting Green in the dock for his racist remark filters down to the London Stock Exchange there could be more financial ramifications for Rangers.

 

Now comes the news that sponsorship could be on the line.

 

But, despite all of that, what I believe, based on credible boardroom information, is that Ahmad and Stockbridge will stay loyal to Green, leading to Walter Smith feeling he is left with no alternative other than to resign as a director.

 

Smith, I am told, has already held tense talks with Green, but it is unlikely the crunch will come before Imran Amhad and Brian Stockbridge return from holiday and honeymoon.

 

They are back this weekend and after they have taken stock there will be a crisis board meeting at the earliest opportunity at which there will be some tough talking. My belief is that Charles Green will emerge from it, still the Rangers chief executive.

 

Charles Green is nobodyâ??s fool, but he allows his tongue to run away with itself and he must know that he is putting his own investment in Rangers, like that of his friends Ahmad and Stockbridge, plus further income for Rangers, in jeopardy by his recent behaviour.

 

In the last week Green has undone much of the good work he has put in on behalf of Rangers and many of the clubâ??s supporters are becoming confused as to just what is going on inside the Blue Room.

 

If Green stays â?? as I believe he will - and Smith goes, then the meltdown from confused fans and the financial ramifications, could even make what happened last year seem like the good old days.

 

The good ship HMS Ibrox is in need of a 'steady as she goes' order. But plain sailing still seems a long way off.

[GovanAllan 0]

Did any journalist ask Tennents if they were unhappy about Stokes, IRA support?

 

Wonder that the answer would be if they had, probably the same as this one. More crap journalism in this country.