ian1964 10,514 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Former Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston believes a "cancer is spreading throughout the club" which will not go away until "self-serving investors" are rooted out. The Ibrox club, who re-emerged into the Irn-Bru Third Division last year after their descent into administration, face another summer of uncertainty due to a complex boardroom power struggle. Rangers confirmed to the London Stock Exchange today that they were considering an official request to hold an extraordinary general meeting. The resolution calls for James Easdale and Chris Morgan to replace chairman Malcolm Murray and non-executive director Philip Cartmell on the board. Morgan was named as one of the original investors when a consortium fronted by Charles Green purchased the assets and business of the club in June last year while Easdale recently confirmed, along with brother and business partner Sandy, that they were looking for boardroom presence as they continued to increase their shareholding. Another Rangers shareholder, Blue Pitch Holdings, are also said to be behind the proposed boardroom coup. Johnston, who was ousted in May, 2011 by then owner Craig Whyte, "has concerns" about the jockeying for position at the club he has supported all his life. "There is a cancer spreading throughout the club and it's not going away," he said. "My concern is that until self-serving investors are eliminated then the club can't go forward. "With so many investors - in quotation marks - trying to play an active role in the guidance of Rangers Football Club, I don't think that is a healthy situation. "I don't know the people involved but I really wonder about their agenda. I really wonder in whose best interests are they working. "A lot of people can say they have the best interests of the club in mind but it is easy to say that. "There are people vying for control and influence and they have got to lay down their ambitions and be transparent about finances and investment. "The board of Rangers - whoever it is and however it is constituted - has to come out and be transparent about the assets and the commitments and what that will mean to investors. "What has been promised to investors? "There is a power vacuum and there hasn't been one in 140 years at Ibrox. Someone has to come out and show guidance. "Until the supporters can see a line-up of people that they can get behind then they have a dilemma. "At some point somebody has to say to the fans we want you to spend money and here is what we're going to do." While many Gers fans are taking succour from the fact that former manager Walter Smith is on the board, and by proxy acting in the fans' best interests, Johnston put the Ibrox legend's position in context. "Walter's presence is very important, symbolically," he said. "He is back because he loves the club. "He has the history, the passion and the credibility but by his own admission he isn't a businessman. "He has a good gut-feeling about people but there is only so much he can do. I think things will get sorted. "Rangers Football Club is a massive institution and its strength is that there are hundreds of thousands of people who are not going to leave the club. "The basic fabric of the club will ensure survival but it will need transparency for that to happen." http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/alastair-johnston-theres-a-cancer-spreading-through-rangers.1368727587? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Cooper 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I am a big fan of AJ. I think he speaks alot of sense. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UCF2008 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I don't think AJ's the best man to be making noises about the need for transparency considering the way he dealt with the LBG situation when Walter claimed they were holding the purse strings and effectively running the club. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anchorman 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 (edited) I am a big fan of AJ. I think he speaks alot of sense. Sometimes you have to go with instinct, and for me AJ always left me feeling that he only wants the best for us (like Dave King). And shoot me down if you like about how "he was there when......., and how he was part of...........", etc. He has NEVER purposely done anything to undermine or harm The Club. He may have made mistakes, but a fairly astute judge of character once said something along the lines of "let him without sin, cast the first stone". I always see him as very grounded with a bit of class, which is something we are sadly lacking in, among the suits at our Club. Edited May 16, 2013 by Anchorman 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I don't think AJ's the best man to be making noises about the need for transparency considering the way he dealt with the LBG situation when Walter claimed they were holding the purse strings and effectively running the club. his exact words were they arent running the club per se. a pretty accurate description that told us what was happening. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebear54 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I'm quite happy he's saying something. He's a bit of a known quantity to us and gives a bit of stability. Although he's not in the loop per se, I'm sure he's got his ear to the ground. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UCF2008 0 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 his exact words were they arent running the club per se. a pretty accurate description that told us what was happening. his exact words from Sept 2009 were “Rangers are not run and operated by the bank, but we do rely on the bank for financing,” “If Rangers were run by the bank, representatives of the bank would be sitting next to me. In fact, they would not because I would not be here.” 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTP 0 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I'd take AJ back in a second. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 his exact words from Sept 2009 were “Rangers are not run and operated by the bank, but we do rely on the bank for financing,” “If Rangers were run by the bank, representatives of the bank would be sitting next to me. In fact, they would not because I would not be here.” he also said what i said. he made it clear (at least to me) that while the bank weren't ordering the toilet rolls for the bogs they were controlling how much money was available for them. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I'd take AJ back in a second. unfortunately i don't think he wants to come back. mind you he is friendly with dave king. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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