Scottish Second Division Rangers Chair Walter Smith "has resigned" less than four months after he was appointed, according to the LONDON TIMES. His resignation "follows a bitter power struggle at Ibrox," and comes only three days after former CEO Charles Green returned to the club as a consultant. Smith's resignation comes after Green was quoted in a national newspaper saying that Rangers Manager Ally McCoist’s position "might not be safe even if he delivered the League One title." It has been suggested that Smith, a former Everton and Scotland manager, "voted against Green’s return, while McCoist and Green have had problems in the past." Green "could now be appointed to the post Smith has vacated" (LONDON TIMES, 8/5). The BBC's Chris McLaughlin reported McCoist described Green's behavior as "appalling," and insisted Green "was an embarrassment to the club." It is "now clear that the pair will not work together and one will have to go before the club can make any attempt to move forward" (BBC, 8/5). The SCOTSMAN reported the announcement "was followed by a call for the removal" of CEO Craig Mather, Finance Dir Brian Stockbridge and Non-Exec Dir Bryan Smart from the Ibrox board. The resolution, which will be put to shareholders, "calls for the appointment as directors" of former Dir Paul Murray -- also "the central figure in the Blue Knights consortium which wanted to take over the club last year" -- and PricewaterhouseCoopers CEO Frank Blin (SCOTSMAN, 8/5). In Glasgow, Keith Jackson reported Smith "battled in vain to keep the club’s broken board together" since replacing former Chair Malcolm Murray on May 30. However, he had "never been comfortable in the position and had been left isolated by the decision to bring Green back" (DAILY RECORD, 8/5).
