Scottish Championship side Rangers Board Chair Sandy Easdale has "increased his stake in the club" after buying up more than 1 million shares, according to the SCOTSMAN. The purchase means he now owns just more than 5,250,000 shares -- or just less than 6.5%. The McGill’s bus boss previously held proxies for just more than 17 million shares belonging to "a number of other shareholders, including Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Funds Holding Trust," but the club's statement confirmed he now has voting rights for just 16 million shares, worth 19.6%, suggesting the shares he has bought "come from within the proxy group" (SCOTSMAN, 1/20). The BBC's Alasdair Lamont reported news that Easdale now has 6.45% of the
issued share capital was "followed by a prediction of the current
regime's demise." Former Rangers Dir Paul Murray said, "Change will
come and we can all emerge from a black period in this fantastic club's
history." Murray has joined two fan groups "campaigning to oust the current board." The Scottish businessman has taken out "lifetime
memberships of the Rangers Supporters Trust and Rangers First," two
groups that hold shares in the club (BBC, 1/20). The HERALD SCOTLAND reported Murray warned fans to ignore the "spin from their rivals as he insisted victory is close." He said in a statement, "In the lead up to the General Meeting the
usual suspects will attempt to undermine our cause because they realise
their days could be numbered. The truth is that for the first time in years there is a group of
people capable of rebuilding and repairing our club and malicious
speculation will not deflect us." Droves of fans have "also been signing up to fan-ownership schemes Buy Rangers -- run by the Rangers Supporters Trust (RST) -- and Rangers First." A number of former players like Richard Gough, Jorg Albertz and Claudio Reyna have done likewise (HERALD SCOTLAND, 1/20).
MCDOWALL CALLS IT A DAY: In Glasgow, Gordon Stevenson reported interim Manager Kenny McDowall "tendered his resignation for personal reasons." McDowall will continue to take charge of the team as he begins a 12-month notice period but "further upheaval is inevitable." McDowall has managed Rangers for "only three-and-a-bit games, having stepped in when his friend, Ally McCoist, was placed on gardening leave last month." McDowall had been a "deeply reluctant recruit to the position of Rangers manager." The vacancy he filled "was unwelcome, he said, because it had come to him only because of the departure of his friend" (HERALD SCOTLAND, 1/20).
POLICE WRITE OFF DEBTS: In Glasgow, David Leask reported Police Scotland has written off £236,000 ($357,700) in unpaid debts -- "including invoices for petty damage done to its own stations." The write-off includes a "single unpaid invoice" of £51,882 to the former Rangers Football Club before it was liquidated in '12. That single write-off was "so big it was sent to the Scottish Government for approval." But it also includes five other bills adding up to £17,715 for "football services" that have never been paid (HERALD SCOTLAND, 1/19).
SHEPHERD WEIGHS IN: The Scotland DAILY RECORD reported former EPL Newcastle Owner Freddy Shepherd "reckons Mike Ashley is doing Rangers a 'favour'" by keeping the club afloat. Shepherd also believes Ashley "can run the crisis club without being the majority shareholder." Shepherd said, "He's loaned them money, he's not controlling them by shares, he will control them by money. As far as Rangers are concerned he's doing them a favor" (DAILY RECORD, 1/20). The SCOTSMAN reported former Rangers CEO Charles Green has "insisted that he is not under investigation by Police Scotland and sensationally has not ruled out returning to Ibrox." Green, who was in hospital in London for an operation on his knee, "revealed that he had been questioned by police twice in relation to Craig Whyte's takeover" of Rangers in '11. Green backed Ashley as the "man to rescue Rangers from financial crisis." He said, "I don't like Mike Ashley but I happen to believe he is the right man for the club. [CEO] Derek Llambias might have had a personality bypass but he is doing a good job for the club" (SCOTSMAN, 1/20).
