Rangers administration: Paul Murray ready to be part of takeover deal but ‘not with Whyte’

FORMER Rangers director Paul Murray has said he would be willing to be part of a possible takeover of the Glasgow club, but admitted he would not be able to do it alone.

Mr Murray has met with fans to discuss possible ways of rescuing the club from its current position.

“Would I come forward and help the club? Yes,” he said.

“But I can’t do that on my own. I would need to work with others. Would I be prepared to do that alongside Craig Whyte? No.”

Mr Murray had attempted to put together a rival bid with his then-fellow Ibrox board member, Dave King, in an effort to block Mr Whyte’s takeover in May.

If he is to launch a new takeover bid as part of a consortium he will have to enter negotiations with Duff and Phelps, the firm tasked with taking Rangers through the administration process.

“I’m sure they are a reputable company and I would be happy to have a conversation with them,” Mr Murray said.

“But it would have been far better to have an independent firm looking after the interests of all the creditors, not just the interests of Craig Whyte.”

He also backed the Rangers Supporters Trust’s calls that in future the club should be protected from sole ownership.

“I don’t think one person running the club is a sustainable model,” he said.

“I think there has to be wider ownership to give the club the best chance of moving forward.”

The club’s future is also clouded in uncertainty because of a tax tribunal relating to employee benefit trusts payments made between 2001 and 2010, which was previously estimated to be worth about £50m, but which Mr Whyte has said could ultimately cost the club £75m.

The Rangers majority stakeholder has yet to release a set of audited accounts or hold an annual general meeting.

“There is a real lack of clarity on finances,” Mr Murray said.

He added: “Once this whole process comes to end, I think Rangers fans have to ask themselves, is Craig Whyte a fit and proper person to own this football club?

“I don’t take any pleasure from saying this but the transaction was always going to be a disaster and that’s the way it turned out. Rangers supporters need to come together and examine all the options.”