Lawyers for company suing Rangers FC deny attempting to intimidate witnesses

Lawyers acting for a firm suing Rangers following a shelved plan for an Ibrox disaster memorial wall denied attempting to intimidate witnesses after a letter was sent to former club captain John Greig.
English-based firm Memorial Walls has raised a damages claim against Rangers FC after it pulled out of the proposed venture. Picture: John DevlinEnglish-based firm Memorial Walls has raised a damages claim against Rangers FC after it pulled out of the proposed venture. Picture: John Devlin
English-based firm Memorial Walls has raised a damages claim against Rangers FC after it pulled out of the proposed venture. Picture: John Devlin

English-based firm Memorial Walls has raised a damages claim against Rangers FC after it pulled out of the proposed venture.

Gavin MacColl QC, for the firm, told the Court of Session in Edinburgh that it was a breach of contract case but the breach was admitted, with outstanding issues of causation and the level of damages remaining.

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Mr MacColl told judge Lord Bannatyne that there will be an amendment brought to reduce the sum sued for in the claim.

English-based firm Memorial Walls has raised a damages claim against Rangers FC after it pulled out of the proposed venture. Picture: John DevlinEnglish-based firm Memorial Walls has raised a damages claim against Rangers FC after it pulled out of the proposed venture. Picture: John Devlin
English-based firm Memorial Walls has raised a damages claim against Rangers FC after it pulled out of the proposed venture. Picture: John Devlin

Rangers senior counsel Kenny McBrearty QC welcomed the move and said he anticipated it would be cut "presumably to somewhere in the region of just over a million".

But Mr McBrearty said there was an issue he was asked to raise with the court and told the judge that it could be seen from the defences in the action that an important matter related to the question of "the wider Rangers community" who were consulted.

He said the firm wanted to know who else was consulted and expressed a view about the proposed venture.

Mr McBrearty said the only individual named in the defences was John Greig and solicitors acting for Memorial Walls wrote to him indicating a potential claim for inducing breach of contract. The senior counsel said it had given rise to "considerable concern" on the part of Rangers.

He said it was difficult to see how Memorial Walls, on the facts known to them, could set out a case a gainst Mr Greig.

Mr McBrearty said on the facts set out in the defences all that was said was that he was consulted after the contract was entered into and nothing was said that he knew or was made aware of the contract or anything of that nature.

The senior counsel said: "It is very difficult to see how a 76-year-old man who was captain of Rangers at the time of the Ibrox disaster and expressed honestly held opinion could be said to be inducing a breach of contract."

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He said the view reached on his side was that it was difficult to see it as "anything other than an attempt to intimidate a witness".

Mr MacColl said he rejected the suggestion that solicitors instructing him had sought to act in a professionally inappropriate way and that there has been any attempt to intimidate witnesses.

He told the court: "The suggestion that there was an attempt to intimidate witnesses here is simply unfounded."

He said there was no suggestion of intimidation of a witness or "in any way, shape or form" placing inappropriate pressure.

Lord Bannatyne said he had not seen the precise terms of the letter nor was he asked to do anything at this point, but would have it noted in the minute of proceedings.

The judge said he would allow a period for adjustment of the pleadings and have a procedural hearing fixed in the action.

The planned venture had originally included a memorial wall and garden to honour victims of the Ibrox disaster in which 66 fans during an Old Firm game in 1971.

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