Green denies fans misled over Man United welcome

RANGERS chief executive Charles Green has denied misleading supporters over claims that Manchester United would welcome the Ibrox club into the English Premier League and that American football giants Dallas Cowboys are interested in a tie-in partnership.

In an interview with STV yesterday Green was asked directly if he had misled fans over the Manchester United claims after a spokesman for the Old Trafford denied them and replied: “Never... So Sir Alex Ferguson wouldn’t like to see Rangers in his league? Who is Manchester United? You define Manchester United... It’s been contradicted by a spokesperson from Manchester United.”

When asked if the spokesperson was speaking for Manchester United, Green said: “My lawyers, who are advising on Rangers going into the UK, have been speaking to a number of clubs, representatives of clubs, to owners of clubs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I am absolutely very, very clear, from the discussions I’ve had with various people who are speaking to football clubs who would welcome Rangers to play in the English football league.”

When asked if he could name which clubs, Green replied: “No. I don’t want to prejudice this club’s chance of playing in England by disclosing stuff prematurely.”

Asked about Imran Ahmad’s claims to supporters that talks with Dallas Cowboys were “going well” Green said: “Well they are. I’ve got an email now if you want to read it after this interview from Dallas Cowboys.”

The STV interviewer pointed out that the Cowboys had “previously told us there were no such talks”, to which Green replied: “I don’t care what they’ve said. I’ve just told you categorically, in front of the camera, when this interview finishes, I will show you an email where we are invited to go to Dallas Cowboys. The email came in three days ago.

“So either believe me or not. If you don’t believe me, you’re entitled. But I’ll show you and then I want you, separately, to apologise on camera to say you were wrong about Dallas Cowboys, OK?”

Last night STV said it was yet to be shown an email from Dallas Cowboys.

Meanwhile, Ally McCoist has defended coaching standards at Ibrox in response to a newspaper report that claimed Green had asked the Rangers manager to consider getting rid of assistant manager Kenny McDowall and first-team coach Ian Durrant. The claims were made in the wake of the departures of head scout Neil Murray and physiotherapist Pip Yeates and the sacking of striker Francisco Sandaza. McCoist and McDowall worked under Walter Smith during his second successful spell as boss at the club until the former Rangers striker took over the hot seat in 2011 with Durrant promoted into his backroom team.

McCoist was keen to make that clear when asked about the issue at a press conference to publicise tonight’s friendly against Linfield at Ibrox. He said: “I can confirm to you right now that I have not entered into any discussions at all with Charles regarding Kenny or Ian. On that subject, all I would say is that in the last five years, Kenny, Ian and myself, with Walter, have won three SPL titles, some cups, got to a European final, had a season under Craig Whyte and then we won a title this year. That’s all I’m going to say on that matter. I’m not going to take it any further.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Asked about the extent of his involvement in decisions at Ibrox, McCoist replied: “I am involved. I obviously don’t have the final say but I like to think my input, a, is valuable; and b, is taken on board. That’s an important message to get out.”

Green recently repeated a belief the current Rangers team was the worst in the club’s history but McCoist insists the relationship between him and the former Sheffield United chief executive is “absolutely fine”.

He said: “We spoke on the phone this morning. We had a meeting on Saturday before the game against Queen’s Park for well over an hour.

“He was obviously very keen to put the record clear on a few matters regarding the previous owner and he made it crystal clear and it was a reassurance that I felt we needed and we deserved and I got it.”