Mike Ashley dodges Rangers questions on Glasgow trip

Mike Ashley dodged questions from journalists about his involvement with Rangers. Picture: Getty

The Rangers shareholder was in Glasgow to reopen one of the firm’s flagship stores, but the 50-year-old ducked questions from reporters on Rangers as he left the outlet.

Journalists from The Sun newspaper asked Ashley if ‘he intends to leave Rangers or if he would pledge to revamp the club like he did his own shop’.

According to reports, Ashley left the store shaking hands with staff and smiling, but avoided questioning from the gathered media and instead got into a waiting people carrier which then sped off.

Ashley, who owns an 8.92 per cent stake in Rangers, loaned the club £10 million in loans, and had acquired the naming rights to Ibrox for £1, although he later gave that up.

But the tycoon, who attempted to increase his stake in Rangers to 29.9 per cent last year only to be halted due to his ownership of Newcastle United, has taken control of the club’s retail division along with the club’s registered trademarks.

Earlier this week, a documentary aired on Channel 4 looking at the links between Newcastle and Sports Direct, in which Ashley was heavily criticised.

The programme claimed that cash made from Magpies fans buying merchandise was going to Sports Direct, which the club refuted.