De-listing will not derail Rangers – Stuart McCall
The Ibrox faithful were rocked by Thursday’s news that the club had been de-listed from the Alternative Investment Market after chairman-in-waiting Dave King failed to find a new nominated advisor.
Interim chairman Paul Murray put the blame for AIM’s decision at the door of the club’s previous board but tried to play down fears by revealing the new regime in charge is now considering a switch to London’s ISDX market.
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Hide AdThere is also the possibility of legal action from former football board chairman Sandy Easdale.
But whatever the outcome, McCall does not expect it to derail his charge for the play-offs. The Ibrox manager said: “I had a quick chat with [director] John Gilligan and read an email that had gone round the club saying: ‘Don’t panic, don’t worry’.
“I’m a football guy, I don’t know what’s going on in the stock markets. But apparently [the board is] not concerned in any way. The funding and the plans for the club will remain the same.
“Do I expect it to negatively impact me or the players? No. I hope not and I wouldn’t expect it to.”
Rangers also this week announced six-month losses of £2.6 million for the second half of last year.
Among the report’s details was the surprise that Rangers will have to hand Newcastle United £500,000 if they win promotion to the Premiership as part of the deal in which they took five Magpies youngsters on loan in January.
It is a bill the cash-strapped Light Blues could do without, but McCall – who still does not know if he will be in charge beyond the summer – is refusing to worry about it too much right now.
“I was really surprised,” said McCall after being asked for his reaction to the loan-deal agreement. “I was gobsmacked if I’m being honest.
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Hide Ad“I was driving in the car when I heard it on the radio and I just thought: ‘Woof’. But if that’s the deal, that’s the deal.
“But I’ve got enough on just concentrating on what’s happening on the training ground and the pitch.
“I’ve not even giving [whether that fee will impinge on me if I’m here next season] a thought. My main concern is the game on Sunday.
“I know you have got to be prepared and be organised, but I’m not a three-year or five-year plan guy. I try my best here and now and if it’s good enough to get us up then great.”
Rangers welcome newly-crowned Scottish Championship winners Hearts to Ibrox tomorrow. It should have been a crucial clash in the race for the title, but the Light Blues’ mid-season collapse means it only has significance for the hosts as they look to overtake Hibernian in second place.
But McCall confirmed his side will pay tribute to the league leaders. “We will be giving the Hearts lads a guard of honour,” he said. “It’s not something you do week after week but this is their first away game and it’s something we will be doing.
“Hearts have won 26 games out of 30 and nine on the bounce. That’s incredible. Our players might look on a bit enviously and think they’d have liked that to be us who were running out as champions.
“Hopefully they will see that the season can still be a success, we can still get promoted.”
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