Inside the Rangers egm: Return of Ibrox church parade call as new American owners given lively introduction to Scottish football

New chairman Andrew Cavenagh and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe handle first public assignment with aplomb

“The ball was in the net!” Erstwhile Rangers chairman Fraser Thornton’s appeal for questions to avoid straying too much into football operations territory was always likely to be an optimistic request.

And so it proved as the new American owners of Rangers Football Club – sorry, Rangers International Football Club Limited, as the company has now officially been renamed – met the shareholders for the first time at an extraordinary general meeting in a Glasgow city centre hotel on Monday.

Never mind the promised £20 million investment, what about that £3,000 fine Rangers have been handed from the Scottish Football Association for comments made by John Brown on Rangers TV? The former defender described the decision not to award Rangers a goal against Hibs on the last weekend of the league season when the ball had clearly crossed the line as “corrupt”. “John Brown stuck up for you!” insisted a shareholder, towards the end of a lively questions and answers session. “Because youse were weak! Are you going to be stronger? Are you going to stick up for the club?”

New Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh addresses shareholders at the egm

It proved to be a memorable first introduction to many rank and file supporters for new Ibrox chairman Andrew Cavenagh and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe. Although given a warm welcome, they were certainly left with little doubt that they will be allowed to get away with very little.

“You treat us with respect, we will treat you with respect, that’s the bottom line for us all,” stressed former Labour MP Sir Brian Donohoe, who was the first shareholder to ask a question.

He wanted some assurances that the 49 per cent of smaller shareholders are given some protection and claimed he had read the new articles of association “four or five times” and still he couldn’t see where this group were being represented.

Cavenagh insisted that protection was built into UK law while two sitting directors, John Halsted and George Taylor, were essentially elected by minority shareholders.

A Rangers fan's attendence card ahead of the egm (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Donohoe resisted an invitation to give others a shot of the microphone. He wondered, in addition, if the 49 per cent will be made an offer for their shares at some point in the future, which Cavenagh said would probably not happen. Making sure funds went directly into the club was the primary focus, the new chairman explained to loud applause.

Still, they were valid concerns and clearly ones that had been aired by others in the run-up to the meeting. Perhaps not surprisingly, Donohoe, who served as Central Ayrshire’s Labour MP until 2015, seemed to like the sound of his own voice although being accustomed to speaking in front of large gatherings was most certainly an asset on this occasion.

As many as 800 shareholders were in attendance, a more than decent League One sized crowd. Trepidation surely put off more than a few who had something they wished to ask the top table, although it wasn’t really a top table. Cavenagh and Marathe as well as chief executive Patrick Stewart and Thornton sat at little round tables you might expect to find in optician waiting rooms.

The main business of the day was to pass four resolutions, including one to ratify the aforementioned name change as Rangers are switched from a public limited company to a private limited company. All resolutions were almost unanimously approved – over 98 per cent voting in favour – with the main change being Rangers are now in the hands of an American-based consortium. The proposed £20 million investment has now been formalised. Bring on the Celtic!

(Left to Rifght) former Rangers chairman Fraser Thornton, vice chairman Paraag Marathe, chairman Andrew Cavenagh and chief executive Patrick Stewart

Of course, it isn’t that easy. Where Rangers go from here can’t simply be decided by punching yes or no into a handheld electronic device, as the shareholders were instructed to do when voting near the end of a meeting that Cavenagh and Marathe handled with significant aplomb. They shared, the latter explained, a “maniacal desire to win”. He then corrected himself and said it was actually more a “maniacal fear of losing”, something that went down well. One of the criticisms of Rangers in recent times is that they have become too inured to being second best.

At times it involved some housekeeping, including Marathe’s understandable desire for his name to be pronounced correctly – Ma-ra-tay, he helpfully informed both shareholders and media representatives. It was all about being well briefed and the two Americans clearly were.

Little left Cavenagh and Marathe looking around them for some help other than a question towards the end demanding that the “Ibrox church parade” is brought back.

It wasn’t only those brought up on the east (Cavenagh) or west (Marathe) coasts of America who were looking slightly confused. It turns out this was an annual Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland event that was an Ibrox staple until the 1980s. Long gone now of course, and not something that is likely to return as the club continues in a new, all-inclusive direction. “We are a broad church for all supporters,” pointed out Thornton. Stewart, his boardroom colleague, had already trod warily when answering. He had perhaps wished the shareholder had forgotten about the second part of his question.

The first part was a very worthy enquiry about Ibrox access for ambulant supporters. According to the shareholder, all the disabled tickets are going to wheelchair users. Stewart promised to look into it. “Well, what about the Ibrox church parade then?” the same gentleman asked from the floor.

“At the moment there is no intention to bring back the parade,” Stewart replied carefully. He did add that while the aim is to broaden the supporter base, they did not want to ignore or replace the core supporter base.

Other questions followed, including one from someone from the Dubai Loyal. “Thanks for coming all the way from Dubai!” noted a clearly impressed Cavenagh, who’d already mentioned the Ibrox club’s huge reach when explaining what attracted him to Rangers in the first place.

Another season ticket holder noted he had had a season ticket since 1986, when “Graeme Souness made us great again, though we have always been great”. Being great is one thing, overhauling Celtic is quite another. There was actually less focus on the rivals than one might have imagined.

It seems the penny has dropped that it’s about getting their own house in order first. Hopes are clearly high that Rangers are on the way.