Craig Whyte’s ‘enormous sympathy’ over impending Rangers redundancies

RANGERS owner Craig Whyte claims he has “enormous sympathy” for those who will lose their jobs as part of cost-cutting measures at the club.

But he insists the painful administration process – and any redundancies as a result – is necessary to make the club stronger in the long-term.

Administrators Duff and Phelps could make an announcement today regarding staffing levels, amid speculation that a number of first team regulars could be heading for the exit door.

As he headed into talks with the administrators in London, Whyte told STV last night: “Clearly I’ve got enormous sympathy for anyone who’s losing their job in this process. But, what I would say is, that Rangers were a company in enormous financial distress long before I came along.

“This is part of solving the problem to make Rangers a stronger business when it comes out of administration, which we are all working very hard to do.”

Rangers were forced into administration on 14 February over an unpaid tax bill of £9million accrued since Whyte’s takeover of the club last May.

The businessman again reiterated his belief that he had not been responsible for any financial wrong-doing during his tenure.

He said: “Every penny is in the club and every penny is accounted for. I’ve got to meet the administrators now and they will confirm all of that in due course.”

Ticketus paid £24 million to secure the right to sell the club’s future season tickets, with part of the cash used by Whyte to complete his takeover.

Administrators confirmed money from the deal was used by Whyte to pay the club’s £18million debt to Lloyds Banking Group when he purchased Sir David Murray’s majority shareholding. In an open letter published on the Rangers official website on 31 January, Whyte gave an account of his takeover which was widely interpreted as an assurance Ticketus funds were not in any way used.

When quizzed last night about misleading fans over the cash, Whyte said: I’ve got enormous financial commitment to the club, bigger than anybody else. I’m working very hard to get Rangers through this administration process and out the other end as quickly as possible and make sure that Rangers are a successful and strong business going forward and that’s what we are working towards.”

So far, director of football Gordon Smith and chief operating officer Ali Russell have been the only casualties of the administration process after their departures were confirmed last Thursday. The administrators have yet to make any cuts to the playing squad with news of any redundancies likely to be made ahead of tomorrow’s game against Hearts. A statement from the administrators read: “Duff and Phelps, the administrators of Rangers Football Club, advise all media there will be no announcement today in relation to staffing levels in any department of the club. Discussions are ongoing regarding potential cost-saving measures and announcements will be made at the earliest opportunity, most likely tomorrow.”