Rangers ‘should be controlled by fans’

The Rangers First group is making big strides as George Taylor backs fans for ownership. Picture: John Devlin

Along with partners Douglas Park and George Letham – as well as oldco director Dave King – the Hong Kong-based banker is among three factions battling for control of the Glasgow club.

But while the Three Bears’ most immediate threat comes from US financier Robert Sarver – who has launched a £20 million takeover bid – and the current board and their ally Mike Ashley, Taylor believes the club should eventually be governed by the Ibrox supporters.

The Morgan Stanley managing director has now signed up to a life-time membership with fan-ownership group Rangers First. In a statement issues yesterday, he said: “My hope is that direct fan ownership would become the biggest individual owner of Rangers.”

Rangers First have made a number of significant strides in recent days.

Wealthy supporter Jim McColl recently handed the group his 10,000-share Ibrox stake last week, while they have signed up around 700 new members since the Three Bears and King bought up around 34 per cent of the club in two surprise transactions just before the new year.

The scheme – which is similar to the one used to rescue Hearts from administration – is now collecting thousands of pounds a month from contributors and using that to buy up shares.

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On Saturday night, they announced another 60,000 shares had been purchased, giving them control of 0.8 per cent of the club. The Rangers Supporters Trust has also recently increased its stake to just over one per cent.

With the fight for power set to come down to which faction can get to 51 per cent, the fans could yet play a vital role for the Three Bears and King in the coming days.

The board urgently needs to raise cash to keep the club afloat and an announcement on Sarver’s revised takeover bid and possible news of another emergency loan is expected early this week.

A general meeting may also be called if King and the Three Bears can find the support to force boardroom change.

Rangers First director Ricki Neill said: “With our monthly contributors donating amounts from £5 upwards, Rangers First have the income to buy an increasing number of shares every month.

“The more members we get the faster we grow and the bigger our shareholding becomes. We also have the Club 1872 membership which George Taylor has recently joined, this costs £500 and was designed originally to help us reach our target in as short a period as possible.

“George Taylor is one of many true Rangers fans that have joined Club 1872, we look forward to meeting up with George in the near future.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Nicky Law believes a win against Hearts this Friday night could kick-start Rangers’ Scottish Championship title push.

The Ibrox side host the league leaders but cannot afford to let Robbie Neilson’s men add to their already yawning 13-point advantage at the top of the table.

Law, who scored a first-half winner as Rangers finally beat Alloa at the fourth time of asking on Saturday with a turgid 1-0 success at the Indodrill Stadium, said: “The quality of player we have got, we know we should be doing a lot better than we have been doing.

“There is no way we should be 13 points behind Hearts but we are.

“Unfortunately that is a huge gap to claw back but we will do our best to try and rein them in, starting on Friday night.

“It’s a must-win game. If we can get it back to ten, you never know.”

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