Rangers takeover: ‘Worried’ Ally McCoist seeks clarity on bidders

RANGERS manager Ally McCoist has expressed his growing anxiety over the administration process at the club and urged that the identity of a preferred bidder is announced imminently.

More than two months after being placed under the control of administrators Duff & Phelps by owner Craig Whyte, the Ibrox club’s future remains unclear and without any guarantee of avoiding liquidation.

Monday night’s dramatic announcement by former director Paul Murray’s Blue Knights consortium that they were stepping back from the battle for control of Rangers, having seemed to be in pole position to be named as preferred bidders by Duff & Phelps, has left the rival offers from Singaporean businessman Bill Ng and American millionaire Bill Miller in contention to be accepted.

Ticketus, the finance company who funded Whyte’s takeover of Rangers last May through their purchase of advance season ticket sales worth £27million, remain willing to be involved with both the Blue Knights consortium and Ng’s bid, but have had no contact with Miller.

McCoist, who has played an active role in talking to prospective buyers of the club since it went into administration on 14 February, fears the lack of progress by the adminstrators, who todayinstigated a £25m legal case against owner Craig Whyte’s former lawyers Collyer Bristow, is threatening his hopes of delivering success on the pitch next season.

“I won’t lie to you, I’m really concerned and really worried because we have a lot of planning to do,” he said. “We have pre-season games and hopefully we’ll try to arrange pre-season tours. All these things and players coming and going makes it concerning.

“There obviously have been developments and it looks like the preferred bidder status has moved away from the Blue Knights and perhaps headed to either the American bid or the Singaporean bid.

“Obviously, like all Rangers fans, I think the sooner the preferred bidder status is announced would be a big, big step in the right direction. The uncertainty and the lack of clarity about the future is obviously really concerning and worrying for everyone, be that players, staff or fans.

“I can totally understand everybody’s concern and that’s why I’m hopeful that it will be sooner rather than later.”

The jolt to the Blue Knights bid came when Ticketus, enlisted as part of the consortium, declined to pay a non-refundable fee of £500,000 required by the administrators for exclusivity throughout the next stage of the takeover process. It also emerged that Ng had opened talks with Ticketus, who could now also play a role in his bid for Rangers.

“Discussions with both bids are ongoing and, ultimately, we are prepared to work with whichever bid the administrators think is best,” said a Ticketus spokesman yesterday.

Ng, who was thought to be heading to the UK earlier today as the initiative appeared to swing towards him, insisted he has yet to reach any deal with Ticketus and remained cautious about his prospects of being named as preferred bidder.

“We have not agreed any terms with Ticketus at the moment,” Ng told BBC Scotland. “I do not want to speculate on the reasons of Blue Knights’ withdrawal but the apparent withdrawal from the bidding process by the Blue Knights means only that the chances of taking over increases for the two remaining bidders left in the process.

“The best interest for Rangers will be the best bid forward. We accept this as a matter of fact. I do not have the facts of what Mr Bill Miller has proposed. I only know what I can do and what my plans are for the club, if I am successful. I believe it is more important for me to stay focused at this point of time and prepare for our ground works, regardless of the result of the announcement by the administrators.”

Irrespective of the preferred bidder eventually chosen by Duff & Phelps, the prospect of Rangers’ successfully emerging from administration remains largely dependent on Craig Whyte being persuaded to relinquish the 85 per cent shareholding in the club he secured from previous owner Sir David Murray 11 months ago. The outstanding ruling in the First Tier Tribunal on HMRC’s tax bill claim against Rangers, potentially in excess of £70 million, also prevents any prospective purchaser from having total clarity on the situation they would inherit.

It remains possible that Brian Kennedy, who withdrew from the bidding process at the end of last month, could return to the negotiating table. The Sale Sharks owner, whose original offer for the club was backed by former manager Graeme Souness, has repeated his desire to ensure Rangers avoid liquidation.

“I do not want to distract the time-critical process of appointing preferred bidders,” he said earlier today.

“However, should this fall through with the effect of endangering the existence of RFC, I would reconsider my position.”