Rangers chief in '£100m dropping from heaven' finance response and the 'trick' the club have missed with fans

Rangers vice-chairman John Bennett believes the club missed a trick in how they communicated Champions League qualification to fans.

The Ibrox club have come in for criticism from supporters for issues both on and off the field since the summer.

Fans had hoped for more investment in the squad following significant transfer sales,including Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo to Ajax and Southampton respectively, plus the revenue generated from reaching the Champions League group stage.

In an RangersFootballClub%28Official%29">interview with Rangers TV Bennett spoke of “two unacceptable performances” as well as his role being the “single hardest challenge” he’s taken on in his business life since arriving at the club more than seven years ago.

He also explained that headline figures of £100million and £40million are far from the reality but admitted the club had to collectively own up to not better explaining the situation to supporters.

Bennett said: "It is in some ways quite ironic the questions around the club's finances have gone from 'goodness where's it coming from? How are we going to look in three months? How are we going to look in six months?’ Those were very real questions.

"I’ve seen some stuff recently about £100million dropping from heaven. £40million dropping from heaven. Headline numbers. It has never been more true to say never believe the headlines. You can rail against that, you can choose to point the finger at the usual suspects.

"Let's look at ourselves. Where have we fallen short? We have fallen short in our communication of what qualification for the Champions League group stages actually means in financial terms. We fell short. We must all own it together. I think we missed a trick. I think we could have come out after the PSV game and said ‘let's celebrate, we’re back but this is what it really means’.

Rangers vice chairman John Bennett spoke on the need for better communication with fans. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

"There was a vacuum and it was filled ‘where's the money gone?’ Rangers are not going to be sat on piles and piles of cash as this year progresses. Rangers continue to invest on and off the pitch and we will continue to invest because the bar only rises.”

Fix it

As well as one-field matters, fans have been vocal around the MyGers membership system as well as supporters group Union Bears, who are keen to improve the atmosphere even more at Ibrox.

Bennett is keen to fix that communication issue.

“I am a part owner of Rangers but I am every bit an owner of Rangers as a fan as someone who happens to own shares,” he said. “So never will I take them for granted, never.

"That is why I am annoyed that some valid criticism and observations that our communication with our fans hasn't been good enough recently. Let's fix that.”

"Because they own the club, it's not just a phrase - they own the club."

Rangers got back to winning ways at the weekend ahead of the international break with a 2-1 win over Dundee United following three successive defeats without scoring a goal.