Dave King urges SFA to suspend director over '˜great unwashed' comments

Dave King has called for the SFA to take action and suspend an non-executive director of the governing body for comments he allegedly made about Rangers fans.

Gary Hughes appeared to label Gers supporters “the great unwashed” in an article that appeared in The Publican magazine in August 2006.

At the time, Hughes was Chief Executive Officer of the trade magazine’s publisher, CMPI.

Asked to explain what he loved about Glasgow pubs, Hughes is reported to have said: “Glaswegians are passionate about sport - actually, I mean fitba’!

Probe calls: Ibrox chairman Dave King. Picture: SNS Group

“The next best thing to being at Celtic Park (only the great unwashed venture South to Ibrox) is watching the game, pint of Tennents in hand along with some like-minded souls.”

Now Ibrox chairman King has urged Hampden top brass to suspend Hughes, and demanded an in-depth probe.

In quotes reported by the Herald, King said: “I can confirm receipt of information, which would appear to be credible and merits an immediate and thorough independent investigation.

“Mr Hughes should be suspended pending the investigation.

“I also believe steps must be taken to ascertain whether any other SFA individuals were aware of what Mr Hughes said about Rangers supporters before he was appointed a non-executive director of the governing body in 2015.”

King insisted that it was “important to discover” if there had been any breach of the SFA’s duties and responsibilities to all clubs.