Rangers supremo is at Ibrox for the long haul

FOR some, it would be a dream job. For Dave King, it has been a chore that he could have done without.

But, while there’s work to be done and he remains the best man to do it, Ibrox will continue to be a home from home.

King may not spend much time in Glasgow, although he is here more often than he’d like, but he makes the most of every visit from South Africa.

On his latest trip last week, he met new Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha for the first time and then sat down with journalists to give his thoughts on the past, present and future.

During an hour-long chat, King covered everything from Mark Warburton’s Ibrox exit to funding plans as he prepares to oversee the next phase of activity in the transfer market this summer.

King has made a headline or two during his involvement with Rangers and his latest public utterances were no different. Whenever he speaks, the noise level rises. Whether you agree or disagree with him, King has a captive audience.

Yet his words were delivered with a calmness and authority that would be expected from a man in his position at Ibrox.

The comments about Warburton, below, being ‘thinskinned’ weren’t a surprise, although those about potentially pursuing the former Gers boss or Nottingham Forest for compensation were not ones that many would have seen coming. Only time will tell if they are just a shot across the bows of Warburton and the League Managers Association.

King brushed aside questions about the ruling from the Takeover Appeal Board, a verdict that ordered him to make an offer of 20p per share to all Ibrox investors after he was adjudged to have acted ‘in concert’ during his rise to power two years ago.

There was a commitment to continue funding Rangers in the short-term, but his future at Ibrox became the subject of some conjecture. Being chairman is not all fun and games, it seems.

King may be playing the part of a reluctant saviour but his role in the Light Dave King might not spend a lot of time in Glasgow but he is still determined to succeed with his grand plan for Rangers Blue rebuilding job is as important now as it was when he, Paul Murray and John Gilligan won the lengthy boardroom war. There are still battles to be fought. And, right now, King is the man that Rangers need to lead from the front.

The lengthy litigation battle with Mike Ashley continues to take up the majority of King’s time when he deals with Rangers issues. Every week, there are hundreds of emails to be dealt with and hours spent on the phone. Yet he’s undeterred.

He is keen to find a solution that benefits Rangers and allows them to normalise their retail operation. His admission Rangers could do a ‘proper’ kit launch this summer gave fans hope they’ll finally feel able to purchase merchandise once again.

The financial benefits for Rangers would be considerable and it would be another marker post passed on the road to recovery.

KING admitted he could step down from his boardroom position once Rangers was back on a ‘certain footing’ and allow a ‘local chairman’ to take over. Even if that was the case, his status as the largest shareholder would still give him a considerable voice in how Rangers are managed.

King doesn’t need to be in Glasgow to run the club and he doesn’t need to be chairman to invest in Rangers. Right now, his time and effort are as important as his money.

The financial burden at Ibrox continues to fall on King and the likes of Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor. They are investors that King can trust, fans that Rangers can rely on.

All of their contributions are crucial. The ongoing involvement from King is the most important of all, though, and his commitment to the cause was perhaps the most heartening message of the lot for supporters.