Watch the throne: Who steps up when King abdicates?
WHEN Dr Evil reveals his dastardly plan for the nuclear warhead he has stolen from the breakaway Russian republic of Kreplachistan in the 1997 movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, his henchmen are decidedly unimpressed.
“We hold the world ransom,” he cackles maniacally to the bemused looks of those around him in his secret underground lair. “For $1million!”
When it is pointed out to Powers’ nemesis that the value of the dollar has fallen somewhat during the 30 years he has been cryogenically frozen in outer space due to inflation and the United Nations are unlikely to be troubled by such a paltry demand, he quickly ups his asking price to $100billion.
I thought Mike Myers’ comedy creation was about as amusing as being told to cover a Wednesday night game at Ochilview in January. But that particular scene did tickle me. And it came to mind last week when it emerged Rangers intend to raise £20million from another share issue during the summer.
While the fresh injection of money into the Ibrox club will be welcome down Govan way, and is vital if they are to continue as a going concern, it isn’t exactly going to have their cash-rich arch-enemies Celtic quaking in their new adidas Predators.
How much of the £20m will actually go towards strengthening Steven
Gerrard’s squad anyway? A portion of it, perhaps. But most will again be used to offset losses. Rangers will still, even if Alfredo Morelos is sold, not be able to bring in the same quality the defending champions have or match their strength in depth.
However, the fact that Rangers now have a couple of International Men of Mystery – brought to the table, as Julian Wolhardt was back in 2017, by shareholder and long-term benefactor George Taylor no doubt – from the Far East waiting in the wings is an intriguing development.
One of the potential investors was given a guided tour of Ibrox in January and the following week returned to Glasgow to attend the William Hill Scottish Cup game against Stranraer.
His interest was most definitely piqued.
The involvement of Liverpool legend Gerrard, a hugely popular figure in Premier League-obsessed Asia, is a definite attraction.
It was good to catch up with John Gilligan recently, the lifelong Rangers supporter who, along with Dave King and Paul Murray, ousted the former regime at an EGM five years ago this month.
The former director described the current set-up at Ibrox – wealthy and reputable fans putting their hard-earned cash in for no return and supporters’ group Club 1872 owning a sizeable stake and having a voice – “as good as it gets” and stated his opposition to a “sugar daddy”.
The overseas money men will, as Wolhardt did, expect places on the board in return for their funds. Who, then, will hold the balance of power? Will they have a significant say? And what, if any, will King’s role be going forward?
He stated his intention was to stay involved and sort out the Sports Direct stand-off. But he hasn’t made great headway on that front to date. It is a convoluted mess and no mistake. But is the costly impasse due to the individuals involved and personal grievances? Relations haven’t exactly been amicable. Why would Mike Ashley agree to a deal that will benefit the man who forced him out in the first place?
Would somebody else perhaps be better placed to reach an agreeable compromise? It would be worth King selling up, standing aside and letting others try to open up a vast and largely untapped revenue stream that would allow Rangers to narrow the gap on Celtic further.
An announcement on the new chairman is long overdue. A strong, vocal and visible figurehead is required. King has been sighted about as much on Edmiston Drive as Craig Whyte this season. A public show of support for Gerrard wouldn’t have gone amiss in recent weeks. The manager has been left to address the fallout to a dire run of results all by himself.
New faces, fresh ideas, professional acumen and a different tack are needed as well as a substantial cash injection if Rangers are to build on the progress they made.
Alternatively, they could just steal a nuclear warhead from the breakaway Russian republic of Kreplachistan and hold the world ransom.