DEFIANT McCOIST
Ally rails against those who would have him leave for nothing ... and vows to honour his contract
ALLY McCOIST has hit back at claims he is putting his own bank balance before the financial welfare of Rangers.
The 52-year-old discussed his resignation as Ibrox boss for the first time yesterday after being branded greedy by some fans for refusing to tear up his contract following a string of poor results.
With his team languishing nine points behind leaders Hearts in the Championship, McCoist bowed to public pressure last week by telling the board he would serve his 12-month notice period.
And the Ibrox icon says he intends to honour the full terms of his contract with his salary controversially set to rise to £750,000 for the last year.
In a rebuke to the board, McCoist also questioned the public exposure of his salary on two different occasions but insisted the decision to resign as manager was ‘a relief ’.
‘I can understand the opinion of those who say go now, of course I can, and I respect it,’ he said. ‘But I have got a contract to honour and that is what I am going to do because I ain’t walking out on a contract — it’s not the right thing to do.
‘The bottom line is, until someone tells me otherwise, I’ve got a contract I want to honour.’
McCoist met director Sandy Easdale for brief t alks on his r esignation on Wednesday. Unable to pay the lump sum required to terminate his contract early, the Ibrox board hoped the manager might volunteer to sacrifice any pay-off
and walk away. I went into the meeting on Wednesday looking to discuss me handing in my notice,’ added McCoist. ‘But at no time did I think that I wouldn’t be walking out of it as Rangers manager. I was expecting to walk out of it as Rangers manager for the next 12 months and that’s the case.’ Asked if he expected to see out the full 12-month notice period set down in his one-year rolling contract, McCoist added: ‘Yes. Absolutely. ‘I don’t know if it’s realistic or not but I expect it to happen because it is in the boundaries of the contract. ‘Whose court is the ball in now? I wouldn’t say the ball is in
“I have nothing to hide or to be ashamed of ”
anybody’s court. I think it has been made quite clear by the board and myself that it is business as usual.’ Defending himself against the accusations of greed, McCoist drew a distinction between himself and the stream of directors who have walked away from the club with large pay-offs, saying: ‘I worked for nothing for months. I decided to take a 45-per-cent cut, I then took a 40-per-cent cut. ‘I’m not saying: “A big pat on the back for Ally” but there’s a wee bit more to it than meets the eye. ‘When I signed my contract for Rangers there was no negotiation. ‘Martin Bain (former Rangers chief executive) put a contract down and I took a pen and signed it. I was just delighted I was getting the job so that’s what I did. ‘During the administration period I worked for nothing, so there are other factors that should be taken into account as well. ‘I can understand different views and opinions on it but there’s a wee bit more to it.’ The Rangers statement to the Stock Exchange confirming McCoist’s resignation came on Monday morning. Pointedly, it also revealed that the manager’s salary would rise for the final year of his contract. McCoist said: ‘Did it disappoint me that my wages were highlighted? ‘When I became the first Rangers manager in history to have his salary put in the accounts that made me realise that probably nothing should shock me. ‘It didn’t disappoint me because it didn’t surprise me. ‘Was it unnecessary? That would be the opinion of many, yes. If I said it was unnecessary that would give the impression I was upset about it. But I’m not. ‘I have nothing to hide. I have nothing to be ashamed of. It is what it is. ‘People will have their own opinion of it and see it for what it is. But it’s past now. ‘Put it this way, I was surprised more when my salary was put in the Rangers accounts.’ Uncertain if he will now attend what is sure to be a heated club annual general meeting on Monday, McCoist said the response from the ‘vast majority’ of the Rangers support to his resignation has been positive. ‘The vast, vast majority of them have been very good in the respect that they’ve thanked me. ‘The majority are appreciative of the fact it’s a very stressful job and it might be time for me, in a year’s time, to enjoy my life.’