DAVE KING’S IBROX ARMY
Club praises fan’s bid for volunteers to refurbish stadium
A RANGERS fan’s bid to bring together a volunteer army of tradesmen to refurbish Ibrox and the Murray Park training ground has been praised by the club.
The internet initiative was launched by Rangers supporter Allan Woods after the club’s biggest individual shareholder Dave King, who orchestrated last week’s boardroom revolution, said Ibrox might need millions of pounds spent on basic repairs.
It has previously been claimed it will cost £10 million for essential maintenance work for Ibrox and Murray Park.
It is understood as many as 50 workers have come forward so far to offer their services for free including joiners, electricians, welders, plasterers, bricklayers and painters.
Mr Woods’ invite said: “I am looking to collate a list of volunteers who are willing to give up a few hours or days of their time to help with essential work at Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park.
“Tradesmen in all trades are especially required but there is also plenty of work for the unskilled. This is our chance to show Rangers fans simply are the best. Even if just for a couple of hours per week, join up with Ibrox refurb today and let’s get our club back where we belong.”
The request was questioned by some who feared that there would be health and safety and insurance issues with employing the Bears’ craftsman corps – but Mr Woods said: “We can save the club £5 million a year by mucking in and [it] can go to the team.”
Rangers director John Gilligan said: “The club appreciates this kind gesture by the fans. At the present time we are assessing the condition of the stadium to prioritise the essential works required and will make contact with the supporters in the coming weeks.”
The move came as Chris Graham, the fans’ group leader who with the Union of Fans and the support of King helped orchestrated a boycott of season tickets last May in opposition to the last Ibrox board, became a non-executive director on the Rangers plc board.
Mr Graham, also a prominent member of the Rangers Supporters Trust, said he believed the appointment showed the new King board “were not just paying lip-service to fan representation”.
John Bennett, director of European Equities at Henderson Global Investors, has also been appointed to the plc board and James Blair, who has been a solicitor for more than 30 years, has become company secretary.
UoF launched a website for supporters to pledge season ticket money which was to be withheld until Rangers directors handed over the security to Ibrox. Ibrox 1972 Ltd had been set up by ex-Rangers player Richard Gough and former director King as custodians of the security if granted, which it never was.
The appointments follow an announcement t hat Derek Llambias, Sandy Easdale and Barry Leach have been suspended from Rangers – while a resolution is prepared that aims to remove them as directors of the operating company, The Rangers Football Club Ltd.
Former chief executive Llambias and finance director Leach exited the Rangers International Football Club plc holding company board as directors after a landslide victory by Dave King and his allies at an extraordinary general meeting on Friday, where King obtained around 85 per cent of the vote.
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