Fresh bid for the Gers

[Ibroxblue 122]

The battle for control of Rangers has taken a dramatic shift to the Middle East, with investors in the Arab state of Qatar being asked to bankroll a fresh takeover bid for the Scottish champions.

Sportsmail believes that former Leeds United chairman Chris Akers has been working hard to gather funding aimed at securing Sir David Murray’s controlling stake in the Ibrox club.

It is understood that Akers is close to negotiating the financial package needed to push ahead with the £33million deal — just as London-based property developer Andrew Ellis prepares the finishing touches to his own drawn-out approach.

A number of significant hurdles remain to be cleared as the Ibrox club reach a potential turning point. Manager Walter Smith is due to make an all-important announcement on his future next week.

There remains the possibility that Ellis and Akers could pool resources.

But, with the latter actually landing enough cash to buy out Murray and satisfy the bankers, it would remove one major obstacle to concluding a protracted saga.

Rangers and Murray have been kept in the dark over the financial package being put in place by possible bidders.

It has led to frustration regarding Ellis, whose reluctance to back up talk with action forced Ibrox chairman Alastair Johnston to publicly express his scepticism earlier this week.

Senior figures at Rangers continue to stress that any deal would have to be rock solid before Murray agreed to sell. The majority shareholder has made it clear he will only move on if convinced that the new owners have the will and wherewithal to take the club forward.

It is understood by Sportsmail that Akers, having failed to secure investment from sources in Dubai, moved on to Doha, where he met with a far more receptive audience.

The former City analyst sold Sports Internet, a business he founded with just £25,000, for over £300m in 2000. By that stage, he had already masterminded a £16m takeover of Leeds, although he was replaced by Peter Ridsdale after three years at the helm of the club’s parent company.

During a long career in the sports investment business, he reportedly tried to persuade Time Warner to take over Manchester United — and his most recent ventures reportedly include securing consultancy rights in Formula One, golf and tennis.

Ellis remains bullish about his chances of concluding a deal with Murray, insisting he is still in pole position to take control of Rangers.

However, Akers’ late arrival on the scene may yet scupper that. Dave King’s hopes of at least providing competition to the Ellis bid appear to be in tatters, with Sportsmail having revealed yesterday that the businessman had been hauled into a South African courtroom on charges of fraud and racketeering.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1280373/Eastern-promise-bid-Rangers-Arabs-ready-fund-fresh-takeover.html#ixzz0oc0u7b9f

[Allzo 91]

I read 'Arab' and 'Qatar' and jizzed at the thought of how much money they might have.

I've not read the rest yet.

[Scott-RFC 308]

Interesting....pinch of salt for now

[fog 289]

i read arab and thought, even if they buy it they are only there to make money

no good for the club

[scotty657 1]

May make Ellis hurry up if anything.

[stuart1994 4,379]

Arabs they know there's no money and just pump money into us, just no americans ever they think they can make money out of football

[StayWestFree 107]

The Daily Mail

[TheNuts 552]

FUCK OFF.

they will ruin the club.

NOT FOR ME.

[minnbear 30]

I love the sound of Arabs buying us, they could build a big ass minaret and have the Sash or the Billy Boys belting out of it a couple of times a day, seven days a week.

[TexasGers 96]

A twist in the plot?

Pinch of salt for now...

[ClintonGrey 365]

Yaaaaaaaaaawn

[MuirhouseBear 291]

I cant be arsed reading that, had a look, no quotes, the words arab and rangers in the same sentence, and its the daily mail.

[KingKirk 25,786]

Arabs dont trust them 1 little bit just look at the arabs that took over portsmouth so not for me.

[TexasGers 96]

I like how people are jumping to radical conclusions based on potential investors' nationality

[chris_glasgow 2]

Fucking Arabs

[likeacare 9]

I cant be arsed reading that, had a look, no quotes, the words arab and rangers in the same sentence, and its the daily mail.

Aye mate. Sounds like pure bullshit. Thread over for me.

[Tea_Total 20]

Have to admit it does not seem plausble but the money in Qatar is what we would need. I know that the De Boer twins are very active in Doha and do push Rangers to the forefront. I worked there for a couple of years and they are football daft.

[nvager 498]

BS if you ask me.

[Ozblue 4,331]

ah well! It makes a fucking change from reading all about this Ellis and King shite every day in the rhags...Same horse, different jockey tis all.

[pcbear 10,924]

Only one Rab,which one? Broon, Nesbitt or Smith, might even have a Rab consortium, handful of the cooking stuff from moi.

[bluenose andy 1]

Will wait and see

[dmac456 0]

doha deer a female deer

[caseyjones 3,009]

...........so nothing new then...........

[dukestreetsoup 69]

Id prefer an Arab owner rather than Andrew Ellis. Theres something about Ellis I dont trust, or maybe I just dont think he is a big enough fish for the size of our pond.

An arab investment wouldnt be in search of profit, it would be purely for 'sport'. Owning a large football club is just the latest toy for these kind of people. This generally means they are willing to pay for success and instead of financial return, they expect sporting success. All speculation of course but this would be a VERY good thing for our club.

I think a rich arab backed deal would financially turn us into a 'Man City' rather than an Ellis backed deal which has a distinct 'Gretna' feel to it.

[Ozblue 4,331]

Id prefer an Arab owner rather than Andrew Ellis. Theres something about Ellis I dont trust, or maybe I just dont think he is a big enough fish for the size of our pond.

An arab investment wouldnt be in search of profit, it would be purely for 'sport'. Owning a large football club is just the latest toy for these kind of people. This generally means they are willing to pay for success and instead of financial return, they expect sporting success. All speculation of course but this would be a VERY good thing for our club.

I think a rich arab backed deal would financially turn us into a 'Man City' rather than an Ellis backed deal which has a distinct 'Gretna' feel to it.

I'm not comfortable with Ellis at all.He isn't going to try and buy Rangers F.C. out of any empathy or football loyalty to our club at all and anybody who thinks otherwise has got fucking rocks in their head.

The sole result of his intended project is to make money from this deal and we all know that won't happen solely through football related business, so we have to look at just how he plans to recoup and then multiply his consortiums investment????

If we look at his cunning plan at QPR,where his intention was to buy the club, relocate it to near Heathrow and turn Loftus Road and its surrounds into a property bonanza, should give some idea as to this guy and his modus operandi...and it's one that chills me to the bone.

Now, knowing that he just can't bulldoze Ibrox or its surrounding area to build property towers, we would have to ask what other part of the Rangers investment could he utilise for this purpose??? and the only thing I can think of would be Murray Park.

I agree with you, dss....I think an Arab consortium would make me breathe easier than Ellis in control at this point in time.Whether it ever happens,I haven't a clue.But then again, this Ellis thing smells like rotten fish to me.