McColl why he has to save (steal) Rangers

[ray 105]

Make your own minds up, to me no better than tbk's idea of getting the club on the cheap.

Jim McColl: Why I have to save Rangers

Ian McConnell

Group Business Editor

MILLIONAIRE entrepreneur Jim McColl and former manager Walter Smith were last night putting together a deal to take over Rangers.

JIM McCOLL: Putting together a deal

The club was bought by businessman Charles Green for £5.5million yesterday as it was plunged into liquidation.

However, Mr McColl last night urged Mr Green to sell the club to his consortium, which also includes wealthy car dealership and coach hire business owner Douglas Park.

Mr McColl, a Rangers fan and one of Scotland's best-known businessmen, is lending his expertise to a bid which would see Ibrox hero Smith installed as club chairman.

He explained that he had "real concern" Mr Green's takeover would be a "re-run of what has happened before".

He added: "None of us have any confidence that it is a secure way forward for the club. We want to make sure it is in good hands, safe hands."

Mr McColl revealed his plans after another dramatic day in Rangers' 140-year history.

Mr Green's proposed company voluntary arrangement – which would have avoided liquidation – was formally rejected at a meeting at Ibrox lasting just nine minutes after HM Revenue & Customs announced it would not support it.

He then bought the club's entire assets through his "newco" firm of Sevco under a pre-arranged deal.

However, Mr McColl, who became one of Scotland's wealthiest men after building up the Clyde Blowers engineering empire, last night said: "I would like to issue a public appeal to Charles Green to strongly consider selling the club to the Walter Smith consortium.

"This would be in the best interests of Rangers, the Rangers fans, and all of Scottish football. Mr Green does not have the backing of the Rangers support and, the longer he delays, the harder the situation will become.

"I don't think he will get the fans' support or the players' support."

Referring to reports yesterday that manager Ally McCoist was to quit the club after falling out with Mr Green, Mr McColl said: "You saw the announcement about McCoist, indicating that Green was a wee bit duplicitous with him, if that's the right word. Alistair obviously had some issues."

Explaining his reasons for launching a bid to save the club, Mr McColl added: "I think there is real concern about the Charles Green bid and what might happen. A number of people have been approached by him. They feel uncomfortable about the way it is going.

"We wouldn't have come out with this if we had been comfortable, if the deal was going through, the club was being saved and everything was going to be hunky-dory. But I think there is real concern about this being a re-run of what has happened before.

"There is a real concern. The focus here is to make sure this is stabilised and safe, that is all. Rangers Football Club is far too important for Scotland, Scottish football, and Glasgow to be messed up again.

"Our bid is because the group that is involved want to make sure that it is in good hands, in safe hands.

"A number of the individuals in our group have great concerns because of their interactions with Green. The way it is going, there is not enough transparency. There is just worry, with all the club has been through. The group here has decided that something had to be done to fix this – to try to recover the situation with the club.

"The question we will be asked now is why didn't we come forward before.

"The answer is that none of us wanted to own a football club, but when we saw the way it is going, everyone has been forced to say, 'Look, we have to do something'."

Mr McColl refused to reveal how much money he was putting into the Walter Smith-led consortium, saying: "I don't want to comment about me or any of the consortium. I have no comment to make about who, or how much, or what. This is a genuine effort to support Walter Smith and the Rangers supporters to secure their club going forward."

Mr Green last night installed Malcolm Murray, a former pensions fund boss and an Ibrox season ticket holder, as chairman of Rangers and vowed the club "will rise again".

Mr Green also said he wants McCoist to remain as manager and "firmly believes he is the man to take Rangers forward."

But Rangers fans' chiefs last night urged supporters not to buy season tickets until Mr Green "steps aside" and allows Smith and Mr McColl's consortium to take control of the club.

[jack1690 793]

Eh....... so where exactly has he been since Feb 14th?

[paisleyroad 894]

It would be great to get McColl, Walter, Parks in the driving seat but is everyone just condemning Green?

McColl says Green is showing 'no transparency' with regards to what his intentions are, then he says he won't reveal his involvement or how much he will invest (confused)

[derek1872 548]

Why didnt he just come along before it got this bad? He could affor a few million without even putting a dent in his wealth. Dont tell me its because he has suddenly became concerned. This whole affair has been a mess for months/years.

[derek1872 548]

It would be great to get McColl, Walter, Parks in the driving seat but is everyone just condemning Green?

McColl says Green is showing 'no transparency' with regards to what his intentions are, then he says he won't reveal his involvement or how much he will invest (confused)

Aye now that SWS has came forward.

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

They were clearly waiiting for the company to be liquidated before they would put in a bid, they didn't think it was finacially viable any other way.

[derek1872 548]

They were clearly waiiting for the company to be liquidated before they would put in a bid, they didn't think it was finacially viable any other way.

I would have a lot more respect and trust if they just came out and said that rather than trying to make out they are our saviours.

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

Aye now that SWS has came forward.

Is condemning the correct word, i think people just want the club in the hands of walter smith, and understandbly so.

As long as green behaves reasonably during the sale he will go with my best wishes.

[North Rd 2,860]

Ill be honest here, I didnt trust Whyte and I dont trust Green.

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

I would have a lot more respect and trust if they just came out and said that rather than trying to make out they are our saviours.

I think they would be saviours but it would be PR suciside to say ..well we love the club but we don't love it enough to put a huge dent in our bank balances....

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

Ill be honest here, I didnt trust Whyte and I dont trust Green.

I didn't trust whyte fropm the begining, but i had a reason. Not seen any proof green is as dodgy as Whyte though

[Smile 26,610]

This is too little too late.

[derek1872 548]

I think they would be saviours but it would be PR suciside to say ..well we love the club but we don't love it enough to put a huge dent in our bank balances....

£6 million shouldnt be a huge dent to the people backing this though. I for one have had enough of arseholes playing with words trying to take our club. Its time for honesty

[paisleyroad 894]

This club will not be sold for £6 million, Green has investors, guys he probably plans to use in future ventures, they have spent £5.5million already outwith other fees e.t.c.

i do not think for 1 minute his investors are gonna say 'oh cheers for that Charles, you made us fuck all, what's next in the pipeline?'

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

£6 million shouldnt be a huge dent to the people backing this though. I for one have had enough of arseholes playing with words trying to take our club. Its time for honesty

If they got involved before this they would have to have proposed a CVA, they clearly didn't want to get involved in that and the possible liabilities that could ahve come from it. They have taken the view, like the vast majority of our support, that the company can die and the club will remain. I also think we haver a far better chance of that being a reality by getting a result from the SFA and SPL with these guys in charge opposed to charles green....

[derek1872 548]

If they got involved before this they would have to have proposed a CVA, they clearly didn't want to get involved in that and the possible liabilities that could ahve come from it. They have taken the view, like the vast majority of our support, that the company can die and the club will remain. I also think we haver a far better chance of that being a reality by getting a result from the SFA and SPL with these guys in charge opposed to charles green....

So they fancied a gamble and hoped when we got liquidated all would go in their favour and it would all be ok? WIll they still be so eager to be in charge if we get sent to division 3 do you think?

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

They were clearly waiiting for the company to be liquidated before they would put in a bid, they didn't think it was finacially viable any other way.

And to be honest GCL...given HMRC's response which I think looked favourably upon Rangers - it was probably the best course of action from a buisness sense.. I actually wonder if they had a "heads up" on how HMRC would settle this.

[North Rd 2,860]

I didn't trust whyte fropm the begining, but i had a reason. Not seen any proof green is as dodgy as Whyte though

GLC you being serious.... talks a good game yes, anytime I have went for a job vacancy i look into who im joining and their background. Green didnt even know who founded the club or who Davy Cooper was, and after the fiasco with McCoist I know where and how I will be voting, had enough shysters at Ibrox to last a lifetime.

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

So they fancied a gamble and hoped when we got liquidated all would go in their favour and it would all be ok? WIll they still be so eager to be in charge if we get sent to division 3 do you think?

We were always getting liquidated....

Of course, i would be far more worried about greens consortium than smiths in that scenario....

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

GLC you being serious.... talks a good game yes, anytime I have went for a job vacancy i look into who im joining and their background. Green didnt even know who founded the club or who Davy Cooper was, and after the fiasco with McCoist I know where and how I will be voting, had enough shysters at Ibrox to last a lifetime.

why does that make him dodgy ? It just means he wasn't a rangers fan...

[CanadianBacon 2,088]

Eh....... so where exactly has he been since Feb 14th?

This (ten-fold)

This last-minute shit is bang out of order. Smith, McColl, Park (who was meant to be involved in the Troo Bloo How-Do-You-Do mob) have fucked about and fucked about and ultimately none of them wanted to get their hands dirtied with the stigma of "liquidation".....but once that's out of the way......

They make me sick to my stomach the lot of them.

[North Rd 2,860]

why does that make him dodgy ? It just means he wasn't a rangers fan...

Dodgy, something still smells between him and D&P pushing it through soo fast. Reports were he didnt have the funds, he was using the CVA money to keep Rangers going just now, 20 investers, about 4 maybe, stalking Douglas Park to join up....... I dont trust him sorry, in it for the money (fair Play) but he will sell, watch how Ally and the players respond to the TUPE

[Smile 26,610]

Dodgy, something still smells between him and D&P pushing it through soo fast. Reports were he didnt have the funds, he was using the CVA money to keep Rangers going just now, 20 investers, about 4 maybe, stalking Douglas Park to join up....... I dont trust him sorry, in it for the money (fair Play) but he will sell, watch how Ally and the players respond to the TUPE

Reports he didn't have the funds were coming from The TBK boys which in itself is ironic.

The idea that it was pushed through fast seem ludicrous as well, its just he seemed well organised and know what he was doing that cant be said of the other bidders

He's stepped up to the plate when other groups haven't for that he has to be given a chance.

[Edmiston Drive 3,846]

GLC you being serious.... talks a good game yes, anytime I have went for a job vacancy i look into who im joining and their background. Green didnt even know who founded the club or who Davy Cooper was, and after the fiasco with McCoist I know where and how I will be voting, had enough shysters at Ibrox to last a lifetime.

Until the recent upsurge in the Founders on various sites I would bet a 1p against a £1 if you had taken a poll outside Ibrox very few fans could have given you the names of the now named Pioneers.

[North Rd 2,860]

Until the recent upsurge in the Founders on various sites I would bet a 1p against a £1 if you had taken a poll outside Ibrox very few fans could have given you the names of the now named Pioneers.

You have answered my statement with your first line ED.