Green talks about Ally

[simplythebest 11,453]

IT’S the most important relationship at the club.

Charles Green instantly agrees with that.

Yet the Sevco frontman snubbed opportunities to meet Ally McCoist in the weeks leading up to the £5.5million takeover of Rangers — because he didn’t see the point.

Even after the new owners were installed, the Yorkshireman then advised manager McCoist to support Walter Smith as the legendary Ibrox boss, backed by wealthy Scots businessman Jim McColl, tried to offer Sevco an immediate return on their money.

For Green it was all about principles.

He’d already carried out due diligence on the club’s record goalscorer, speaking to people such as Graeme Souness for character checks. Feedback was nothing but positive.

And when it came to Light Blues godfather and mentor Smith, realistic Green felt McCoist had to align himself with the nine-in-a-row boss.

Their relationship remains a work in progress, but the Gers chief executive wouldn’t swap McCoist for anyone. Not even the shocking defeat to Stirling Albion affected his belief in the supporters’ idol.

Of the early days and now, Green told SunSport: “Three or four times Duff & Phelps said to me ‘Do you want to meet Ally?’. I said no.

“It confused them like mad because everybody else who had been looking at the club had sat down with Ally and discussed things with him.

“Now I’d never met Ally, but I’d known of him and seen him on Question of Sport and all the other things on telly. I’d spoken to two or three people in football who knew him, Souness for example, and they’d talked highly of him. So I had knowledge of Ally.

“In any case I wondered what Ally would have been able to tell me, particularly with questions I needed answered.

“When I eventually did buy the club, almost immediately it was said that there were big problems between me and him, that we didn’t get on and he was thinking of quitting.

“We were actually working very closely together.

“I remember meeting with Ally at the time Walter Smith was looking at buying the club.

“Ally said to me ‘Charles, I’m in a really difficult position here. I can’t come out and support you because Walter’s trying to buy the club, he’s been my pal for 20 years’.

“I said ‘Well, let me make it easy for you. If you can come out and support me in this situation then you’re no good to me. That’s because if you can be disloyal to Walter, you’ll also be disloyal to me’.

“So I advised him to support Walter. I made it clear that if he could pull it off, we would sell to him and everything would be fine.

“But I also stressed to Ally that after this there could be no more. I told him this club had to get on.

“We were in a room dealing with the SFA and the SPL and I had Bomber Brown out there one week and Walter the next week.

“Instead of being with my kids down in Devon, I was making all the decisions on the future of Rangers Football Club while no one wanted me here. The fans didn’t want me, these other buyers didn’t want me.

“But I just kept on looking round — there was only me and Ally there.

“Now, of course, I have a great relationship with Ally and a great relationship with Walter. I see Walter regularly at games. We get on well.”

Green has enormous regard for McCoist both as a person and manager. So much so he can’t ever imagine sacking him.

He said: “People ask what’s the most important relationship at the football club. Well, it’s not between the centre forward and the right winger. It’s between the chief executive and the manager.

“And Ally, apart from being a Rangers legend and the all-time top goalscorer, is a very bright guy.

“He is not what I’d call a typical football manager. Ally is very intelligent, he’s very articulate, he understands both the playing side and the other parts of running this business.

“There’s no chance of me sacking Ally.

“He knows better than anyone, having played for the club, what’s expected by Rangers fans, by the club, by the board of directors.

“I could bring in another manager tomorrow. I could have easily done it in the summer when there were a few approaches from people after we bought the club over. It was non-stop. But it was never a consideration for me to move on Ally.

“What we have here is a man who understands the history and the culture of Rangers. He has come through the most difficult circumstances possible.

“And because of the pride and passion he has, he knows and is focused on where he wants to get the club back to. That is good enough for me.

“But of course there is still a need to deliver, for Ally as it is for Charles Green and everyone else at the club.

“The investors have been around long enough to know that form is temporary and class is permanent.

“Stirling was a wobble, but these guys have bought in for a five to ten-year strategy, not whether we win on Saturday or win or lose next Wednesday.

“It’s where we are over the next few years that matters to them.”

McCoist’s public endorsement of Green in the middle of August changed the mood towards the then mystery Englishman. Suddenly, those fans who’d wanted to run him out of town were requesting autographs and photos.

But Green is adamant his vote of confidence for the boss has nothing to do with pay-back or even the proposed £20m share issue.

He said: “I believe he is the right man for the job. Nothing else comes into it.

“If I didn’t think he was the right man then I’d fire him.

“I think loyalty is the most important thing in life. If you’ve got no loyalty you’ve got nothing.

“And Ally, first of all, is loyal to Rangers Football Club.

“I don’t believe I’ll ever, ever, have to call Ally into this office and fire him.

“I think when Ally gets to a point where he doesn’t believe that he can take it any further, he’ll tell me.

“But I think we’re years away from that.

“I honestly wouldn’t swap Ally and his staff for any other management team.”

[Sea Bear 283]

Seems a frank and open statement from CG, saw one from Ally saying that they may differ on the way back to Europe, but have a great working relationship.

I am hoping that this new openness from the club, the quick responses to anything detrimental continues, it has been refreshing.

[AlBear. 8,499]

“I think loyalty is the most important thing in life. If you’ve got no loyalty you’ve got nothing."

[RFC55 110,289]

You know something I cannae read that shite! "The sevco frontman" when SDM or that wee bastard owned the club was the company name put in every interview? Load of shite! Totally no need for it!

We're the only team in Britain who seem to be reffered to by a company/consortium name. Fed up reading it and no doubt I'm missing a good article but such is life

[AlBear. 8,499]

You know something I cannae read that shite! "The sevco frontman" when SDM or that wee bastard owned the club was the company name put in every interview? Load of shite! Totally no need for it!

We're the only team in Britain who seem to be reffered to by a company/consortium name. Fed up reading it and no doubt I'm missing a good article but such is life

I'm surprised how candid CG was with them. I'm sure there is some sort of agenda written in between the lines

[smartypants 4,481]

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

Love it.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

“I think loyalty is the most important thing in life. If you’ve got no loyalty you’ve got nothing."

[BRITNEY IS NOT FEELING IT 8,293]

Fucktards , why use the company name , are they trying to appeal to the unwashed , wonder how they will call it when they report on Pacific Shelf getting beat in the final seconds of the game last night

( good talking yet again from CG )

[Chef 436]

“I think loyalty is the most important thing in life. If you’ve got no loyalty you’ve got nothing."

[Gregor Stevens Fan Club 42]

Does anybody else think that the article is a little bit "cringeworthy" ??

[Logan_RFC 57]

A very good read, good words again from CG. Agree on the whole Sevco thing as well. Why the fuck are there still idiots calling us that? More to the point, why were people calling Rangers that in the first place. Wankers.

[AlBear. 8,499]

Does anybody else think that the article is a little bit "cringeworthy" ??

Don't worry. That's a natural response to all articles published in the sun

[Straight-Edge-Loyal 6,698]

As much as I like Charles Green his habit of referring to himself in the third person is quite annoying.

[MosesMcNeil 1,664]

“I think loyalty is the most important thing in life. If you’ve got no loyalty you’ve got nothing.

“And Ally, first of all, is loyal to Rangers Football Club.

“I don’t believe I’ll ever, ever, have to call Ally into this office and fire him.

“I think when Ally gets to a point where he doesn’t believe that he can take it any further, he’ll tell me.

“But I think we’re years away from that.

“I honestly wouldn’t swap Ally and his staff for any other management team.”

That's good to hear, and one in the chuckies for the precious amongst us who want McCoist sacked now.

[MosesMcNeil 1,664]

Does anybody else think that the article is a little bit "cringeworthy" ??

Not even remotely.

Why did you think it was? What elements of the interview made you cringe a little?

[Nikica Jelavic 41]

There’s no chance of me sacking Ally.

“I honestly wouldn’t swap Ally and his staff for any other management team.”

2 very worrying comments.

[TravelingWilBEARy 4,319]

There’s no chance of me sacking Ally.

“I honestly wouldn’t swap Ally and his staff for any other management team.”

2 very worrying comments.

Good.

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

“People ask what’s the most important relationship at the football club. Well, it’s not between the centre forward and the right winger. It’s between the chief executive and the manager".

He's an unconscious comedian at times. Enjoyed reading this - didn't like he recent splurge on 'death threats' pish - which just shows, jimmy saville's not the only thing that right up their alley.

[FaslaneBear 11]

To be fair, the "SevCo" mention in this article isn't refering to Rangers. It's refering to the Company set up to buy Rangers in the first place. Good words from Chuck again.

[Gregor Stevens Fan Club 42]

Not even remotely.

Why did you think it was? What elements of the interview made you cringe a little?

There was no specific elements within the article - I just don't think it was necessary to give an interview on the topic.

I would like to see CG and the Club take a step back from the media at the moment and just get on with the business of building us back up - no need to be in the papers everyday.

[Chef 436]

There’s no chance of me sacking Ally.

“I honestly wouldn’t swap Ally and his staff for any other management team.”

2 very worrying comments.

and your back, no surprise considering what's bugging ya.

[ForeverBlue_Since91 2,895]

There’s no chance of me sacking Ally.

“I honestly wouldn’t swap Ally and his staff for any other management team.”

2 very worrying comments.

Thats just words just now. If Ally continues to drop points and we struggle to get out the 3rd div he will get sacked.

Charles Green needs Ally to get the job done so we can move on to the next step as quickly as possible for us and for his consortium.

[Ger for life 199]

I think there will be an agreement between Ally and CG that if Ally is not delivering to goods, he will resign as opposed to having to be sacked.

Let's hope it doesn't come to this.

[Sea Bear 283]

As we are all doing quotes

“I don’t believe I’ll ever, ever, have to call Ally into this office and fire him.

“I think when Ally gets to a point where he doesn’t believe that he can take it any further, he’ll tell me.

I think this, Ally is so much part of the club, that I don't believe that his ego is greater than the club, in that, should he believe that he cant bring the success required, he will step down himself.

[AlBear. 8,499]

Some people just ooze negativity. All they have taken from this story is questions about when CG will sack Ally.

Missed out the points where CG decribes the respect he has for Ally and how despite all the drama and issues they have managed to form a solid partnership that should see us march on towards our goal.

“Instead of being with my kids down in Devon, I was making all the decisions on the future of Rangers Football Club while no one wanted me here. The fans didn’t want me, these other buyers didn’t want me.

But I just kept on looking round — there was only me and Ally there."

“I could bring in another manager tomorrow. I could have easily done it in the summer when there were a few approaches from people after we bought the club over. It was non-stop. But it was never a consideration for me to move on Ally."

“What we have here is a man who understands the history and the culture of Rangers. He has come through the most difficult circumstances possible."

“And because of the pride and passion he has, he knows and is focused on where he wants to get the club back to. That is good enough for me.

But of course there is still a need to deliver, for Ally as it is for Charles Green and everyone else at the club."