The interim chairman addressed numerous Ibrox issues including the Celtic cash gap
Rangers’ search for a new chief executive, according to John Gilligan, is nearing completion.
The Ibrox interim chairman replaced John Bennett, who stood down due to health reasons. Meeting with the media for the first time on the job this afternoon, Gilligan outlined how their search for a new CEO to succeed James Bisgrove has been ongoing for some time.
He also highlighted the club’s expectations for their new chief executive in terms of specific attributes, and he covered other concerns such as Celtic’s cash gap, what has been “going wrong” at Gers, and Dave King’s recent calls for an EGM as he seeks to become chairman again. Football Scotland highlights the main elements…
How long will you be chair?
I will remain on as long as necessary. The top priority is to hire a chief executive. We are working on it right away. I can stay indefinitely, but I expect a few months and a chairman to come in.
What does the new CEO need to be?
Recruitment in all walks of life is currently in high demand. The individual must be versatile and proficient in all areas. He must be assertive, and we want the chairman to do much more to support the CEO. Also, the CEO should have a lot of power on a daily basis, with the chairman trailing somewhat behind.
They must have excellent business acumen and expertise, and they must have run firms under pressure and a desire to produce; it cannot be a cushy business since the stress and pressure of being CEO of a football club is significant. They must be able to communicate well and connect with others. And they must have a strong work ethic because the job is unquestionably challenging. They should be a good person. I like decent individuals.
Rangers Football Club, and compared to the other sports [rugby and golf], football is the most popular and appealing in the country. As a golfer, not a rugby player, I accept this. We aim to attract a high-level candidate.
Dave King wants a return.
Dave is a large stockholder, so he can say whatever he wants. My opinion is that it is a little unrealistic. Dave is a real businessman; he understands how shareholding works. He is a 15% shareholder, whereas the other directors are 10%, 12%, and 13% stockholders. It’s unrealistic. Does he want an EGM? Again, it’s a little ridiculous because EGMs are often called by individuals who want to alter something. But the existing board does not want to alter. So, why call an EGM? There is new investment coming into the club. To be honest, Dave is discussing new investments, but he does not want to make any. I’m not sure where he means the funding will come from. There will be investments.
Is the club in peril, according to King?
I think he’s got it incorrect. I believe it is unjust. What exactly does he mean by “not good”? What exactly is he claiming is going wrong? Give us a plan, and let me know. If Dave had a great idea to tell me where we’re all going wrong, we’d read it and think about it.
There is a significant divide between Celtic on and off the pitch.
According to history, this happens. Sometimes we’re ahead, and sometimes Celtic is ahead. At the time, we are chasing. There is no argument there, and I am not stupid enough to claim otherwise. But we’ll keep chasing.
Player trade is the key to success and qualification for the Champions League. It’s a catch-22: player trading generates income, but Champions League generates income. When you don’t get it, it’s difficult because Scottish football’s level of support, TV, and sponsorship just cannot be compared to England’s. It is always a struggle, of course. It’s all about the squad, bringing in new players, winning matches, and moving forward.
Can you offer information about potential investments?
What I meant was that current investors have made significant investments throughout the years and are eager to do so again. We are open to anyone who contacts us about investing. We receive approaches from all over the world through various channels. But it must be the right people, the right conditions, and the right number of shares. We don’t want one person to own the club. Dave King’s £50 million claim? I don’t think you can put a number on it. The distance is currently significant, but all you have to do is win your games and reclaim the top spot, and if we reach the level of Europe that we intend to achieve, the gap will close soon.
Philippe Clement Meeting
I was quite happy with the manager. George Letham and I talked for a long time. He was quite remarkable. The long and short of it is that I do not discuss football; the manager is in control, we are here to run the business, and the manager is assisted in running the training academy and football side of things.
We will never intervene in that. One thing I will say is that the manager was appointed as the club’s spokesperson, which put him under unfair strain at times because it was not his area of expertise. Hopefully, I or someone else will pick it up. The manager was quite excellent. Does he still have the board’s full support? Absolutely, yeah. Famous last words of affection!
CEO Timeline?
We are doing fine. We have a good number of folks nearby with whom we can reconnect. We’re moving quickly on this.
Back at Ibrox.
I believe it will be tremendous. Winning on the pitch always helps, but this has been a particularly difficult period. I’d want to thank Mike Mulraney and Neil Doncaster for their assistance and for allowing us to play at Hampden Park, which was a significant event for us. There was nowhere else large enough for us. But here is home, and we are back. It’s an incredible difference.
It is almost here, and we are really hopeful. But we must observe local authority approval, as well as fire and insurance regulations – it’s all about the little things now. Structurally, we are almost there.
Why is there no appetite for King’s return?
That’s another excellent question. Again, it’s not my place to comment; I’m only the interim chairman. However, based on what has been mentioned and what the guys have indicated, the business has a shareholder structure and a projection plan. Dave was chairman, and he is still a large investor who may attend the AGM and raise questions, but there is just no demand for it right now because, for one thing, Dave has been here before and has stepped down. Other people stood up, including Douglas [Park], who then stepped down, and John. There’s simply no hunger.
Is there a sporting director’s plan?
It will be entirely focused on the chief executive, because if we bring in people, we would like to believe we will be a part of that. We also have a highly competent management staff in charge of commercial and marketing, finance, and stadium operations. We have a highly competent staff of men and women here. We will be alright. They’re not related; sometimes folks are headhunted and move on. We’re in a strong position.
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