Plans by rebel Sevco fans to starve out the Ibrox powerbrokers have been shelved with the closure of the Ibrox 1972 project.
The scheme, formed by Mr King and Mr Gough, aimed to collect season ticket money allowing the Union of Fans to use it as security against the board to ensure the future of Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park.
Neither Gough nor King set foot in Scotland to back the scheme with the once prolific statement issuer King seemingly taking a vow of silence despite a rabble rousing visit to Glasgow in April where he met with various ‘fan leaders’ warning about the danger of Celtic achieving 10-in-a-row.
With no firm plan or signs of leadership the Ibrox 1972 scheme attracted little support while the club recently announced that approximately 17,000 season tickets had been sold.
Last night, in another pointless statement, this time about Mr Stockbridge, the Union of Fans admitted: “Despite repeated attempts to engage with Graham Wallace and the board over the issue of a binding legal commitment not to sell or lease back Ibrox or Murray Park, we have been unable to come to any agreement.
“It seems the board are happy to continue to alienate the thousands of fans who have supported our efforts through the Ibrox 1972 fund.
“We are left with no option but to release all those who have supported the fund from their binding financial commitment. We urge fans not to give their money to this regime in a lump sum payment via season tickets and to support the team on a game-by-game basis.”
The Ibrox 1972 scheme was given plenty of publicity at it’s launch with news of meeting Mr Wallace, who used to work for Manchester City, greeted with headlines claiming a boardroom climbdown and light at the end of the tunnel.
With the board blanking the fans they have been forced to abandon the Ibrox 1972 project although another meaningless red card protest is planned for Ibrox on July 19.
Nacho Novo and Lorenzo Amoruso were among the stars supporting the Ibrox 1972 scheme following a rallying cry from Gough through his column in the Scottish Sun.
The Los Angeles based former Rangers (IL) defender said: “The business review delivered by Graham Wallace last week hammered home to me the importance of getting behind Dave and supporting him where and when I could.
“I just wish more former Rangers players would stand up and do the same. How can anyone with the club’s best interests at heart be happy at how things are at present?
“The chief executive laid bare the figures in black and white last Friday. The club’s shamed directors have squandered £67MILLION in just 18 months. Quite frankly, I think that’s disgusting.
“King is the only man offering investment, he is the only person prepared to give fans a say in the running of Rangers.”
Goughy added: “Dave is a man with a plan. In fact, he is a man with a plan B, C and D. I had to laugh this week when I saw some fans claiming his takeover drive had lost some momentum. Are they for real?
“The Trust Fund is about to go live, the current board have been exposed once again and the share price has fallen off the edge of the cliff. I would say the momentum is ALL with us.
“Just cast your mind back to last week when Wallace confirmed Rangers had been forced to scrap the debit and credit card facility because they couldn’t give the company that ran it the guarantees they were looking for.
“It’s like wheeling and dealing in the Barras — embarrassing. And that, fundamentally, is why I am now involved. I am fed up with Rangers being the laughing stock. This is not the club I knew.
“Dave King has made his stand and I am 100 per cent behind him. I am doing it for the right reasons and I am doing it because I believe I can make a difference.
“If we don’t act now then where will Rangers be in 12 months time? I dare not think.”
Meanwhile Mr George Letham, who provided Sevco with an emergency loan of £1m in February has issued a statement to the Daily Record following Mr Stockbridge’s £200,000 gift of shares.
Lethamy said: “I am disgusted by the news that the share options granted to Brian Stockbridge were at an exercise price of one pence and feel that myself and all other shareholders present at the agm were misled by the response to my question.
“The response to it from Stockbridge and David Somers meant I left the agm comforted that my shares were not going to be diluted to the benefit of Stockbridge.
“I think it is indefensible that company representatives and advisers present at the agm did not seek to clarify the position especially when shareholders were voting on a resolution to give authority to grant share options of up to 6.6m shares to directors and employees.”
Further statements are anticipated.
