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Rangers chief dismissed Ellis ‘bid’ and admits no takeover likely

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Rangers chief Alastair Johnston has dismissed the alleged takeover by Andrew Ellis and admitted that a new owner is unlikely before the start of the season.

Johnston’ realism is in marked contrast to recent messages from Ibrox with Ellis going on record to state: “I’m optimistic there will be serious developments in the next three to four weeks.”

With that deadline rapidly ticking away Johnston was dismissive of the Ellis ‘bid’ in an interview with Graham Spiers in The Times.

He said: “The situation regarding Mr Ellis’s proposed buying of Rangers has gone on way too long, so let’s just say I am sceptical about it.

“Not only that, but when Ellis first made his intimations about being interested in buying Rangers back in March, I set up a meeting and was all set to fly out to meet him, when that meeting was abruptly cancelled.

“I find it surprising and perplexing that, for someone supposedly keen to buy the club, Mr Ellis has had no direct contact at all with anyone at Rangers Football Club.

“On this point, two weeks ago, I made another request to hold a meeting with him, knowing that I was going to be in Britain, but I heard nothing back. So I find all of this conduct pretty surprising.

“I don’t see any imminent resolution of a new owner for Rangers, so I believe we are going to have to plan and budget on a ‘no change in ownership’ basis going into next season.”

The implications of ‘no change’ means no fresh investment with the six out of contract players being released and possibly others being sold to make ends meet.

Only a fortnight ago Ellis’s comments to Sky Sports were greeted with rejoicing from many with a new era dawning at Ibrox, new deals all round and a transfer window warchest for newly contracted manager Walter Smith to spend freely during the summer.

Smith was the first to cast doubt on Ellis’s intentions which look increasingly like a move to shift season tickets delivered the day before facing Celtic at Parkhead.

Asked about the Ellis’s offer of a new contract after losing to Celtic Smith said: “I don’t know because in the end I’ve never spoken to the chap who mentioned that.

“He can say what he likes about me but I would be obliged if he would speak to me before he mentions anything else in the newspapers again.

“I agree with Sir David Murray, if somebody is going to come in and take over the club then do so instead of talking about it in newspapers.”

Johnston’s comments won’t make pleasant reading to Sir David Murray whose profile diminishes by the week.

Nine months after stepping down as Rangers chairman to help sell the club he is no closer to finding a new owner despite securing another season of Champions League football.

The true extent of Rangers debt and that of the Murray group remains open to speculation with the added complication of a tax demand for £24m also entering the equation.

Out of contract manager Smith has still to decide whether he will return to Rangers for the new season despite the challenge of playing in the Champions League and defending the SPL title.

The latest drip-drip of reality from within Ibrox looks increasingly likely to force Smith to leave which will present the club with it’s greatest on field challenge- against a background of total uncertainty over the off-field ownership.

On a positive note for Rangers they have swooped to snap up highly rated Manchester City midfielder Andrew Mitchell who could find himself playing first team football much quicker than expected.

Times interview

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