King puts his foot in it with fresh attack on Ashley
In a move that is likely to bring a further charge against the South African based criminal King played to the audience at this morning’s meeting while failing to address the going concern warning that accompanied the club accounts..
In June Sports Direct got a court order put on the club to prevent anyone discussing the merchandise and retail contracts. In July Mr King talked openly about the contract to Sky Sports with his script at today’s AGM repeated on the club website.
“The new board has faced difficult but perhaps not totally unexpected challenges since it was installed,” the Sevco chairman explained. “Not the least being the incessant litigation by the Sports Direct Group under the guidance of Mike Ashley.
“Sports Direct appears to be working to an agenda which, very clearly, is not assisting our Club’s full rehabilitation. There is a desire to drag Rangers through the courts and thereby slow our progress rather than seek compromise or fairness.
Referring to the court order King added: “I would, of course, like to discuss every aspect of the business with all of you here today because you are entitled to know as much as possible about what is going on with, and in, your Company, but unfortunately certain legal rulings make that impossible.
“Sports Direct’s gagging order has made it impossible for your Board to answer all of your likely questions today and I have asked James Blair to intervene if he feels that a particular question, or answer, might lead to a breach of the injunction. I trust that you can understand and appreciate our position.
“In particular, Sports Direct’s gagging order against the Company and its officers means I cannot talk about the manner in which a vital and historically very profitable part of our business has been managed under the stewardship of Sports Direct and its senior management.
“The relationship with Sports Direct continues to impact on Rangers but as long as we, all of us, stand united we will succeed in ultimately securing more mutually beneficial partnerships in the future.”
Mr King will appear in court in London on December 8 charged with breaking the injunction, King claimed at the AGM that the £5m crisis loan to Sports Direct had been repaid.