Newsletter

Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today!

News

Ally McCoist Mike Ashley comments prove total naivety still exists at Rangers

9 years ago
Share

The latest comments from Rangers manager Ally McCoist prove that there is still a total naivety exists amongst many in the blue half of Glasgow, when it comes to Mike Ashley.

You can understand McCoist having wishful thinking after everything that has been thrown at Rangers in recent times, but you have to keep a handle on reality.

McCoist’s words illustrate that there remains this daydream that Mike Ashley is like some kind of Jack Walker (Blackburn), or the local businessmen who helped save Swansea when they were one step away from total ruin.

I don’t know much about Dave King (apart from all the negative headlines regarding his business/tax dealings), who is the other party trying to get control of Rangers, but I do feel like I’ve got a Masters Degree on the subject of Mike Ashley, after experiencing him at Newcastle for over seven years.

Ally McCoist talking about the possibility of ‘investment’ from Dave King and Mike Ashley;

“I’m delighted that now, for the first time, we have a serious opportunity of investment from a couple of areas.

“It has been well documented that Mike Ashley has increased his shareholdings and it has been well documented there have been a series of meetings with Dave King’s team and the board.

“I would be extremely hopeful that a compromise and a deal can be done, involving all parties, and allowing us to move forward.”

Two ‘investors’ better than one;

“I don’t know enough about the individual’s requirements but, if you are asking me whether I would rather take two investors instead of one, or two instead of three, then I would obviously plump for the greater amount of investment.

“I would be very, very hopeful that any potential investors would want to look after their own investment, but, at the same time, their own investment would have a better chance of success if the club were in a far better place, and things were finally moving forward.”

Two fantastically respected businessmen…;

“I think one way or another, with some potentially big players involved now, that there is cautious optimism. It is imperative that we get investment at some point and all of a sudden now we have two fantastically respected businessmen hovering about the club with a view to taking it forward.

“If Mike was to become involved, look at it as a business proposition and move it forward, then that would obviously be a good thing.”

I do know Mike Ashley’s put a lot of money into Newcastle…;

“I don’t know what’s happened at Newcastle. What I do know is that he’s put a lot of money into that club but, as I say, we’re looking for a substantial level of investment and if it comes from the right people on the board, and the shareholders are happy with it, then I think we’ve all got to be happy with it and move in that direction.

“And I don’t think for a minute either of them would be scared to use their money to take the club forward.”

You would think that McCoist and others would surely understand by now where Mike Ashley is coming from. He has managed to get hold of the stadium naming rights for the pricely sum of a pound, he controls the Rangers merchandising and refused to help bailout the club in the recent shares rights issue, because board members refused to let him take control of the club’s image rights (badge etc) and trademarks.

Mike Ashley is not interested in coming together with others to ‘help’ Rangers, he simply wants control of the things that make money and if that means controlling/owning the club overall as well, then that is just a means to that end.

Mike Ashley bought Newcastle United for a lot of money because it is worth a lot of money and a valuable asset, which is now paying delivering him massive revenues and priceless free advertising  for the rest of his empire. He has put a big debt in against the club because it has all kinds of personal benefits to him when it comes to his finances overall.

If Mike Ashley is the lifeboat that saves Rangers people from drowning, it is only once they’ve climbed on board that they’ll realise they’ve been saved by a (metaphorical) cannibal who will eventually devour them completely.

Share

If you would like to feature on The Mag, submit your article to contribute@themag.co.uk

Have your say

© 2024 The Mag. All Rights Reserved. Design & Build by Mediaworks