The tension at Ibrox is reaching a boiling point, and once again, Dave King is stepping into the spotlight with a bold plan to return as Rangers chairman. After years of frustration at the boardroom level, King is calling for a major shake-up, and he’s not pulling any punches in his critique of the current hierarchy.
From a fan perspective, it’s hard not to sympathise with King’s frustrations. Rangers have made too many missteps since that glorious day we secured title 55 under Steven Gerrard. Decisions at the board level have held the club back, and fans are left wondering what’s next. With King calling for a £50 million investment to push the club forward, we must ask ourselves: is this the change we need, or are we headed for another round of internal battles that could add further distraction from what is important to fans… Playing and winning football matches.
It’s just extraordinary that we got to this position from 55. It really is extraordinary. I’ll go to the point that it’s disturbing.
As a supporter, it’s disturbing and as a large shareholder it’s disturbing because I felt that after 55, we’re on the right trajectory. We were doing well and the value of the club was going up.
Of course, the value of the club going up helps you attract investment. Now, I think the value has gone down quite dramatically and it has to be restored. It’s not been lost, but it has to be restored and it has to be marketed positively.
There’s not a single person in the club I can think of who I would get any inspiration from, who I thought could lead this club out of its existing predicament. Make no mistake, it is a predicament.
Dave King, former Rangers Chairman
Dave King: A Step Backward or the Right Move?
King’s Bold Challenge to the Board
Let’s not beat around the bush: Dave King is demanding an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and wants to be re-elected as chairman. He’s throwing down the gauntlet, calling out the board for their perceived lack of leadership and wrong decisions. King believes the current setup is fundamentally flawed, and he’s offering an alternative path.
In his statement, King made it clear that he feels the current board isn’t in touch with the reality of what Rangers need to succeed. He’s pointed the finger at John Bennett and George Letham, excluding them from voting in the proposed EGM—likely because King knows he doesn’t have the backing from those bigger shareholders to push this through.
It’s a high-risk move, but King is betting that the fans will back him. After all, he’s saying the things many of us have been thinking: the club needs fresh leadership, fresh ideas, and, more importantly, a serious injection of funds to compete with Celtic and make progress in Europe.
A Board Divided: Why Won’t They Back King?
There’s no love lost between Dave King and the current board. After stepping down as chairman to focus on his business interests in South Africa, King’s relationship with the Rangers hierarchy has been strained, to say the least. His return bid has been met with resistance, and it’s easy to see why.
The board, currently led by interim chairman John Gilligan, doesn’t seem keen on welcoming King back into the fold. And can you blame them? King hasn’t been shy about criticising their performance, from poor managerial appointments to wasted millions on failed projects. But the question remains: is the current board capable of leading Rangers forward, or are they too stuck in their ways to see the bigger picture?
John Bennett Steps Down. What Now?
I think from Steven’s point of view, and I can’t talk for him but I do talk to him, including very recently, Let’s be absolutely clear, Steven was not ready to go when he went.
Steven wanted to defend the title and I’d extended his contract at his request because my arrangement with Steven was always, ‘I’m never going to put you in a situation where you turn me down because that would be awkward.
I don’t want you ever to come to me and I turn you down. What I’m telling you is, at the moment I see your future being in the club and if you feel you want to extend it, you approach me any time and we’ll sort it out’
We had our understanding that we’d respect each other and he came to me and said, ‘look, I’d like to extend’, we did at his request. He was happy at the club and his ambition was to defend the title and then commence us on a run. Thereafter he felt he could then pass over and go on.
In the process of defending the title, having a nice European run and then he could then move on to the balance of his career, having used Rangers as a basis to gain some very valuable first-hand experience.
Steven said ‘I knew everything about Glasgow’. When I interviewed him, all I said was Steven trust me until you’ve been there. I’ve heard so many guys say I know, but until they actually get there you don’t know until you know. He still says, even Anfield just can’t compare to Ibrox on a European night.
Steven was absolutely was kicked out. I have no doubts about that. Steven did not want to leave at that point in time. He would have left, but not at that point in time. It wasn’t what he wanted to do.
It’s absolutely true that we went backwards because it wasn’t just Steve, it was support staff and it was the very structures that Steven had put in place that supported the overall football department. It was the ethos, the standards, everything about the club. Then we started to go down from there.
Dave King, Former Rangers Chairman
Gerrard’s Exit: A Missed Opportunity
One point King made that resonates deeply with the fanbase is the departure of Steven Gerrard. We all remember the excitement, the anticipation of building on title 55, only for that dream to come crashing down when Gerrard left. According to King, Gerrard wasn’t supported the way he should have been—and that’s a claim many of us can get behind.
It felt like a huge missed opportunity. We were on top, but the board’s inability to back Gerrard financially meant he had no choice but to leave for pastures new. And since then, we’ve struggled to recapture that spark. King sees this as another example of the board’s failure to make the right decisions when it counts.
Dave Kings comments about Steven Gerrard could be true, but also they could equally be an attempt by King to get the Rangers fans onboard with his views as he attempts to push through a change at the top of Rangers.
Who’s to Blame for Rangers’ Current Woes?
Let’s be clear: Dave King isn’t innocent in all of this. Alongside the likes of John Bennett, Douglas Park, Graeme Park, and James Bisgrove, he played a part in shaping the current state of the club. The public fighting over control of Rangers is depressing for fans, and it discredits the proud institution that is our club.
Dave King demanded the loans owed to him were paid back at a time that was already difficult for Rangers. And as he left his position at Rangers Chairman to return to South Africa he know who he was leaving at the helm of Rangers. Indeed, as recently as July this year he has been complimentary of the job members of the Rangers board have been doing.
At the end of the day, what we want is simple—success on the pitch, stability off it, and a board that has the club’s best interests at heart. The constant battles behind the scenes are taking away from what really matters: putting a winning team out there and stopping Celtic from running away with the league.
What’s Next for Rangers?
So, where do we go from here? King’s challenge to the board is clear, but whether they’ll rise to meet it remains to be seen. Will they call the EGM and give the fans a say in who leads the club forward, or will we see more of the same old internal strife that’s been holding us back?
One thing is certain—Rangers are at a crossroads, and big decisions need to be made. Whether King’s return is the answer or not, the club needs to make bold moves if we’re to get back to where we belong: at the top of Scottish football.