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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Graeme Young

Every Dave King Rangers boardroom broadside since leaving as he demands Ibrox 'cult of personality' is binned

It's been hard to miss the sizeable number of Rangers supporters namechecking former chairman Dave King on social media in recent days.

Because many of the club's followers are convinced the South African-based businessman would never have given the Sydney Super Cup the go ahead.

And they were right.

The club's decision to join Celtic Down Under has been panned by fans who have been left peeved on two counts.

Firstly, the decision to pursue a money-spinning friendly with their greatest rivals for something that has been billed as Ange Postecoglou’s homecoming is bad enough.

Secondly, this has been compounded by the fact it comes amid the club's 150th anniversary celebrations.

King's greatest strength is arguably his ability to gauge the temperature among the Rangers support and he would have got a reading of 100 degrees over the past 48 hours.

And that's led the former chairman – who left in March 2020 – to once again take aim at the current board as he called them out over the Celtic clash and other perceived errors.

But it certainly isn't the first time he's sounded off since his high-profile exit.

Record Sport charts the timeline since King left Rangers and the Ibrox events which have earned a response from the 66-year-old.

'Cult of personality'

The former Ibrox chief didn't hold back in his latest verdict on the Rangers board.

He lamented Steven Gerrard's exit, the aforementioned Sydney Super Cup participation, as well as the treatment of several club legends.

However, his most illuminating words were directed towards successor Douglas Park. He called upon the current chairman to rid the club of a perceived "cult of personality".

(PA)

He said: "I have not spoken to Douglas since I stepped down as chairman but, as an ordinary supporter.

"I call on Douglas to reverse the cult of personality that has developed at the club and to remember the present board are temporary custodians of the club on behalf of present and future generations of supporters.

“Recent success has unfortunately created short memories and supporters have every right to be concerned.”

Sutton impact

King was left seriously unimpressed by the decision to deny Celtic icon and Record Sport pundit Chris Sutton access to Ibrox to fulfil TV commitments with BT Sport.

And he wasn't shying in letting his former club know about it.

He said: "The idea that the club can silence challenging supporters, reporters and regulatory authorities is not only wrong, it is completely unbecoming of Rangers.

(SNS Group)

“Rangers should be a leader in standing up for individual rights and opinions, even if they don’t agree with them.

“I have not been the beneficiary of kind comment from Chris Sutton but I would never even remotely consider the possibility of banishing him from our stadium and using health and safety arguments as justification. We should be bigger than that.”

'Short memories'

King spent much of his first year away from Rangers in relative quiet. However, that was never going to last long.

He had raved about the club's title success but matters beyond the pitch were also on his agenda.

Club 1872, an ally of King, were facing a vote of no confidence and that led to former chief lending his weight by aiming to avoid protracted in-fighting among the fanbase.

He said: “The supporters need to be able to talk with one voice at times when the club needs to be challenged.

“Club 1872 has done this effectively for many years and I am concerned that the club’s recent success has created short memories.

(SNS Group)

“I am starting to see the emergence of the type of back-biting by supporters against each other that was so typical and so damaging to the club during the David Murray era.

“I truly hope that the supporter unity that was essential to regime change - and hence our recent success - does not get degraded merely because a few embittered supporters resort to social media as a megaphone to trumpet unfair allegations.

“That is a disservice to all the loyal supporters that supported me at regime change and thereafter.

“Individual share ownership has never been an effective source of supporter influence.

“Club 1872 is the only viable option to achieve that.”

Park the vote

Fast forward six months to December 2021 and the “shameful and disloyal” treatment of Club 1872 remained a bone of contention for King.

But that wasn't the only thing on his mind as seasons greetings were absent in the wake of the club's pre-Christmas AGM.

King was unbowed as he insisted he “moral obligation” to vote against Graeme Park's re-election as a director.

He told Record Sport: “I have a fiduciary duty to vote my shares in what I consider to be in the best interest of myself and my fellow shareholders.

“I also believe that I have a continuing moral obligation to consider the interest of supporters at all times.

“I have voted in accordance with the knowledge that I have.”

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