RANGERS supporters’ admiration for Giovanni van Bronckhorst remains undiminished a month after he succeeded Steven Gerrard as manager at Ibrox.
The Scottish champions’ performance in the cinch Premiership match against an understrength Dundee United side in Govan on Saturday was far from their best – something that Van Bronckhorst was quick to acknowledge afterwards.
Yet, the narrow 1-0 triumph extended the Dutchman’s unbeaten run since returning to Glasgow to eight games – his charges have won seven and drawn one of the matches he has presided over – and stretched their lead at the top of the table to seven points.
Fans are still upbeat about the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Netherlands player and Feyenoord boss is in charge and firmly convinced he is the right man to take them forward.
In this social media age, when a prominent figure can go from being lauded and lionised to condemned and castigated in the click of a button, it is some going. Van Bronckhorst’s stock is high.
It is fair to say, though, that the opinion which Rangers’ legions of loyal followers have of Dave King has been badly affected by their former chairman’s actions and words in recent weeks.
Some among them would have continued to regard the Castlemilk-raised, South Africa-based financier as an all-time Ibrox great if he had turned up at Hampden for the Premier Sports Cup final yesterday wearing a green and white scarf and been spotted cheering: “C’mon the Hoops!”
For them, King remains the man who ousted the “spivs” after a disturbing period of off-field upheaval, transformed the fortunes of their ailing heroes, brought in former Liverpool and England captain Gerrard, made them a force to be reckoned with in Europe, landed the Premiership and stopped Celtic from completing 10-In-A-Row. Nothing he does or says will ever alter their view.
However, many, many others have been alarmed by the pot shots he has taken at the current directors in the media, by his decision to vote against the re-election of Graeme Park at the AGM last month and by his revelation that he is willing to return to the board.
The Scot, despite no longer being directly involved in the day-to-day decision-making, remains the largest shareholder with a 15.45 per cent stake. He may well have legitimate grievances that deserve to be listened to.
But the fact he has chosen to air his unhappiness over a number of issues – the interest he was paid on a £5m loan, the treatment of supporters group Club 1872 and the banning of Chris Sutton – in public has not been well received at all.
No hierarchy, especially one at a club that has suffered so badly from such heinous corporate vandalism in the past, should be immune from scrutiny or censure. They posted an operating loss of £23.5m in the last financial year. So they cannot expect to be patted on the back and praised for their efforts. Constructive criticism is healthy and is to be encouraged.
But the widely-held view is that Douglas Park and John Bennett, the current chairman and vice-chairman, deserve gratitude and backing, not to have their endeavours undermined, at this difficult time. They have continued to dig deep into their own pockets and offset large annual losses during the Covid-19 pandemic, enabled Rangers to continue as a going concern and delivered significant successes.
King has always been something of an inscrutable and enigmatic character. Is he is serious about returning to the board? Or is simply wanting to create unease among his one-time allies and remind them he deserves to be treated with a little respect after a deterioration in relations?
He struck a deal to sell his shareholding to Club 1872 for £13m last year. He wants fans to have a meaningful say in the running of Rangers and ensure that their existence was never again threatened by undesirable custodians. Maybe, then, he is keen to try and heal any wounds that may exist and facilitate that exchange.
But that buyout seems about as likely as the Green Brigade inviting Bernard Higgins to their Christmas night out given the level of unhappiness there is in the stands with that organisation.
Would King be able to come back even if he wanted to? He was “cold-shouldered” for four years by the Takeover Panel back in the October of 2019. The sanction makes it impossible for any firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to act for him on any transaction to which the Takeover Code applies.
Rangers fans have grown weary of division and in-fighting during the past decade. Now that they have a respected and high-profile manager in the dugout, a team of talented and in many cases highly saleable players on the park, bona fide businessmen in the directors’ box and silverware in the trophy cabinet they do not take kindly to any whiff of unrest.
Particularly when they are attempting to progress further in the knockout rounds of the Europa League, retain the Premiership, qualify for the lucrative group stages of the Champions League and are wrestling with the complications caused by coronavirus.
King’s broadsides have, as always, been entertaining, but if he becomes a destabilising influence at Ibrox in the future it will tarnish his legacy.
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