The Armadillo in Glasgow felt like the ideal venue for an under-siege Rangers to hold their AGM.
Like that creature’s famed protective shell — thought to be so impenetrable it can withstand a bullet — the Ibrox board were in need of a similar form of defensive shield as they faced their shareholders and tried to explain away a catastrophic year both on and off the pitch.
With their own New Edmiston House being deemed too small to host such a gathering, the Clyde Auditorium — known colloquially as the Armadillo due to its quirky roof design — was the most suitable alternative. In more ways than one.
There could be no hiding place, however, for the Rangers hierarchy as they addressed all the recent failings one by one. An under- performing team, disastrous transfer trading, directorial departures, gross financial mismanagement, shambolic stadium reconstruction work and a general lack of strategy and joined-up thinking.
It was left to John Gilligan — the unfortunate fall guy who has taken on the role of interim chair due to John Bennett’s ill-health — to offer up explanations and apologies.
He was joined at the top table by manager Philippe Clement, directors Alastair Johnston, Graeme Park and Donald Gillies, technical director Nils Koppen, chief commercial officer Karim Virani, chief financial officer James Taylor and investor George Taylor.
Interim chairman John Gilligan and manager Philippe Clement prepare to face supporters
The Rangers top table take to the stage at the Clyde Auditorium for the club’s AGM
Boss Clement arrives for the AGM on the back of guiding his side to a 6-0 win over Kilmarnock
A lifelong supporter, Gilligan spoke passionately, and his candour was appreciated by those in the room. The real subject of their ire, former chief executive James Bisgrove, was thousands of miles away in Saudi Arabia.
It is what happens on the pitch, however, that is of primary interest to most supporters — and Rangers’ decline on that front has been significant. From the much- referenced 55th title won under Steven Gerrard in 2021, fans have watched their team stall and then substantially regress.
Should Celtic win the forthcoming Premier Sports Cup final between the teams, it will be their 119th trophy, one more than their rivals. Rangers’ story, then, is one of missed opportunity, and the Ibrox board didn’t try to sugarcoat that failure to build on the past.
‘We share the sentiment that the club hasn’t been performing since “55”,’ said Virani. ‘Football decisions don’t always pan out as you would hope, but the determination to win still exists across the club. We’re working night and day to put us where we should be.’
Much of that will fall on the shoulders of Clement and Koppen. The manager joked that he didn’t push his players to ‘make a big effort’ to beat Kilmarnock 6-0 the night before just to guarantee him an easy ride, although that result and performance no doubt tempered some frustrations at the impoverished state of the Rangers team.
Clement has been granted more leeway than many of his predecessors to put things right, with one shareholder asking why he was given a new deal given his underwhelming first year in charge.
‘We have a history of making decisions under duress mid-season,’ explained Gilligan. ‘We wanted the manager to have the comfort that he had time to bring in younger players. Time will tell if it’s the right decision. But we stand by it.’
Given the enduring turbulence at board level, Clement has had to take on additional responsibility in helping the club get back to an even financial keel after posting a loss of £17.2million. That, the manager revealed, is why he agreed to overhaul the recruitment model, bringing in potential in the form of 22-year-old Hamza Igamane rather than signing the finished article.
Moroccan striker Hamza Igamane has caught the eye of late despite his low-profile arrival
‘Decisions had to be made to make the club sustainable and avoid taking it into a dangerous place, as was the case before,’ said Clement.
‘We’ve spoken about a rebuild. People can see the numbers now. But the legacy of Rangers is winning.
‘The day we lower that bar, Rangers is not Rangers anymore. That’s my message in the dressing room. We need to keep this culture in the club.
‘We know mistakes were made in the past. I understand people don’t understand why we sign a young guy from Morocco [Igamane].
‘But we’re working hard to make things better and I promise we will keep on doing that. It was a tough challenge to make the team younger without a big budget, but we are working hard to become champions and win more trophies.’
Off the field, Rangers are trying to get their house in order. Patrick Stewart will start as CEO the day after the cup final, while there will be a considerable shake-up at executive level to create a board that will be largely Scottish-based and include non-shareholders and non-executives, rather than just investors.
George Taylor and Julian Woldhart, the two directors based in the Far East, were re-elected — but just for one year. That means the entire board will be up for re-election in 12 months’ time.
‘Currently the board is made up entirely of investors who have consistently funded the club over the last 10 years,’ added Gilligan. ‘This structure served the club well in the initial phase of our recovery.
‘Rangers is now in a much stronger financial position and this, combined with the current refinancing exercise, means our business model is now sustainable.
Incoming chairman Patrick Stewart will begin work at Ibrox the day after the League Cup final
‘Our board structure should reflect this, with a strong role from independent, non-shareholder, non-executives and more representation from our executive team.’
Former chairman Johnston, another who spends a large chunk of his time overseas, questioned the lack of prize money in Scottish football compared to down south and hinted at Rangers perhaps forming a series of collaborative partnerships with other clubs, similar to what Manchester City have done with their City Group.
He said: ‘We’re looking at whether club formations can be an option for us.’
The most pressing issues for fans as they watch their club stagger from one fiasco to another and watch Celtic sail off into the sunset, another title all but secured. Gilligan, though, finished on an optimistic and defiant note.
‘It’s been a thrill being the interim chairman,’ he added. ‘We’re pretty close to appointing a new chairman and that will be announced in a few weeks. All I can say is thank you to the supporters. It’s Rangers then, Rangers now, and Rangers forever.’
