MIKE Ashley's trusted lieutenant Derek Llambias is joining two of Rangers' key corporate boards as the Sports Direct owner's grip on the cash-strapped club gets even tighter.
The board of the club's holding company Rangers International Football Club plc made up of executive chairman David Somers and directors James Easdale - brother of Sandy - and Norman Crighton have elected to have the former Newcastle managing director as a non-executive director. The plc board has power to make major investment decisions and representatives recently met with former Rangers director Dave King over his now seemingly doomed £16million takeover bid.
It has also been confirmed that Mr Llambias, who was brought in as a consultant last week, will also be installed on the board of the RIFC operating company subsidiary, The Rangers Football Club Ltd, headed by another supporter of Mr Ashley, Sandy Easdale.
Mr Ashley imposed a condition that he has the right to appoint up to two of his allies on the subsidary as a condition of his emergency £2million six-month interest free loan to the club.
It is expected that another ally of Mr Ashley will soon also be joining both the plc and operating company board. Sports Direct's head of brands Barry Leach has also been acting as a consultant for the club. Both would take the vacant boardroom places of former chief executive Graham Wallace and former finance director Phillip Nash who last week quit the plc board and all subsidaries.
Both lieutenants of Mr Ashley will be subject to re-election to the plc board by shareholders at the next annual meeting expected in December, after the year-end results are published.
Chris Graham of the Union of Fans supporters group said: "Mike Ashley is acting as he always would in the best interest of Sports Direct. And the board of Rangers are allowing him to do whatever he likes, basically with regards to the contracts with the club."
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