MIKE Ashley's gagging order stopping Rangers from blowing the lid off controversial details of contracts with his retail chain has been extended to Scotland.
The Herald understands an interdict was applied for by Sports Direct at private hearing at the Court of Session in Edinburgh running parallel to an injunction secured in the High Court in London over concerns about confidentiality breaches at today's general meeting of shareholders at Ibrox.
The interdict was not granted as Rangers undertook to abide by the terms of an earlier injunction against Rangers at the High Court in London to prevent secret information being revealed at the meeting called by Mr Ashley's Mash Holdings.
Lawyers for Mr Ashley's company argued at the High Court in London that some information had already been leaked to the press.
Sports Direct were concerned that confidential information relating controversial joint venture retail deal between Sports Direct and Rangers, and other links between the businesses, would be divulged at today's Ibrox meeting.
Rangers' lawyers said there was no evidence as to the actual source of any leaks and said the injunction was unnecessary as there was no indication from the club directors of any intention to breach undertakings of confidentiality.
It was confirmed an agreement was reached between Rangers and Sports Direct at the Court of Session hearing presided over by Lord Stewart.
The interlocutor states that Rangers International Football Club, "undertakes to the court that in relation to its activities in Scotland it will abide by the terms of paragraph 1 of the High Court's Order of 11 June 2015" Court sources say this related directly to the High Court injunction.
A judge in the London hearing: "I am satisfied there is a real risk of disclosure tomorrow of confidential information".
Sports Direct is understood to have been awarded costs of £20,000.
The legal move came after Mr Ashley forced an extraordinary general meeting to force Rangers to pay back a £5 million emergency loan given to the club in January.
Rangers responded in a statement by threatening to disclose certain details of the joint venture deal, including a breakdown of the income to the club, at Friday's Ibrox showdown meeting.
But the Rangers International Football Club plc board, also noted that directors would have to be "mindful" of confidentiality provisions that Mash sought to enforce.
The Rangers Supporters Trust, which has called for the stepping up of a boycott of official Rangers merchandise in protest at secrecy over the Ashley retail deal, said they hoped the board would still be able to divulge new details of the agreements at Friday's meeting, that was safe to present to shareholders.
Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley sent his lawyers to court after a newspaper published reports that a judge was told details of secret information relating to commercial links between Sports Direct and Rangers which.
It was claimed in court these must have come from board members.
Mrs Justice Asplin granted the injunction, saying if a breach of confidentiality occurred it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to quantify and compensate.
David Quest QC, for Sports Direct, said Rangers were offering an undertaking to stop disclosure, but there was a dispute over the scope of the offer.
He said Rangers chairman Dave King was quoted in a newspaper that he planned to use Friday's meeting "to blow the lid off secret details of the contracts handed to Ashley's retail company Sports Direct by previous Rangers (chief executive) Charles Green".
If confidential information did come out at the meeting "there is no putting the worms back in the can", Mr Quest told the judge.
Louis Mably argued for Rangers that the claim was "entirely speculative".
But the judge ruled the "balance of convenience" was in favour of granting the injunction.
Rangers declined to comment. Sports Direct were unavailable for comment.
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