‘Real concern over solvency’ at Rangers

Saturday 10 September 2011

A COURT has heard of "real concern over solvency" at Rangers as the football club finally paid £35,000 owed to its former legal team.

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BRIAN DONNELLY and MARTIN WILLIAMS

Jonathan Brown, acting for Glasgow-based legal firm Levy & McRae, made the comment at the Court of Session in Edinburgh as the company sought to recoup monies owed.

Rangers paid the original sum but when it came to discussions over the £5000 expenses run up by Levy & McRae while chasing the bill, Mr Brown asked for that amount to be settled within seven days, saying: “Candidly, there is a real concern about solvency.”

Levy & McRae went to the Court of Session yesterday claiming Rangers had still not paid the £35,000 they were being sued over on Thursday despite insisting it would be paid. No explanation was given for non-payment, the legal firm said.The bill had arisen out of advice given by Levy & McRae on how Rangers should handle a Uefa investigation into sectarian singing at Europa League games against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.Yesterday a lawyer in London acting for Rangers, Gary Withey of Collyer Bristow, paid the £35,000 bill for legal advice.Lord Hodge heard that the money had been wired from London, and that Rangers had agreed to pay all Levy & McRae’s expenses for the costs leading up to the court action yesterday which also included an earlier hearing.However, Mr Brown raised concerns over whether their £5000 costs could be paid.He said that Rangers had been “absolutely candid, honourable and straight forward throughout” the final negotiations for payment of the £35,000 but after the payment did not appear in a nominated account there was “a sequence of events where ultimately funds were telegraphically transferred this morning” from the London solicitors. A further £100 relating to a minor administration issue was also paid.But Mr Brown then said there should be “a specific undertaking” recorded which shows the £5000 costs must be paid within seven working days.After Lord Hodge commented on the unusual request to have a time frame already agreed between the two sides to be set out in a court record, Mr Brown said: “Candidly, there is a real concern about solvency. That’s the reason why.”However, Lord Hodge gave both parties two months to settle. Rangers counsel Gavin MacCall said the club had undertaken to pay the remaining amount, and that if there is any further matter identified in two months “by order of the court”, he said, “that will be done”.Rangers were fined €40,000 (£35,652) by Uefa in March and its fans banned from the next away European game for sectarian singing at the match in Holland. Peter Watson, senior partner at Levy & McRae, said after the hearing: “ I am pleased the matter has been resolved.”Last night a Rangers spokesman said: “The remarks in the Court of Session made by Levy & McRae with regard to their con-cerns about the club’s solvency are unfounded and unwarranted and these are nothing more than scaremongering tactics.”l Rangers yesterday withdrew co-operation from The Herald and our sister titles the Sunday Herald and Evening Times, after we reported on the court case.

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‘Real concern over solvency’ at Rangers

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