ALLY McCOIST, the Rangers manager, has admitted that it is "a concern" to hear major shareholder Sandy Easdale describe the club's finances as "fragile".
Easdale also revealed that the uptake of season tickets for next year has been slow and that the club would likely not emerge from a second spell in administration. Chief executive Graham Wallace is expected to make known this morning the findings of his 120-day review of the business.
McCoist admitted he had been unaware that Easdale had spoken to the BBC - an organisation currently banned by the club - but that news of the content of the interview was a worry. "I wouldn't react to it [fully] until I had time to digest it," said the manager. "But if that's what he's said that would be a little bit concerning.
"Nothing's changed in my opinion [regarding] the livelihoods of the staff. That's arguably the most important thing. The future and health of the club is of vital importance, but without doubt the people within the football club and their livelihoods are extremely important. We will react accordingly to the news we get."
With some Rangers fans considering withholding their season-ticket money until given a number of assurances from the board, Easdale called upon them to show some loyalty. "I would say that in 140 years, the club's gone into administration once; I don't think it would survive a second one," he said. "So, I would ask [that] every loyal Rangers fan, and I pick my words correctly in saying loyal Rangers fan, supports the club at this time and gives it a chance."
That provoked an angry response from the Union of Fans, a coalition of Rangers supporters. "We would like to state that we will not be lectured by a Greenock Morton fan on loyalty to Rangers. We have fans in our ranks who have had season tickets for over 20 years and have contributed more to Rangers than Mr Easdale ever will.
"It is a measure of the distrust and complete disillusionment with this board that people who have devoted most of their lives to following Rangers have already cancelled their season tickets."
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