The Union of Fans, a coalition of Rangers supporters, has criticised major shareholder Sandy Easdale for urging supporters to show some "loyalty" by renewing their season tickets.

Easdale had urged those fans considering withholding their money, until they have been given certain assurances by the board, to reconsider their stance. That provoked an angry response from the fans group who believe Easdale is in no position to lecture to them.

In a statement they said: "We note Sandy Easdale's comments and would like to clarify some matters for him. Firstly, his attempt to blackmail supporters is both transparent and expected. The financial position of the club is not down to lack of support or loyalty from fans, it is down to two years of mismanagement and the squandering of huge sums of money, which Mr Easdale has been a part of for the past seven months.

"Mr Easdale, despite his apparently intimate knowledge of the plc's financial position, was unwilling to provide the club with a loan without taking security on it. He now urges fans, who are completely in the dark regarding this board's ability to take the club forward, to put their money in to sustain the current regime.

"We would like to know why Mr Easdale is being pushed out to speak on behalf of a plc board he is not part of. Mr Easdale's comments about the financial position of the club are share price sensitive, as are his comments about possible administration. These comments directly contradict those of the ceo, Graham Wallace, who is on record as saying that a second administration is not a possibility.

"Why is the plc board allowing Mr Easdale to make these comments on their behalf and why does he have access to such information in any case when he is not a director of the plc? Once again huge question marks are raised over corporate governance at Rangers by Mr Easdale's role at the club, which has never been clarified.

"We would also like to state that we will not be lectured by a Greenock Morton fan on loyalty to Rangers. Finally, we would question why Graham Wallace has just recruited another, pr spin doctor, Paul Tyrell, when the club does not even have a chief scout. It is interesting that [Tyrell] arrives a week after Mr Wallace refused to clarify the position with his 100% bonus, and the suspicion is that this is another appointment to help the board rather than the club itself."