DAVE KING, the Rangers chairman, has praised the "phenomenal" response from supporters this summer after more than 21,000 renewed their season tickets ahead of the deadline this week.

King set an ambitious target of selling 45,000 season books for the upcoming campaign in which Rangers will bid to win the Ladbrokes Championship title at the second time of asking. The appointment of Mark Warburton and David Weir as the new management team last month has buoyed many supporters after a season in which fans became disillusioned with events on and off the park last time out.

"It has been really encouraging for the new board to witness this phenomenal response from the club's supporters in advance of what is going to be the most significant season for the team in recent years," King said.

"This early uptake confirms the remarkable strength of feeling Rangers fans have for their club. We have already had significant improvements in the club's fortunes off the pitch and we now look forward to a similar outcome on the pitch this season."

Rangers could only finish third in the Championship last term before they suffered a 6-1 aggregate defeat to Motherwell in the Premiership play-off final. It was to prove the final game at the club for a host of out-of-contract players and manager Stuart McCall as he was overlooked for the position on a permanent basis.

It is Warburton who has been tasked with winning promotion this time and McCall insists he has no fears over his reputation after he came so near yet so far last season.

"We got to a point that most people didn't think we would reach," he said. "A 20-minute spell of football at home to Motherwell cost us promotion really. You can look back on things in life but it is better to look forward. I had a great time there, although short and sweet. It certainly hasn't tarnished my reputation I wouldn't have thought."

The confirmation that McCall would not be in the dugout next season came just days after a host of players were released from the club at the end of their contracts. Kris Boyd and Richard Foster have this week been critical of the way the departures were handled and Ian Black has now added his dissenting voice.

"We had to read in the papers that we were all released." Black said. "The boys that were there achieved two promotions but had a bad season last season. To not get a thank you or a phone call to say: 'Look, thanks, we are not going to renew your contract', the boys would respect that more. None of us have received that."