JOHN Greig will stage a symbolic return to Ibrox this Tuesday as guest of honour for the first home match of the Dave King era.
The 72-year-old, voted the Greatest Ever Ranger by the club's fans in 1999, has visited Govan just twice since walking away from the club in October 2011 in disgust at Craig Whyte's running of the club. That was for the club's 140th celebrations and the unveiling of the Sandy Jardine stand at the start of last season, but he will be a hugely popular visitor for the match against Queen of the South this midweek.
"I would say it's a definite possibility," said King. "There is no living individual who better represents what we've said we're trying to do - take the club forward by going back to the value system."
King, speaking at Cowdenbeath yesterday alongside his new fellow directors John Gilligan and interim chairman Paul Murray, has been besieged by greetings from well wishers since victory in the EGM, and said his triumph should also be welcomed across the city. "Celtic's business model is an exact mirror of Rangers' business model," said King. "For Celtic to be successful commercially, it requires a strong Rangers. Rangers winning nine-in-a-row is great for the fans, but it wasn't good for the club financially, just like Celtic dominating isn't good for them financially. Celtic need us to be competitive with them and we need the same. It makes absolute sense that they should appreciate us coming in."
Alastair Johnston, the club's former chairman, agrees. "I've talked a lot to Dermot Desmond over the years and, without breaching any discussions, it's not been in Celtic's best interests from a business standpoint and their ability to invest. I think, deep down, Dermot will be very happy."
Peter Lawwell, the Celtic chief executive, said last night that their rivals would be welcomed back to the top flight, so long as the right people are now in charge. "Do I hope Rangers come up?" he said. "The positives you miss, the negatives you don't. They have to sort themselves out. It costs us £10 million a year without Rangers - if they came back up we'd progressively get that back. It depends on their ownership. Everyone would agree the ownership there has been questionable in the last three years. It depends on the right quality of people on the board there."
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