New start or same old story at Ibrox?

There is a temptation to describe events in front of the Broomloan Stand yesterday as a pantomime. It should be resisted. The annual general meeting was a serious business despite the shouts of scumbags, despite the vacillations of Somers, despite the almost ritual dance around Ticketus, Charles Green, and bids or otherwise from Dave King.

Its most dramatic legacy, though, was the announcement of the vote hours later via the Stock Exchange on a proposal to give the board powers to enact a wide-ranging share issue. It was defeated.

Some fans saw this as a further betrayal by the board, claiming it voted against it to ensure Mike Ashley's pre-eminence at the club. City sources, however, insisted that this could be termed the revenge of Norman Crighton in that they suspected Laxey Partners, holders of 16% in Rangers, had voted against the board after the unseating of the non-executive director earlier this month. This theory was supported by another source who claimed the vote was ''disastrous'' for Rangers.

Whatever the machinations of the vote, and last night they were difficult to divine, the result places the future of Rangers even more firmly in the hands of Ashley. He can either underwrite a shortfall in the limited share issue or, more likely, maintain the drip of loans to the club, forcing the Scottish Football Association to renegotiate its agreement with him which, it must said, has seemed only to be honoured in the breach.

There were few questions that were directly answered by the board with Somers misjudging the mood of the meeting with spectacular results.

The edited highlights of his contribution would include him telling the fans that as they were supporters they would only be interested in football matters, advising one shareholder than when he ''gets to be Rangers chairman he can do it his way'', trying to stifle the initials boos with a "shall we start again?" and, basically basing Rangers troubles on "legacy" issues, business speak for "a series of big boys did it and ran away".

There was even a poke at the media and "football authorities". This was met by loud scorn from fans.

He was the English comedian in the once great Glasgow empire. The mood of the meeting was irate but the humour was razor sharp. Sandy and James Easdale. Somers, and Derek Llambias loitered within tent as the peace was breached in the Broomloan stand.

There was the pithy comment from side of mouth as well as the bellow of rage. When one fan called for a chaplain to be appointed to the club, another pronounced there were four Charlie Chaplins on stage, when Somers said there had been a lack of appetite among fans for a share issue he was informed it was rather a lack of trust, when Llambias asked that all they wanted from fans was patience and an open mind, one retorted: "Aye, and our money."

There was an intervention from Paul Murray, the former director and disappointed suitor of the club, who claimed the board had been ''disingenuous'' over its claims over the Dave King bid. His concern was brushed aside with Somers insisting that King had both his email and his phone number if he wanted to contact him. John 'Bomber' Brown inquired somewhat robustly of who owned Ibrox, whether Charles Green and Imran Ahmad were still involved in the club, and of any Ticketus links to the club. He was acclaimed by the crowd but dealt with comfortably by Somers.

He called the board "rats and puppets", prompting a strong reaction from James Easdale to both descriptions.

His brother, Sandy, the subject of loud catcalls throughout the meeting, was prompted to speak and after a brief discussion with Llambias, walked from his seat to the lectern where his speech attracted some applause.

He addressed the matter of Blue Pitch and Margarita Holdings whose anonymity has been an irritant to fans.

"They have nothing to do with Charles Green, Imran Ahmad or any other former directors. They are wealthy foreign entities. They have never been a problem or caused a problem," he said. They gave me their proxies to represent them as they are based abroad.''

He insisted he had no problems with Paul Murray, Dave King or Brian Kennedy, whose investment offers were rejected in favour of Ashley, and said "they may be part of this club's future yet".

He closed the meeting by saying: "Please believe me, neither me or my brother, we are not on a gravy train. I've never taken a penny out of it. I do not want to harm this club."

There was both polite acceptance of this sentiment and some jeers.

The unalloyed truth, though, was greeted mostly in silence. Somers touched on it when he talked of the need to bring young players through and in an aim described in business speak as "Focus on Player Asset Management and Youth Development".

Llambias was more blunt when he talked of "making and taking difficult decisions". Llambias, who said he was receiving no financial compensation from Ashley, his former associate at Newcastle United, gave the impression of a man who had thought out his approach to the meeting. There was a humility, there was the nod to the club with the "great tradition, great history", but there was most crucially an invitation to supporters to consider the reality of Rangers.

"I can guarantee you everything I do will be in the best interest of Rangers Football Club," he said. "We need financial stability off the pitch and great football on it."

This innocuous rhetoric will be underpinned by serious action. Rangers will look to promote youth players more quickly, will avoid signing players on lucrative long-term contracts.

The club, though, has to balance this by ensuring it plays in the SPFL Premiership next season. Llambias was even looking towards European football which seems a distant vista when Hearst are barely on the horizon in the SPFL Championship.

Rangers thus have to cuts costs, win promotion and win back a large tranche of the support who have become disillusioned with the club.

These are the first three items on the deck of the chief executive who will head for Hampden this morning with talks with the SFA over the Ashley influence at the club.

He is believed to be working at Rangers for £150,000 a year with the promise a seven-figure bonus if he can rescue the club. The prize is great for him and for Ashley but they must know the fans' appetite for further scandal has been sated.

There is anger, distrust and a weariness among the support. Rangers may need Ashley. Both Rangers and Ashley undoubtedly need the fans to make any plan work. This commitment can not be guaranteed.

There was much talk about a new start yesterday but to many fans it seemed the same old story. Bruised and battered in recent years, they have still to be convinced to buy into any plan. This, too, is the truth.

Llambias may just have pause for thought about this chilling reality when he reflects on his debut on the Ibrox turf.