'Extinguish rot': Exiting Rangers chief takes strong position on Ibrox takeover

Departing Rangers director Johnston was ousted from his post as chairman when Scottish businessman Whyte purchaded the club from Sir David Murray in May 2011.

Rangers subsequently lurched into administration in February 2012 and then were liquidated three months later, before re-emerging in the bottom tier of Scottish football as a new company with Whyte having left under a cloud.

Back then, Johnston predicted then that it would take a decade for the Govan club to recover and although they lifted the Scottish Premiership title in 2021 and enjoyed success in Europe, Celtic are still the dominant force in Scottish football, having won 13 of the last 14 league titles.

There is optimism, though, that better times are ahead for Rangers after an American consortium, headed by healthcare tycoon Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprises, has acquired a 51 per cent controlling stake in the club.

Johnston, who returned to the board as a non-executive director in 2017 when South Africa-based Dave King was chairman, will stand down from the Ibrox board as result - but the United States-based Glaswegian and lifelong Gers fan is optimistic about developments.

The 76-year-old told the PA news agency: “I was asked to respond to a question at the Rangers AGM last December as to the options available to the club in order for it to return to its glory days. My comments were reported at the time as being somewhat bemusing.

“I responded by describing the current circumstances in English football about so many of the leading clubs being taken over by American investors and, in several cases, their approach included an ownership model that involved multiple teams. I was careful to insinuate that this was a hypothetical possibility.

“In truth, I was already aware of the interest that a group involving the 49ers had shown in Rangers and that we had already engaged in early-stage discussions with its representatives. Understandably, the possible investors wanted to maintain the utmost secrecy as to the direction of their mission.

“It took about six months for the Rangers board to reach a mutually acceptable arrangement that would be in the best interests of our club.

“Intense negotiations were conducted covering all facets of such an acquisition, and I am delighted we were able to capitalise on a collaboration that we believe will provide us with a platform to extinguish the rot that had befallen the club for a decade since the Craig Whyte fiasco.”