Inside Rangers' plan to raise £16m as key role discontinued - 'we want people fighting over shovels'

The club are confident this sum will be raised from existing major shareholders, increasing the total capital investment in Rangers to £36 million since the American consortium led by current chairman Andrew Cavenagh bought Rangers ten months ago.

In the intervening period, they have also lost a vice-chairman in Paraag Marathe as well as a manager, chief executive and sporting director. New chief executive Jim Gillespie started this month.

The former St Mirren vice chair has succeeded Patrick Stewart. The role of sporting director, most recently filled by Kevin Thelwell, has meanwhile been discontinued under the present regime.

Despite many clubs placing increasing importance on such a position, Rangers concluded that Thelwell had responsibility for too many departments. Gillespie will shortly formalise the different roles in a streamlined football department.

Former Liverpool player Stig Inge Bjornebye’s interim period as football consultant and adviser will end this summer.

“We believe our current football structure is working well, and we do not plan to hire a sporting director,” confirmed Cavenagh. “The executive team is committed to being smaller, nimbler, and more entrepreneurial. We want an executive team willing to get its fingernails dirty. If there is a hole to be dug, we want people fighting over shovels. We want fewer consulting firms and less bureaucracy.”

Although it has been a turbulent spell both on and off the field for the club, with former manager Russell Martin sacked just seven league games into the season, Rangers sit second in the Premiership. They are three points behind leaders Hearts with seven games to play. Celtic are two points worse off in third place.

“We have complete confidence in Danny (Rohl), his staff, and our squad,” said Cavenagh. “We will approach each match as it comes, and fingers crossed, we will be at the top of the table after 38 matches.”

The changes in the club's culture, revealed in a letter from Cavenagh to supporters, will be implemented whether Rangers finish as champions or not.

According to the chairman, a “culture of winning means returning to Rangers’ historical DNA and standards”. Links with former players and ambassadors will be reinforced. “I have tried to spend time with many supporters and former players and staff, and their input has been invaluable,” Cavenagh wrote. “Across the club, we need to continue to partner with these individuals, whether informally as thought leaders and advisors or formally as ambassadors and parts of our staff. These links to the past must be strengthened.”

The chairman also announced a 6.5 per cent rise in the price of adult season tickets. He explained that costs are rising faster than the overall rate of inflation. “We either need the club’s revenues to keep pace, or we need to decrease the money spent on the squad. We don’t believe this is the time to decrease the player and football budget; in fact, we think the opposite.” As well as new players, Cavenagh noted the £16m injection will be spent on "other club needs" including stadium improvements.

He added that “we are not asking supporters to do all the heavy lifting”. The share issue, effective immediately, will, he asserts, raise £16 million in new capital. “The capital will be used to support player acquisitions and other club needs,” he said. All shareholders will receive a letter regarding the share issue and the resolutions to be approved but there will be a minimum buy-in for the share issue of 1000 shares.

In a wide-ranging letter, Cavenagh also addressed the crowd disorder at the Old Firm Scottish Cup clash at the start this month. Although the club have already released a statement specifically about the scenes following Celtic’s victory in a penalty shootout, Cavenagh said he did not want to ignore “such an important subject”. He added: “We continue to denounce the disorder, property damage, and especially those who denigrated the 66 souls lost in the Ibrox disaster. We fully support the independent review and will work with all relevant stakeholders, while continuing to represent the club and our supporters.”

Rangers are not yet able to put a figure on the damage to seats and LED lighting caused by away supporters. It is understood Gillespie has recently held talks with the Chief Constable of Police Scotland regarding Rangers fans attending this season’s remaining Old Firm fixture at Parkhead. There is an expectation Rangers fans will be permitted to attend despite the recent trouble, although an exact number has still not been confirmed.

Discussions have already been held with the police and Glasgow City Council about a title party in the event Rangers win the league. Any such celebrations would likely be restricted to within the Ibrox footprint.

Cavenagh stressed that his commitment to the club had not been shaken by the scenes at the most recent Old Firm match. “I’m honoured to be doing this alongside each and every one of you,” he told the fans.