Irvine's warning in Rangers battle

24 August 2013 18:17

The battle for control of the Ibrox boardroom has taken a new twist after Rangers chief executive Craig Mather hired PR guru Jack Irvine to launch a fightback against the investors seeking to oust him - just a week after the club released a statement claiming he did not speak for them.

The Media House spokesman signed a one-year agreement with Mather ahead of Friday night's Scottish League One meeting with Airdrie.

He has been brought in to fight off attempts by Clyde Blowers chairman Jim McColl to have Mather, Brian Stockbridge and Bryan Smart removed from the board.

Billonaire businessman McColl wants to replace them with former Blue Knight Paul Murray and ex-PricewaterhouseCoopers accountancy expert Frank Blin.

The development comes seven days after the club issued a statement entitled "For the Avoidance of Doubt" which went on to state: "Finally, Jack Irvine of Media House does not speak for this club."

A club insider has told Press Association Sport that Irvine is prepared to "go to war" with McColl's faction.

In a statement issued to Press Association Sport, Irvine - who already represents club investors Sandy and James Easdale - warned McColl and his partners that he would expose their "reprehensible behaviour" of the past few weeks.

He claimed: "The board felt that they were not successfully articulating their defence against the vicious and at times underhand attacks of Jim McColl, Frank Blin and Paul Murray.

"The board also felt that there are huge public misconceptions about the financial realities of the club and once again this was a failure of communication.

"Interestingly I have known Jim, Frank and Paul for many, many years and have a huge respect for their abilities in their individual fields.

Source: PA