The Rangers interim chairman has urged Dave King to “behave like a proper shareholder” and stop speaking out against the club to the media.
John Gilligan has stepped up to the position vacated by John Bennett earlier this month and expects to be in the role for a “few months”.
Former chairman King has publicly stated that he wishes to return for two years and has called for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to decide who Bennett’s permanent successor would be.
He has also claimed that the club is in crisis and lacks leadership at the top.
But Gilligan believes those comments are untrue and unhelpful and stated there is no appetite within the club for King to return as chairman and called suggestions of an EGM “unrealistic”.
He said: “Dave is a major shareholder and he can say whatever he wishes to say, my view is that is a bit unrealistic.
“Dave is a businessman and he knows how shareholding works, he is a 15% shareholder and our directors are 10, 12, 14% shareholders, it’s unrealistic.”
“King called for an EGM to decide who should be the club’s next chairman.
“Again, that’s a wee bit unrealistic, because EGMs are invariably called by someone who wishes to change something, and the current board don’t wish to change, so why would we call an EGM?
“There is fresh investment coming into the club, but in fairness Dave is talking about fresh investment but he doesn’t want to invest. So I’m sure where he means investment is going to come from.”
On King’s comments about the club being in crisis and having no leadership, Gilligan said: “I think he got that wrong.
“I think it’s unfair, what exactly is he saying isn’t good? What exactly is he saying is going wrong? Give me a plan and tell me.
“If Dave had some terrific plan to tell me where we are going wrong then we would consider that plan.
“I haven’t spoken to him, he gave me one of the happiest days of my life when he asked me to join him ten years ago and I’ll never forget that.
“Since then we have met a few times, played golf and socialised when he is over, but I haven’t heard from him.
“It’s almost ridiculous to compare (Rangers now to Rangers in 2015), it would make me cry rather than laugh.
“You cannot describe how low we were and what we inherited in terms of all sorts of aspects of the club and it is unrecognisable to that now.
“Every day at Rangers football club is a challenge, the level of expectancy is enormous, and as a fan I am part of that problem, but it is just ridiculous to compare it, it doesn’t even begin to compare.
“His comments would only be destabilising if the people who are the major shareholders don’t have a plan or have the people in place to execute it, we have had some difficulties recently with the stadium and things but destabilising? Not particularly.
“Dave is entitled to say what he wants, it’s a free world, but I don’t feel destabilised at all.”
Gilligan also stated there is “no appetite” for King to return as chairman.
He said: “Dave was chairman, Dave’s still a major investor and can attend the AGM and ask questions, but there’s just no appetite for it at the moment because, one, Dave was here before and he stepped away.
“Other people stepped up – Douglas (Park) stepped up, then stepped down and John (Bennett) stepped down. There’s just no appetite.
“Has any director or any person at the club said anything about Dave? No. Have they responded publicly to him? No. Will I ever say anything bad about Dave? No.
“Do I wish he would stop? Yes. I’d just say, ‘Dave, please take it below the radar.
“‘Behave like a proper shareholder, don’t do what you’re doing’.
“It’s a shame because he is a great character and he had a massive influence in the club in his time and I will always respect that.”
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