Rangers: In-fighting at Ibrox blots Douglas Park record as resignation confirmed – pundit
We’re delighted to welcome Tam McManus as our exclusive Rangers columnist as each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Ibrox…
Tam McManus believes despite a mixed spell as Rangers chairman, Douglas Park will ultimately be remembered for the good things he oversaw at Ibrox.
It was confirmed on 4 April that Park, 72, has been replaced by John Bennett as the Gers’ chairman after three years in the big seat at Ibrox.
No reasons have been given for Park’s decision to step down but the now-former Rangers chairman had been at the centre of a number of controversies at Ibrox.
Sponsorship rows, poor communication and disdain towards the board in recent months have been the biggest blots on Park’s time at Ibrox but overall, McManus feels that a league title and a Europa League final were enough to make him remembered fondly among fans.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” McManus told Ibrox News when talking about Park’s decision to step down.
“Douglas is 72 and it’s a very high-pressure job at Rangers.
“He came in at a very, very hard time around COVID but he steadied the ship, he got people to invest in the club, they stopped 10-in-a-row, they had a fantastic run to the Europa League final and they won the Scottish Cup.
“I think he’ll be looked upon favourably by Rangers fans but the only negative I’d say is that there’d been a lot of in-fighting in terms of sponsorships with Sky and cinch.
“There wasn’t a lot of great communication at Rangers under Douglas, there wasn’t a lot coming out.
“But overall, fans will look kindly at him.
“He came in at a bad time at Ibrox when Celtic were on top and through COVID and they managed to win a league and get to a European final.
“He did well and now he gets a well-deserved rest from that everyday pressure.”
Bennett now replaces Park as chairman after he was unanimously voted to replace the 72-year-old by the board.
In other Rangers news, fans have been blasted and called “maniacs” for a conspiracy theory after an announcement was made by the SFA.