Rangers statement applauded as fans slammed for ‘jeopardising’ American takeover
Rangers fans have been slammed after UEFA fined them for an offensive banner at Ibrox in the Europa League.
A section of supporters at Ibrox displayed a banner during the game against Fenerbahce, which was considered discriminatory by UEFA, with the Gers now pursuing lifetime bans for responsible individuals.
The Light Blues will face Athletic Club in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, and the Copland Stand will be closed if similar acts are repeated within two years.
Fans have been blasted for seemingly jeopardising a deal with Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises in talks to take over at the Glaswegian outfit.
San Francisco 49ers may be questioning Rangers deal after fan incident
San Francisco 49ers may be questioning their deal to take control at Rangers, Keith Jackson suggests.
The Daily Record journalist has questioned whether fans are trying to poke the prospective new owners ahead of the potential takeover.
Jackson has applauded the Gers for their statement but would have liked to see them take action before being fined by UEFA.
| Shareholder | Stake |
| Dave King | 12.96% |
| Douglas Park | 11.54% |
| George Taylor | 10.22% |
| Stuart Gibson | 9.53% |
| Julian Wolhardt | 9.53% |
| John Halsted | 9.53% |
| John Bennett | 7.11% |
Speaking on Hotline Live (25 March), the journalist said: “What are [Rangers supporters] thinking? Are they thinking at all? They do realise, don’t they, that the San Francisco 49ers are involved in a potential takeover of the football club. The 49ers, in terms of PR and global appeal, are [fans] almost trying to poke them with a stick?
“There might be people within that organisation that would look at something like that and say, ‘Wait a minute. This is a ban for what? Racism? The football authorities in Europe are charging them with being racist, and we’re about to spend how much on this?’
“I think that’s an incredibly stupid set of circumstances that they’ve managed to create for themselves.
“I applaud the Rangers statement… But why wait until UEFA are threatening this sort of stuff? They should have been doing this a long time ago.”
Cavenagh and 49ers to start new era at Ibrox
Barry Ferguson made a statement at Rangers after beating Jose Mourinho and Brendan Rodgers in a matter of weeks.
The Gers have had a poor domestic season, leading to Philippe Clement’s sacking, but the interim manager has given the supporters something to look forward to.
While beating Athletic Club will be challenging, the Light Blues always seem to turn up on the European stage.
Rangers will have a big decision to make on Ferguson once the US consortium complete their takeover.
Cavenagh and the 49ers may want to keep the former Scotland international in the dugout for another season due to his reputation among the fans.
The Bears need stability after years of turmoil both on and off the pitch, and Ferguson could potentially be the right man to lead them in the short term.
Supporters will also expect the Americans to improve the financial situation at the Glaswegian outfit and compete with Celtic domestically.
A new era is on the horizon at Rangers once the prospective new owners arrive.