Rangers news: Shareholder decides to end association with club
Rangers are in the midst of a takeover saga and a shareholder wants to end his financial association with the club.
The San Francisco 49ers are expected to complete the takeover in the coming weeks and it appears to be on course to be finalised by May.
They want to buy a 51 per cent stake in the club, which would mean a number of the current shareholders will have to sell a large part or all of the shares they hold.
John Bennett wants to end his Rangers association
John Bennett, the former Gers chairman, is an important shareholder, owning a 7 per cent stake in the club.
However, he no longer wants to continue his association with the club, amid the takeover saga.
Sun Sport reported on 12 March that he wants to sell his entire stake in Rangers and walk out of the door.
He is said to hold 34 million shares in RIFC and is the largest lender after putting tens of millions into the club.
Due to health reasons, he was forced to stand down as the chairman and is now willing to sell to the San Francisco 49ers.
| 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% |
Paraag Marathe and co. need to make the right backroom appointments
With Bennett stepping aside, selling his stake and ending his financial ties to Gersamid the San Francisco 49ers’ impending takeover by May, the American owners have a golden opportunity to reshape the club.
Bennett, once a key figure with 34 million shares and significant loans, will leave a void that the 49ers must fill with seasoned football minds to restore Rangers to their former glory.
Securing a 51% controlling stake is just the start and the NFL giants, aided by Paraag Marathe, need to appoint proper football men who are experts with deep knowledge of the Scottish game to guide strategy and recruitment.
This expertise will be crucial to outmanoeuvre rivals like Celtic, leveraging the 49ers’ resources to build a squad and culture capable of dominating Scotland once more, fulfilling fans’ dreams of reclaiming the top spot.