Journalist issues verdict on Mike Ashley at Rangers amid development

Graeme McGarry has issued a warning to Hibs and Dundee over dual ownerships as he cites what could've happened to Rangers under Mike Ashley.

Recently, the Scottish FA stated goal to increase investment into the game, and ensure that there is £50million a year available to clubs.

In the Scottish Herald, McGarry wrote that even though Derek Llambias was there, rules prohibited Ashley from taking a controlling stake.

The report reads: "A series of owners, some more fly-by-night than others, have swanned into our towns over the years offering such empty promises, and it seems that Hibernian fans are next in line to be told that a benevolent, kindly investor is about to make their dreams come true. Yeah, and if you believe that, I’ve got a monorail to sell you.

"The strict rules here around dual ownership specifically have benefitted Scottish clubs in the past. God knows where Rangers might be right now, for example, had Mike Ashley’s influence been allowed to grow unchecked a few years back.

"Thankfully, that was tempered - despite the presence of the organ grinder’s monkey, Derek Llambias, on the Ibrox board - by the rules that prohibited Ashley from having a controlling interest in Newcastle United and simultaneously, Rangers."

Important

There is a need for regulators to prevent these kinds of things from happening and it's good that Ashley could not get his way.

There are so many shady dealings in ownership south of the border, especially, and if given the leeway, it can happen in Scottish football too.

Rangers are in a far better place now and the last year has been important in terms of the changes that have taken place.

Most of the senior directors have left and it's almost a new boardroom in place with a new manager recently taking over.

It remains to be seen how these changes are viewed in the long run but as of now, fans have every reason to be underwhelmed.

They can only hope for tangible changes but given how the previous board has let them down, it's hard to be optimistic.

In other Rangers news, a BBC pundit has claimed that a Gers first-team player will jump at the chance to leave Ibrox as a transfer story has emerged recently.