Rangers Board Accused of “Guerrilla Warfare”
October 14, 2013
The Rangers board have been accused of “guerrilla warfare” by not allowing a group of shareholders to join the Scottish League One club’s board.
It has also been claimed in court that the club’s board may have acted illegally by failing to inform the club’s other shareholders about the bid in enough time ahead of the forthcoming annual general meeting that is due to take place on October 24.
Lawyer Richard Keen QC, who represents the shareholder group led by Paul Murray and former club chairman Malcolm Murray, said the club’s directors had “committed an offence” by not informing other shareholders of the requisition at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
Keen said: “An offence has been committed by every member of this board.
“The board have placed themselves in a very difficult situation by failing to discharge their statutory obligations. They have committed an offence.
“If I am right, the consequences of that must be visited upon them.”
He added that the board “engaged in guerrilla warfare in respect of the requisitions.” He claimed that the signatures the board required were presented “timeously” and added, “These requests have been sent by the relevant companies and on the face of it there is no reason to doubt their validity.”
The club’s chief executive Craig Mather and the rest of the baord have now been sued by the requisitioners, who want to win an interdict which would prevent the AGM from being held.
Heriot Currie QC, who is representing the Rangers’ board, said in court: “The petitioners have known since September 12 that they had to organise themselves for a shareholder meeting by no later than October 30.”
If the requisitioners are granted the interdict, the board will have to give shareholders at least 21 days notice before holding an AGM.