A decade ago, the focus for everyone at Rangers was trying to win the SPL title. Management, players, fans and the Board were united in their quest.
Despite being underdogs on the final day, Alex McLeish’s side managed to defy the odds to become Champions, beating Hibs at Easter Road while Celtic were stunned at Motherwell by Scott McDonald’s last-gasp double.
May 22, 2005, became known as Helicopter Sunday. Now, 10 years on, the football at Ibrox is almost a sideshow.
The real battle is in the Boardroom, and an EGM will take place on Friday morning.
Fans’ favourite Dave King is seeking the removal of David Somers, Derek Llambias and Barry Leach. King and his consortium are expected to be successful.
Former Ibrox hero Alex Rae has been a keen observer of this long-running battle for control of the club.
Rae was part of that title-winning team a decade ago, and believes Friday will be just as momentous a day in the history of the club.
A dyed-in-the-wool Rangers fan, he has often been outspoken, right back to the days when Charles Green was in charge.
He thinks victory is now in sight. Indeed, it might come sooner than expected.
Rae is now assistant manager to McLeish at Belgian side, Genk. He may be abroad but he will be kept informed of developments on Friday.
As a member of the influential fans’ group, Rangers First, Rae expects change and is of the mind that it might not even need to get to the formalities of the EGM.
He wouldn’t be surprised if King is able to provide enough evidence to show that he has way more than the 51% of shareholders’ votes required for change.
Rae said: “I’ve been keeping an eye on the different voting polls on the fans’ websites, and more than 99% want change.
“March 6 will be one of the most pivotal days in the club’s history. But I’ve got a wee feeling that Dave King will have it sewn up by then.
“It may well be that the cost of staging an EGM will not be needed. So, there’s more than £200,000 saved right away.
“The new regime will need to put a proper long-term business plan in place.
“It can’t just all be about the first team pitching up on a Saturday. The scouting department and the youth set-up needs to be looked at.
“At least there will be trust and transparency from Dave King and his Board. Paul Murray has fought hard for the past three years and John Gilligan will be a real asset.
“The ‘Three Bears’, I would imagine, will also be involved in some capacity.
“Thankfully, the days of executives taking massive bonuses for winning League Two or League One will be gone. The days of asset-stripping will also be gone.
“The best interests of Rangers Football Club will come first. Self-interest will be obliterated.
“We won’t be able to forget about the past few years and the way people have tried to destroy the club. It’s been a nightmare. But we have to move on and learn from it.
“I’m not one for saying: ‘I told you so’. But I do remember expressing serious doubts about that character, Charles Green.
“I thought he was full of soundbites and bluster. He didn’t conduct himself in a manner that was befitting of the position he held at Rangers.”
If King is successful, one task will be to try and come to an arrangement with Mike Ashley (below), whether is to see if they can forge a partnership for investment from the billionaire or to get rid of him to free the club from the contracts he has in place that benefit Sports Direct more than Rangers.
Rae said: “I don’t know Mike Ashley, but he strikes me as the type of guy who will not give up easily. A lot of persuasive negotiating may be required from Dave King and his people.
“Dave will also look at the position of team manager but that is an appointment that should not be rushed.
“It is a key decision and it’s important to get it right rather than dive in.
“But the dressing-room will receive a massive boost if the EGM goes in favour of Dave King. It will give everyone renewed optimism and you could have the team playing in front of 50,000 at the next home game on March 10 against Queen of the South.
“I’m telling you, that will bring out an extra 10% in the players. Ibrox can be become an intimidating place again for the final home games of the season.”
Rae has sympathy with the current squad who have been battling for promotion from the Championship while all the headlines have been coming from the battle in the Boardroom.
But he is adamant that promotion into the Premiership would be as sweet a feeling as Helicopter Sunday.
Rae admitted: “The memories from that day will never leave me.
“Rangers managed more success for a few years when Walter Smith came back, but for the past three or four, it’s not really been about the football and that’s been the real shame.
“I feel for the players. They just want to play at the highest level and compete with the best, to become the best.
“But they have to stay upbeat and remember what’s at stake in the next 10 weeks. They have the chance to write a piece of history and take the club back to the top flight.
“It will have to be through the play-offs, but that’s fine. It’s about the end result.
“I have every confidence that Lee McCulloch, Lee Wallace and the rest will achieve their aims. They know what’s at stake and what’s required.”
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