Rangers to host EGM at Ibrox after abandoning plans to stage event in London
Wednesday 18 February 2015 16:23, UK
Rangers will hold their EGM at Ibrox Stadium after abandoning plans to stage the eagerly-awaited event in London.
The move to host the shareholder vote in Glasgow, at a date yet to be announced, came after two London hotels declined the chance to put on the event amid security concerns for their guests.
Last week the original venue, the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in Kensington, said it had cancelled their booking claiming it would cause "significant disruption to guests and neighbours" amid reports a large number of fans would descend on the hotel to protest against the club's current board.
It is not the Rangers way to threaten individuals on a personal basis and there should be zero tolerance for this.
The financially-troubled club then turned to the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel and a subsequent announcement from the Stock Exchange on Tuesday morning confirmed it as the new venue for the March 4 meeting.
'Compromise'
But within hours of the notice the hotel cast doubt over the deal when reporting it was 'considering its options in the light of recent information', before releasing a statement saying it no longer wished to be considered to host the meeting.
A spokesman for Grange Hotels said: "There is no question when it comes to the comfort and security of our guests and staff. We do not compromise on this and therefore the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel has declined the opportunity to host the proposed Rangers FC EGM."
In a statement on Wednesday morning the Rangers board said: "It is with regret that the Board must announce that, following threats from persons unknown, the Grange Hotel at Tower Hill in London has informed the Company that it is no longer willing to host the General Meeting on 4 March 2015. Accordingly, the new venue for this General Meeting will be Ibrox Stadium, in Glasgow, at a date to be determined.
"The original London venue was selected for the General Meeting because the Board felt that previous General Meetings held at Ibrox had been disrupted by chanting and other shouting and accordingly had sought a business venue where a meeting could be held with more decorum.
"Following threats it was decided to seek a second London venue, not least because, for legal reasons, this would have preserved the ability to continue to hold the meeting on 4 March. Unfortunately, these efforts have now been thwarted.
"A further announcement will be made as soon as possible once a new time and date for the General Meeting have been established."
Dave King, a director of oldco Rangers which was consigned to liquidation in 2012, had called the meeting in a bid to oust the current directors - chairman David Somers, James Easdale, Derek Llambias and Barry Leach - from Ibrox.
King needs 51 per cent of the shareholders to back him and, if successful, the South Africa-based businessman is planning to replace the current board with himself, former oldco director Paul Murray and Glasgow brewery boss John Gilligan.
And King has urged Rangers fans to stay away from the EGM at Ibrox, ensuring the board has no excuse to delay it further.
In a statement, he said: "There has been coverage in the media alleging concern by club directors about their personal safety and verbal abuse from Rangers fans and while unrest is understandable any anger must be peacefully channelled towards the removal of directors from the board.
"It is not the Rangers way to threaten individuals on a personal basis and there should be zero tolerance for this.
'Appealing'
"I have already expressed my views on the decision to have the general meeting in London and I was appealing to fans not to travel. However, while Ibrox can easily accommodate everyone who wants to go, I believe fans who are also shareholders should still ensure that a properly completed proxy is in place beforehand.
"The meeting will last only a few minutes as there is no debate beforehand. It was always my intention to vote by proxy and not travel to London and it remains the case that I will be in Glasgow with my fellow directors ready to commence the business of the day.
"With a second London hotel declining to host the general meeting members of the Rangers board and the company's Nomad (nominated adviser) must now accept Ibrox as the best and obvious venue.
"They all have a profound responsibility to the shareholders and fans to hold this meeting within the suggested time frame and so the proxy process must continue as planned. Therefore it is absolutely vital that Rangers fans, who are
shareholders, and all other shareholders continue to follow procedure."
Rangers last held a meeting of shareholders at their Ibrox ground when staging their AGM from a gazebo on the pitch in front of the Broomloan Stand last December.
