Rangers chairman Dave King hopes for Mike Ashley deal in time for pre-season kit launch
Friday 24 March 2017 20:31, UK
Rangers chairman Dave King hopes a resolution can be reached in his continuing battle with Mike Ashley - but admits the Newcastle owner "does not like losing".
Ashley's company Sports Direct control the retail contracts at Rangers and, with the club earning virtually nothing from sales, fans have been boycotting merchandise.
But King hopes to strike a deal with Ashley that will see fans happy to buy the club's kit and in time for pre-season, and he does not rule out a Rangers future with Sports Direct still involved.
King said: "We are holding on for something that's right, and when we do get it we will say that to supporters. There's no reason why it wouldn't include Sports Direct at that point because, in my view, they would be commercially naive to completely walk away.
"(But) there has to be something in it for us. The question is; can we leave something in it for them when it's still largely in favour of the club? I don't think that's impossible. I think it can be done soon.
"All I can really say is that I do believe there is a possibility that we might be able to do a proper kit launch pre-season, which we can endorse, and that will have the support of all the fans. I'm optimistic for pre-season.
"If we go along to supporters and say 'we now have a good deal, this is the basis of the deal', and we explained it to them and the board made the decision to back it, then I think the supporters would back it.
"Some might not but I think a large proportion would love to be able to go and buy Rangers kit, but will not do so unless this board says to them 'we have a deal we believe works for the club'.
"It would have to be on terms that were good for the club. That's always been the problem for Sports Direct. I think they are still a smart retail business and I still think it makes sense for a club like Rangers to have a retail partner.
"(But) I think with Mike he just doesn't like losing. If it wasn't me and it was someone else showing the same level of resistance then I think Mike would feel the same way.
"It's about winning the fight, and less about the money. We're all losing in that sense and under normal commercial circumstances this would have been settled some time ago. "
