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SPFL: Sports Direct executive Barry Leach appointed finance director at Rangers

Derek Llambias Barry Leach Rangers Scottish Cup
Image: Barry Leach (R) appointed finance director at Rangers

Mike Ashley has appeared to hit back in the battle for control at Rangers after Sports Direct executive Barry Leach was appointed finance director at Ibrox.

Leach, who is head of brands at Ashley's sportswear firm, has been acting as a consultant at Rangers since late October but his appointment to the board was confirmed on Monday evening.

The appointment came hours after the club announced they had secured a £500,000 loan from Rangers football board chairman Sandy Easdale to provide working capital in the coming days.

Easdale loaned the club the money for “general working capital purposes in the next few days”. 

Earlier Sky Sports News HQ reported that Rangers had assured the Scottish Professional Football League they had not breached regulations regarding payments to HM Revenue and Customs. 

The league had sought clarity from both Rangers and HMRC after reports the club had been issued with a seven-day notice by HMRC for the payment of national insurance. 

The SPFL have now received a response from Rangers on this issue and are confident that the club have committed no breach of league rule E20.

And, in a separate development, SSNHQ has learnt that Dave King, who bought nearly 15% of Rangers shares last week, plans to travel to Scotland before the end of this month for talks on the future of the club.

It is understood that King has had no contact with, or any input in dealings with Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, who has been in dialogue with both the Rangers board and the Three Bears consortium about potential investment in the Scottish Championship club.