Acting chairman Paul Murray cleared by SFA to join Rangers board

Rangers acting chairman Paul Murray has been cleared to sit on the board of the Scottish Championship club after he was passed as a 'fit and proper person' by the Scottish Football Association.

The governing body were forced to rule on Murray's suitability for the post following his involvement in a similar position with oldco Rangers which was consigned to liquidation in June 2012.

The SFA rules state no one who has been on a board which undergoes an 'insolvency event' is eligible to take up a similar position within five years.

In a statement, it said: "The Scottish FA can confirm that at a meeting of the Professional Game Board (PGB) on Thursday, 30th April, consideration was given to the Fit and Proper status of Mr Paul Murray as a director of Rangers Football Club in respect of Article 10.2 of the Articles of Association.

"This followed a submission from the club of an Amendment Form to its Official Return. Specifically, Mr Murray was invited to provide information in relation to his involvement as 'a director of a club in membership of any National Association within the 5-year period preceding such club having undergone an insolvency event'.

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"The PGB examined Mr Murray’s involvement as a director of Rangers FC in the five years preceding the insolvency event experienced in 2012. Particular focus was given to Mr Murray’s role and function as Director, any financial benefit or otherwise from the insolvency event, steps taken to avoid the insolvency event, co-operation throughout the insolvency event and intentions as a Director to avoid a repetition of the mistakes of the past.

"Having considered the documentation provided, and taking into account Mr Murray’s detailed personal submission before it, the PGB is satisfied that Mr Murray is Fit and Proper in terms of Article 10.2."

In a statement on the club's official website, Murray said: "I am delighted the matter has now been positively resolved and I can fully focus on the job of helping rebuild Rangers Football Club. It is another step forward for Rangers and I thank the Scottish FA and the Professional Game Board for their understanding during the process.

“It is an honour and privilege to be a director of this institution and it is a responsibility I take seriously. Today’s announcement confirms what I always believed, that I am fit and proper to play an active role on the Rangers board and will work tirelessly to take the club back to the top of Scottish football and beyond."

Murray, who was part of the Dave King-led consortium which took control at Ibrox on March 6, has been acting as chairman of the Championship play-off hopefuls while the SFA rules on King's own 'fit and proper' status to assume the leading role at the club.

King, like Murray a director of the oldco - into which he put £20m - was convicted of 41 counts of contravening South Africa's Income Tax Act in 2013 and must now wait to see if he too has been cleared to sit on the Ibrox board.

The Glasgow-born millionaire, who had the backing of the vast majority of Rangers fans when he assumed control at the begining of March, has always maintained he would make good on his promise to 'invest heavily' when he is passed fit by the SFA.