INTERIM Rangers chairman John Gilligan has vowed he will not shy away from making unpopular decisions as he expressed his happiness at the Glasgow club playing at Ibrox for the first time this season.
Gilligan has taken over from John Bennett on a temporary basis after the major shareholder, who had been overseeing the delayed redevelopment of the Copland Stand in recent months, was forced to stand down for health reasons.
The former director addressed fans in the matchday programme this evening as Philippe Clement’s team took on Dundee in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final in Govan – a game they won 3-0 thanks to a Cyriel Dessers double and a James Tavernier penalty.
He wrote: “It is a tremendous honour and a privilege to have been asked by the board of our club to be your interim chairman.
"The circumstances are very unfortunate and we will never be able to thank John Bennett enough for his total commitment to the role of chairman. His financial backing remains as strong as ever
“John was part of the original group of investors who took over in 2015 and since then, has stepped up on a number of occasions. I, along with everyone at the club, want to wish John well in his recovery.
“My role as interim chairman is to ensure our executive team is fully supported and to provide that vital link between them and the board.
“What this club needs now is stability and while the process for appointing a new CEO and a permanent chairman will continue in the background, this will be one of my key aims.
“There is no getting away from the fact I am a fan first and foremost, but being interim chairman will demand so much more from me than just that.
“I'm absolutely ready to put the long-term interests of the club first and if that means making decisions that may be unpopular, I will do just that.”
He continued: “Today we return home to Ibrox and I for one cannot wait for that. It has been a tough time for all of us playing at Hampden, not least for our staff, and I want to pay tribute to them.
“But for the work of our teams in the ticketing, commercial, operations and facilities departments, and all the extra hours they have put in for the last number of months, we would never have coped. Everyone at Rangers is extremely grateful for everything they have done.
“We are not quite finished, of course, and our apologies go to our supporters in the Copland Rear, who are not back in their own seats just yet.
“I will be fully committed in my support of Philippe, his staff and his players in any way | can during my time as interim chairman. I look forward to building an excellent relationship with our manager in these coming weeks.”
