Mike Ashley’s influence at Rangers grows as Derek Llambias appointed chief executive
Just days after the Scottish Football Association served Rangers with complaints over Mike Ashley’s influence at the club, Derek Llambias, a long-standing acquaintance of the Newcastle United owner, has been appointed chief executive.
Why it’s interesting
Mike Ashley, the reviled owner of Newcastle United, has an agreement with the Scottish Football Association not to increase his stake in Rangers, which currently stands at 8.9 per cent. He also has an accord with the body not to have undue influence in the boardroom. The appointment of Llambias, a former Newcastle director, may raise some eyebrows.
Ashley gave the Glasgow outfit a loan of £2m in October, and managed to install Llambias as a non-executive director in early November.
Rangers said:
I [non-executive chairman David Somers] am delighted that Derek has agreed to step up to the chief executive role. This is a successful outcome to the process, announced on 27 October 2014, which involved interviewing a number of high calibre candidates. Derek has impressed us with his grasp of the issues since joining the group and brings a wealth of experience, particularly from his time at Newcastle United, which we feel confident will be invaluable to Rangers.
In short
There may well be some ruffled feathers over this appointment, but Ashley is no stranger to controversy.