Rangers’ administrators concerned over club operations

Rangers’ administrators have expressed concerns about the running of the club since Craig Whyte’s takeover in May last year.

Duff and Phelps were appointed on Tuesday after Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) forced the issue in the Court of Session in a bid to secure payment of £9 million (€10.8m) in PAYE and VAT, a debt accrued during Whyte’s tenure.

In a press conference yesterday, joint administrators Paul Clark and David Whitehouse also revealed that a £24m (€28.8m) loan from Ticketus against season ticket sales did not go through the company’s accounts.

On the issue of Ticketus money and HMRC, Whitehouse admitted: “That’s not common practice.”

Asked if he was concerned, he replied: “Yes. All financing of the business will be subject to proper investigation.”

The administrators were quizzed on why £9m (€10.8m) in taxes have not been paid since Whyte purchased David Murray’s shareholding in the club.

Clark said: “It’s a difficult question to answer at this stage.

“What one needs to understand is that the monies don’t get put into a separate account and therefore they are the tax man’s monies.

“This is part of the funds that are involved in the club and the payments just weren’t made.

“Exactly why and whose decision that was, that’s not something we are able to confirm.”

Whitehouse added: “They are deductions that were made at source in relation to PAYE that weren’t then paid over so it has effectively been used as a funding tool for the club and, ultimately, unpaid taxes are not an appropriate long-term funding tool for the club.”

Meanwhile, Rangers manager Ally McCoist claims he has not even contemplated the prospect of quitting the Scottish champions, insisting: “We don’t do walking away.”

“This is my club, the same as it is for thousands and thousands of Rangers supporters. We don’t do walking away.”

Asked if he trusts owner Whyte, McCoist replied: “Absolutely. We have to keep going.

“We are in a position at this moment in time where the club is maybe as low as it has been — possibly ever.

“We have to put our trust and our faith in getting the club to a better place and the future will hopefully provide that.

“There is no doubt about it, it’s a low time, the club is at a low ebb. Everybody sees that, it’s very, very apparent.

“So we all have to believe and have faith and hopefully, we will all do that and the club will come out of this at the other end.

“Of that I have no doubt and it’s the most important thing.”