New Rangers Chief Executive Patrick Stewart Addresses Club’s Current State and Future Ambitions

Rangers Football Club has appointed a new chief executive and chairman. Patrick Stewart, the newly appointed chief executive, has stated that while the club has “strong foundations” to build upon, it is currently not in the position it aspires to be. Stewart commenced his role on Monday, bringing with him a quarter-century of experience in football, including various positions at Manchester United. Under manager Philippe Clement, the team has secured victories in its last three league matches, placing them third in the Premiership. They are two points adrift of Aberdeen, who have played an additional game. Celtic holds a nine-point lead over Aberdeen. In the Europa League, Rangers currently occupy eighth place with two league-phase fixtures remaining. For the financial year ending in June, the club reported a loss of £17.2 million, notwithstanding revenues reaching £88.3 million. Stewart remarked, “There’s been a lot for us to be cautiously optimistic about in recent weeks.” He continued, “There’s been no secret that on the park, we’re not where we want to be in terms of trophies.” Stewart further stated, “Off the park, the AGM results were there for everyone to see. Sometimes the wider perception for Rangers hasn’t been where we want it to be so there are challenges there.” He concluded this point by saying, “But equally, we’ve got some really strong foundations to build from.” Stewart noted that the men’s squad has demonstrated “real progress” and has been “turning around the season,” particularly after having trailed Aberdeen by nine points at one point. Speaking via the club’s media outlets, Stewart added, “The signings that we made in the summer are starting to really bed in and play with a degree of confidence.” He also acknowledged, “In fairness to Philippe, he said it would always take time.” Regarding Jo Potter’s women’s team, Stewart commended their consistent performance, stating they are “right up there challenging for the league title” and are currently second in the SWPL, two points behind Glasgow City. Fraser Thornton also began his tenure on Monday. Stewart clarified that the non-executive chairman’s role would be “one step removed” from his own, elaborating: “Day to day, I’m going to be in the club, running the club, looking after the operational matters.” Furthermore, Stewart disclosed that he is awaiting a reply from the Scottish FA concerning the decision not to grant a penalty during extra-time in Rangers’ Premier Sports Cup final loss to Celtic on Sunday. Manager Clement expressed dissatisfaction that his team was not awarded a spot-kick in extra-time after Liam Scales pulled Vaclav Cerny. Instead, a free-kick was awarded on the edge of the penalty area, and Scales received a booking. Stewart stated, “The manner which we lost was hard to take and, as I think people will know, I have spoken with the SFA to ask for an explanation about the non-awarding of a penalty in extra-time.” He added, “I will wait to hear what the SFA have to say about that.”