colinstein 294 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 BEIRUT lawyer Mazen Houssami has spoken exclusively to Keith Jackson about his desire to increase his holding from his current 6.14% and help ease the infighting which has blighted the club. 101 Shares Share Tweet +1 Email Lawyer Mazen Houssami reveals himself as the man behind Blue Pitch Holdings THE Middle Eastern money man behind Rangers investors Blue Pitch Holdings has revealed he is actively trying to buy a controlling interest in the club. In his first interview since helping to fund Charles Green’s £5.5million Ibrox takeover two years ago, Beirut-based lawyer Mazen Houssami spoke exclusively to the Daily Record yesterday after we tracked him down to his HQ in Beirut. And he insisted that rather than cut his losses by selling his 6.14 per cent holding to a would-be saviour such as Dave King, he is preparing to snap up more shares in order to have a greater say in the way the club are run. Houssami said: “I am happy for Blue Pitch to invest more money in Rangers because I believe in the club. I am hoping today to buy more shares and to become the biggest majority or to get a more substantial minority to be able to control or to influence the decisions a bit more.” Houssami insisted he is the sole power behind the Blue Pitch group. He stressed that not only has he severed all previous ties with disgraced former executives Green and Imran Ahmad, but that HE fired them from the board. He was also behind the coup to topple former chairman Malcolm Murray and director Phil Cartmell last summer in the shake-up which saw James Easdale appointed to the board. Lawyer Mazen Houssami reveals himself as the man behind Blue Pitch Holdings Now, 12 months on, Houssami has warned the current regime that he is on the brink of completing another power grab – a move which could erode King’s hopes of getting his hands on the club. He said: “We haven’t received any interesting offers from anyone to buy our shares. Obviously the price we paid for these shares was much higher than the price today, so I don’t think anyone will come and buy our shares at this point. “But we have made many offers to buy more shares and we have not been able to do that at this point. I think everyone is keeping their position for the time being. “Today, what we are offering on the table is to buy more shares, to work hand in hand with other big shareholders, to find a reasonable solution so that the club can move forward.” The Record understands the current Ibrox board are in a state of flux because of a serious split between James and Sandy Easdale and chief executive Graham Wallace. The Easdales, who were originally courted by Green, are understood to represent more than 26 per cent of the club’s shareholders, including Blue Pitch. But Houssami is demanding an immediate end to the infighting. He said: “What we are trying to achieve is to put Rangers back on the right track when it comes to the management. There are a lot of politics going on inside the club as I am sure you know. “At this point, we are trying to reach a solution regarding these issues. We will make a statement when we can officially give the public good news. “The problem is all the internal politics between the various members of the board of directors and the attitude of each of them concerning Rangers and the way to move forward. These things happen in every big company but Rangers have been through a lot of ups and downs recently and we are just trying to put everybody on the same track. “Blue Pitch is one of the big shareholders. We are not here to facilitate anything – it’s a matter of finding common ground for everyone to move forward. “We have invested a huge amount of money in this club and we don’t intend to let this go. We need to find a solution. “We have a clearer situation now than we had a year before so now we are hoping to move forward and to concentrate on playing football, it’s as simple as that. What Blue Pitch wants is to be able to watch the team gets results, to return to the Premier League and then everything will be OK. “It should be about the football. It is a football team. “But it’s not easy. I think some of the shareholders are getting there but we are still working at it. “We don’t want to abuse anyone, we don’t want to take anybody’s shares. We are happy to buy more at the right price and that’s it.” Houssami’s part in the Rangers saga first came to light in October 2012 when Green described him as Blue Pitch’s “legal beneficiary”. And yesterday, the lawyer denied that he is acting as a frontman for other investors who prefer to keep their identities hidden. He said: “I am a director, I am the sole owner, the sole holder of the shares. Blue Pitch is me. To describe Blue Pitch as ‘mysterious shareholders’ is newspaper rubbish. “What can I tell you? I am Blue Pitch Holdings. I control it. I’m actually behind a lot of companies around the world as an investor. “I understand that Rangers is an emotional investment for the fans. When I came in, the team was having a very bad time – I’m sure you remember all the financial problems that Green was having. “I and other investors were the people who stepped forward. It’s a business venture for us. “Don’t get me wrong – we like the team. Part of the advantage of buying a club like Rangers is to have all the history and the background that the team has.” Asked if he understood why Rangers fans might be concerned by his links with Green’s regime, Houssami said: “Let me tell you something – if Charles Green saw me walking on the street today, he wouldn’t recognise me. “I know him because his face has been in every newspaper. Other than that, this company is not related to Charles Green at all. “Actually, Green and Imran Ahmad were two people we ended up firing from the board because they were very destructive for the team and the company. I never had any personal problem with them but they were not the right people. “I respect a lot the feelings that all the fans have. It was because of their support that we wanted to buy into a company like Rangers.” PROMOTED STORIES Recommended by 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,570 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Are we really to believe a middle eastern lawyer is the man making the hiring and firing decisions at Rangers Football Club? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Are we really to believe a middle eastern lawyer is the man making the hiring and firing decisions at Rangers Football Club? he's part of greenco or represents part of it. greenco are in absoloute and total control of rangers and have been since whyte found them 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,570 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 he's part of greenco or represents part of it. greenco are in absoloute and total control of rangers and have been since whyte found them I don't disagree. But I suppose articles like this one (and last week's Green rumours) are cheaper than full-page adverts in the tabloids. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott7 6,016 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Mrs Budge - help! - Help! - HELP! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I don't disagree. But I suppose articles like this one (and last week's Green rumours) are cheaper than full-page adverts in the tabloids. oh totaly agree. it reads like a green interview and is about at true. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
forlanssister 3,114 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Are we really to believe a middle eastern lawyer is the man making the hiring and firing decisions at Rangers Football Club? There isn't enough sodium chloride on the planet to accompany that. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTP 0 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Just read it. What a load of bollocks. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
26th of foot 6,084 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Are we really to believe a middle eastern lawyer is the man making the hiring and firing decisions at Rangers Football Club? This week's reality will differ from next week's reality. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
forlanssister 3,114 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 It appears a rather interesting share transaction that occurred the other week has not gone unnoticed. Not a transaction in RIFC shares I hasten to add but in all probability relevant nonetheless. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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