Barry Ferguson's column today.

[forlanssister 3,114]

Not really a fan of Barry Ferguson to paraphrase his brother, but here it is...

 

 

Barry Ferguson: I trust Douglas Park but I can't say the same for American Sarver

 

THE former Rangers star backs old pal Douglas Park and says he was thrilled to see him as one of the new investors.

 

ONE of the best feelings as a Rangers player often came in the unlikely surroundings of the departure lounge of some far-flung airport on a cold Wednesday night.

 

It doesn’t sound like the most inspiring place that holds happy memories but these massive soulless buildings are where happiness was shared and friendships were forged after some significant results for the club on big European nights.

 

From my first big European result in 1998 when we beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in Germany, to a 1-0 Champions League victory over Monaco, all the way to the night in Florence when we booked our place in the UEFA Cup Final, one of the biggest thrills of those nights was getting to the airport and seeing what it meant to fans preparing to start their journey back home.

 

And most of the time among those fans was Douglas Park – a True Blue who regularly paid a lot of money to follow his team around the Continent and a man I have come to know and trust as a friend, partly through those shared airport experiences.

 

Which is why I was thrilled to see Douglas among the fresh investors trying to bring some stability to the club in these dark times of uncertainty.

 

For anyone in troubled times, you look for the people you trust, the like-minded friends that you know care as much about the things that you hold most dear. And when it comes to Rangers Football Club, I can assure you that there are few men who care more than Douglas.

 

Which makes his recent investment one of the rare pieces of good news for Rangers in these last three turbulent years – and, to my mind, makes it essential that his financial commitment and protective instincts for the club’s welfare should be rewarded with a seat on the board.

 

With the latest buy-out offer from Robert Sarver, there are sure to be more twists and turns in the days ahead and there remain many unanswered questions that leave me uneasy and concerned.

 

For a start I’d like to know what is motivating an American with no previous emotional connection to the club, or even to football in general, to offer to pump more than £26million of his hard-earned cash into a club on the brink of another financial meltdown?

 

Recent history in English football tells a cautionary tale of mistrust and outright conflict between the supporters of big clubs including Aston Villa, Liverpool and, most of all, Manchester United where the Glazers are despised by a significant portion of their followers.

 

That makes me uneasy but what disturbs me even more are the recent reports of major shareholder Sandy Easdale giving emergency loans just to keep the lights on at Ibrox.

 

In such desperate times you can’t afford be too picky and if someone wants to come in with the kind of money Sarver is offering then it’s hard to turn your nose up just because he’s not perceived to be a Rangers man.

 

But again, that’s why Douglas Park’s involvement is so critical to ensure that when the club does take the next step, it’s in the right direction at last.

 

With uncertainty raging at every turn, he and his fellow Three Bears – George Letham and George Taylor – are the constants that I hope will be welcomed into the decision-making process because they genuinely hold the club’s interests close to their hearts.

 

And, just as importantly, Douglas is a proven, sound businessman who has built an empire that has prospered for decades – a commodity which has been in painfully short supply over the past few years

of chaotic financial mismanagement.

 

As I got to know him over the years, Douglas was a wise influence on me when it came to cash. He was the guy I went to when I wanted to buy a car and he would always steer me away from some of the silly purchases that are all-too tempting to a young footballer with a fair amount of spare cash burning a hole in his pocket.

 

There was never any question of a Ferrari in my drive, partly because my brother and the rest of my family would have gone daft at me but also because Douglas would steer me well clear of that stuff.

 

That’s the kind of sensible, responsible influence that Rangers are crying out for just now and I dearly hope that if change is indeed on the brink of completion, then Douglas is put at the forefront of that fresh start.

 

Then maybe one night not too far away from now we will see Rangers recovered and nursed back to where they belong at the top of Scotland’s top league, competing at the highest level in Europe – and Douglas Park standing in another soulless airport terminal with a big smile on his face.

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/barry-ferguson-trust-douglas-park-4946141

 

[alexscottislegend 2,320]

That's starting to make me change my view away from Sarver. Yet Sarver I'm sure said he would work alongside the the 3b consortium? Anyone know if he has retracted from that position?

[Bluedell 5,624]

That's starting to make me change my view away from Sarver. Yet Sarver I'm sure said he would work alongside the the 3b consortium? Anyone know if he has retracted from that position?

 

Don't think it means anything one way or the other. He's bound to say that at this stage even if he has no intention of doing it.

[pete 2,499]

Don't think it means anything one way or the other. He's bound to say that at this stage even if he has no intention of doing it.

 

Yes look at all the shit Green told us. before and after he got his hands on us.