• Scottish football

Walter Smith joins Rangers board

Walter Smith has joined the board at Rangers © Getty Images

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Former Rangers manager Walter Smith has accepted a place on the board alongside retired Glasgow businessman Ian Hart and the pair will take on the role of non-executive directors.

As part of the new regime at Ibrox, chief executive Charles Green has been trying to bring Smith on board since the former Scotland manager launched a takeover bid hours after Green's Sevco Scotland company initially took control at Ibrox in June.

Smith, who managed Rangers to 10 league titles in two spells, described his appointment as a "great privilege''.

In a statement issued by the club, he said: "Serious constructive efforts are being made to rebuild Rangers after a very difficult period in the club's history and if I can play a part helping that process, I am willing to do so.

"Apart from being a former manager of the club, I am first and foremost a supporter and am no different from the many thousands of other Rangers fans who have shown they're willing to do what they can to ensure Rangers rises again.

"I must make it clear, however, that I will not be playing any role in the day-to-day running of the club or the team.

"The role I will fulfil is to bring my experience of Rangers and football in general to the board table and that is what I will do.

"The people who purchased the club have shown over the last few months they are serious in their intentions to rebuild Rangers and I am happy, as many other fans have done, to lend my support.''

The pair join Green, chairman Malcolm Murray and finance director Brian Stockbridge on the board.

Green, who has launched a £20 million share issue, said: "As head of the executive team at the club it is extremely important to have a board that has the respect of investors and Rangers supporters.

"The consortium I led to buy the club are not Rangers people but there could be none better than Walter and Ian to fill that void and we are delighted they have agreed to become non-executive directors to broaden the skills and qualifications of the board.''

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