Rangers could do without Dave King constantly piping up | OneFootball

Dave King only needs to clear his throat and the Scottish football press pack lose theirs. It happens every single time. One throw-away line on talk-sport, a cheeky e-mail to a favoured reporter, and suddenly the back pages are splattered with “exclusive” quotes predicting buy-outs, cash floods and the second coming of billionaire saviours. We’ve just watched it again this week: King pops up claiming the 49ers’ takeover is “ninety per cent done” and, sure enough, every mainstream outlet rushed to print it without a hint of scrutiny.

That’s the problem. King knows exactly how to feed them. He drops a juicy percentage, hints at eye-watering figures and name-checks an American investor or two, and the scribes press send before checking the share register. We pointed out on Wednesday that FFP still rules the roost—any new ownership faces the same constraints—but you’d never know it from the giddy broadsheets. Even journos who should know better ignored the cold reality we laid out in Rangers owe Barry Ferguson an answer, preferring King’s hot-air promises over actual hard facts.

Of course, we’ve been here countless times. Remember his grand pronouncements about player investment after the previous boardroom coup? Rangers are still paying for some of those signings, which is why Barry is having to flog the dead wood, starting with the £3.5 million pair we flagged yesterday. King’s track record is noise, not substance; yet every time he resurfaces, certain reporters behave like he’s dropping tablets of stone.

Look at the latest coverage in Inside World Football. They dutifully repeat that the deal is “above ninety per cent” certain, but gloss over the labyrinthine shareholder structure and the board votes still required. For King, that’s mission accomplished: the myth of his indispensability is refreshed, supporters debate fantasies of huge war chests, and he strolls off into the Johannesburg sunset until the next microphone beckons.

The truth? Rangers will be far healthier once we finally stop dancing to King’s tune. Genuine progress is happening on the pitch and in the ledger without his periodic grand-standing. The sooner his share certificate is cashed and his press statements become someone else’s problem, the better for everyone who cares about Rangers rather than newspaper clicks. Until then, keep your feet on the ground and don’t swallow every quote he serves up. We certainly absolutely won’t.