Dave King blames old Mike Ashley-allied Rangers board and rival fans in outburst over court actions

It has been confirmed that Mr King will face a contempt of court hearing at the Court of Session on Friday having failed to comply with a court order to make an offer to Rangers shareholders in March.

The Rangers chief, who has already been told that he is in breach of takeover rules by failing to make the bid, has now said that the legal battle with the Takeover Panel followed complaints by the old board and supporters of other clubs who he said had held him "personally liable" to make an offer for all the shares, rather than one of his trust companies.

READ MORE: Dave King faces contempt of court charge over his takeover of Rangers

He said this followed "similar efforts" to deny him fit and proper status with the Scottish Football Association, after agreeing a £43.7 million settlement in a long running dispute with the South African tax authorities and having been a director on the Rangers board when the business went into liquidation in 2012.

He said: "Certain individuals believe that if they can disrupt the current board, the recovery in Rangers fortunes over the last three years might be reversed.

"Litigation with the Takeover Panel is another unwanted personal and financial cost to me of my initial decision to get involved with the club again to assist in rescuing it from certain demise under the previous board.

"Since then, I have devoted far more time to Rangers than to my other business interests.

"This was necessary because those who benefited from the previous regime adopted every legal strategy to avoid losing the vice like grip they had on our club.

"Supporters will remember that I faced another contempt of court application when Mike Ashley tried to put me in jail for standing up to Sports Direct. That is what we are up against."

Two years ago he was cleared of committing a contempt of court in a legal row with Mr Ashley, who is also the Newcastle United owner.  Mr Ashley's Sports Direct  had already failed in an attempt to have Mr King jailed for allegedly breaching a gagging order relating to the club's retail deal.

But he said that and new litigation over the club's merchandise deal involving Mr Ashley would not affect the running of the club.

"My fellow directors and I have all had to endure personal attacks and we all spend far more time dealing with Rangers interests than any of us truly expected," he said in a new statement.

"But we did it willingly and continue to do so for no financial gain. Those that wished our club to fail have failed themselves and we will continue to progress despite inevitable set-backs that will come our way from time to time."

He said the initial Takeover Panel ruling was "strange" in targeting him personally when he never held the shares in a personal capacity. They were held by New Oasis Asset Limited, which he controls.

In December Lord Bannatyne ruled in favour of the Takeover Panel that Mr King acted in concert with other shareholders when he bought a controlling stake in 2015 ousting a board of directors said to be allied to Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley.

READ MORE: Dave King in new court proceedings over failure to make £11m Rangers shares bid

Mr King has always argued that the judge went "too far" in ordering him to make a mandatory offer at a price of 20p a share.

Rangers International Football Club plc has said it understood that the funds for the offer are there and that Mr King's South African-based Laird Investments (Proprietary) Limited was seeking South African government approval to allow the money for the offer to be transferred to the UK.

Lord Carloway at the Court of Session dismissed an appeal in March forcing a bid for 70 per cent of the shares to be made after agreeing that Mr King and others acted together to force their way into the Ibrox boardroom three years ago.

It came after the Takeover Panel originally decided that a formal takeover should have been triggered after the Three Bears group led by Mr King secured more than 30 per cent of the voting rights in Rangers.

Mr King began his commentary on the imminent contempt case by saying: "I am also still dealing with the Takeover Panel following complaints by the old board and supporters of other clubs to hold me personally liable to make an offer for all the non-consortium shares of RIFC."

Mr King says the Takeover Panel refused the necessary extension of time to set up an account in the UK and instituted contempt of court proceedings for not complying with the original ruling to make a personal offer.

READ MORE: Dave King - Takeover Panel issue is an 'irrelevance' as Rangers get set for share issue

Mr King said that "strange decision" "has now caused further unnecessary delay, with no end in sight".

He added: "Fortunately, it does not affect the operations of the football club."

He also hit out at Mike Ashley as it emerged the club is engulfed in a new dispute over the sales of merchandise.

Rangers have been banned from selling their new Hummel kit ahead of a High Court showdown later this month.

The row centres on Sports Direct’s previous agreement with, which the retail giant claims has been breached.

Mr King said: We still hear and receive complaints about Sports Direct’s performance as our retail partner despite the overall settlement agreement that we reached last year.

"Communication with them remains difficult and, having initially indicated their desire to deal amicably with the transition and handover, we are now back in court with the uncertainties that entails.

"The board will continue to do what is best for our club and supporters and seek to minimise any disruption."

READ MORE: Court orders to force Dave King to make £11m Rangers shares bid with cleared funds

The Ibrox chief also had a pop at the SFA for not giving director Alastair Johnston 'fit and proper' status "despite his impeccable record as a businessman and as a protector of our club during its darkest moments".

The 69-year-old club director returned to Ibrox in June 2017, having previously served as the club's chairman, and took a seat on the board at the AGM last November.