American Bill Miller named as preferred bidder for Rangers

By Andrew Warshaw

May 3 – The future of Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers moved a step closer to a successful conclusion today when American businessman Bill Miller was granted preferred bidding status by the administrators running the club.

The significant development, after weeks of tortuous negotiations, almost certainly means the 54-time Scottish champions will survive in their current guise rather than going out of business as had been feared.

Miller’s (pictured above) initial bid was dependent on the Scottish football authorities not imposing further sanctions on the club.

But administrators Duff and Phelps describe the latest offer as “unconditional”.

“Bill Miller has got sufficiently comfortable in terms of the football authorities to go unconditional with his bid, and on that basis we can proceed,” said Rangers’ joint administrator David Whitehouse.

“Mr Miller now proposes to complete his transaction by the end of the season.”

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) and Scottish Premier League (SPL) both say they intend to hold further talks with Miller, who made his money from a tow truck business.

If he succeeds in buying the club, Miller will follow in the footsteps of a raft of American owners of English Premier League clubs, with varying degrees of success and popularity.

Rangers are currently eight points behind third-placed Motherwell having been deducted 10 points and seen both players and staff agree to wage cuts.

The administrators said Miller’s offer was “substantially greater” than a rival offer from a consortium headed by former Rangers director Paul Murray and backed by Sale Sharks rugby club owner Brian Kennedy (pictured above).

Rangers are facing a 12-month transfer embargo pending an appeal against the SFA’s decision.

But the removal of the threat of liquidation is a huge weight lifted from their shoulders.

Paul Clark, the other joint administrator, said: “We would like to thank all parties for their efforts in seeking to submit bids which preserve the long history and success of the club.

“After many weeks of negotiation and deliberation we believe that the structure of the bid from Mr Miller provides not only the most deliverable outcome but preserves the history of the club.

“Rangers Football Club will continue as the football club it has been for 140 years.”

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