Godwin ObajeRangers Chairman Andrew Cavenagh Embraces Celtic Rivalry After £20m Investment Injection
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh has declared the Ibrox club is “relishing” the challenge of restoring dominance in Scottish football following the approval of a £20m investment package.
At an extraordinary general meeting on Monday, shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favour of four key resolutions, including the injection of fresh capital from Cavenagh’s US-led consortium. The investment group includes backing from the San Francisco 49ers’ enterprise arm, and sees Rangers re-registered as a private limited company, moving away from their previous publicly listed status.
“We relish that challenge,” said Cavenagh, speaking in Glasgow shortly after the vote passed with 98% approval. “In terms of the rivalry, I think rivalry is one of the things that makes football great. And our rivalry with Celtic—Rangers wouldn’t quite be the same without that rivalry. It’s top five in the world.
“Boca – River Plate, Lazio – Roma, Celtic – Rangers, like those would be the three that come to mind. So I think it’s fantastic to have that rivalry, and we look forward to the challenge.”
Cavenagh formally took over as chairman last month, alongside the appointment of Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe as vice-chairman, marking a significant leadership reshuffle at the top of the club.
When asked why he chose to invest in Rangers, Cavenagh cited three pillars: the fans, the stadium, and the competitive environment.
“The supporters’ passion, the stadium—Ibrox is our castle and it gives the team an advantage—and the competitions they play in: the league, the cups, and Europe,” he explained.
Rangers, who finished second behind Celtic in the Premiership last season, have won just one top-flight title in the past 14 years. However, the new board is determined to reverse that trend.
“The ambition is to put the club in the position to win the league, win cups and be more competitive in Europe,” Cavenagh stated. “We have no exit plan, but a growth plan. We’ll figure out an exit plan after growth.”
The club’s summer rebuild is already under way. Former Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell has joined as sporting director, while ex-Southampton boss Russell Martin has been appointed as head coach. Martin’s first competitive fixture in charge will come next month against Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifiers.
Cavenagh revealed that Martin ticked every box in a rigorous selection process.
“There are four criteria that we looked at for head coach,” he said. “One, somebody that would coach what we think is the right style of play or game model. Two, who will build the culture in the way that we think it needs to be built. Three, who will develop talent. And four, who can win matches. And Russell was the standout across all of those metrics, unanimously, amongst our team.”
Pressed on how the £20m will be deployed, Cavenagh noted, “We will be transparent where we can be, but we will be opaque in other areas—and this is one.”
As Rangers return for pre-season under new management, the Ibrox hierarchy are signalling intent not only to challenge Celtic’s dominance but to build sustainable success on and off the pitch.
Godwin Obaje
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