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Your support makes all the difference.The Blue Knights consortium and Ticketus confirmed they had submitted a "best and final bid" for Rangers, ahead of yesterday's deadline. Administrators Duff and Phelps signalled on Tuesday that there could be five bids on the table for the stricken Scottish champions.
The bid from the Blue Knights – fronted by former Ibrox director Paul Murray – and Ticketus was the first to be confirmed as submitted ahead of the deadline.
A statement from Ticketus released yesterday read: "The Blue Knights Consortium, led by Paul Murray and supported by fans' representatives [from the Rangers Supporters Assembly, the Rangers Supporters Association and the Rangers Supporters Trust] and Ticketus, confirms that it has this morning submitted its best and final bid for the acquisition of Rangers Football Club ahead of today's deadline, as requested by the Administrators."
The consortium again stressed their opposition to seeing Rangers liquidated and remained adamant that exiting administration via a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) remained the best option for the club. The statement added: "The members of the Consortium remain united in their belief that a collaborative approach is essential in securing the club's future through a successful and swift CVA process.
"The Consortium strongly believes that a CVA, not liquidation, is the best way to protect the club's value and legacy and consequently that is the approach presented in our offer."
Murray said: "We are determined to try and save the club in its current form. We strongly believe that there is value to be gained from the financial and football benefits that a CVA can deliver that would be immediately lost if the club went into liquidation.
"We are confident in the strength of our bid and the Consortium's unique ability to rapidly return financial stability to the club with the support of Ticketus. As a Rangers fan first and foremost, I want to bring a swift end to the current uncertainties that are clouding the club. Our bid can deliver this."
Ticketus emerged as a surprise backer for the consortium early last month, having also had a key role to play in current owner Craig Whyte's takeover last May.
The London-based financial firm paid £24million last year to secure the right to sell the club's future season tickets, with part of the cash used by Whyte to complete his takeover.
Duff and Phelps went to the Court of Session in Edinburgh last month to seek legal directions on whether they could tear up the club's agreement with Ticketus but Lord Hodge said he had not been given sufficient legal information to allow him to make a ruling on the issue. The judge's written ruling clarified the exact nature of the deals between Ticketus and Rangers chairman Whyte.
Documents showed that Whyte received more than £20m plus VAT in May last year as previously stated, for season tickets over three years.
Rangers then sold tickets from another season – 2014-15 – receiving more than £5m on or about 21 September. With VAT added, the total payments Rangers received under Whyte were £30.5m.
Having sold season books from the current campaign, Ticketus now own the rights to tickets worth £27m over the next three years, although Murray was quoted yesterday as saying he has struck a deal that will see Ticketus write off "very significant sums" of cash they believed are owed to them by Rangers if their bid succeeds.
Brian Kennedy, the owner of Sale Sharks, said yesterday that he would not submit a bid for Rangers by the administrators' deadline of 5pm last night – but added that he would come in at a later date if he he believes the Scottish champions are in danger of being liquidated.
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