Friday 3 April 2015 17:22, UK
Rangers boss Stuart McCall has been reassured that the club's impending removal from the Stock Exchange will not affect his squad's promotion hopes.
The club announced this week that they are set to be delisted from the AIM after prospective chairman Dave King failed to find a new nominated advisor.
Interim chairman Paul Murray put the blame for AIM's decision at the door of the club's previous board and tried to play down fears by revealing the new regime in charge is now considering a switch to the ISDX market.
Former football board chairman Sandy Easdale has also threatened legal action and said that shareholders had been "misled" by King and Murray.
But whatever the outcome, McCall does not expect it to derail his charge for the play-offs.
He said: "I had a quick chat with [director] John Gilligan and read an email that had gone round the club saying: 'Don't panic, don't worry'.
"I'm a football guy, I don't know what's going on in the stock markets.
"But apparently [the board is] not concerned in any way. The funding and the plans for the club will remain the same.
"Do I expect it to negatively impact me or the players? No. I hope not and I wouldn't expect it to."
This week Rangers also announced six-month losses of £2.6m for the second half of last year.
Among the report's details was the surprise that Rangers will have to hand Newcastle United £500,000 if they win promotion to the Premiership as part of the deal which saw them take five Magpies youngsters on loan in January.
However, McCall, who still does not know if he will be in charge beyond the summer, is refusing to worry about it too much right now.
"I was really surprised," said McCall. "I was gobsmacked if I'm being honest.
"I was driving in the car when I heard it on the radio and I just thought: 'Woof'. But if that's the deal, that's the deal.
"But I've got enough on just concentrating on what's happening on the training ground and the pitch.
"I've not even given [whether that fee will impinge on me if I'm here next season] a thought. My main concern is the game on Sunday.
"I know you have got to be prepared and be organised but I'm not a three-year or five-year plan guy. I try to my best here and now and if it's good enough to get us up then great."
The club welcome newly-crowned Scottish Championship winners Hearts to Ibrox on Sunday.
It should have been a crucial clash in the race for the title but Rangers' mid-season collapse means it only has significance for the hosts as they look to overtake Hibernian in second place.
But McCall confirmed his side will pay tribute to the league leaders.
"We will be giving the Hearts lads a guard of honour," he said. "It's not something you do week after week but this is their first away game and it's something we will be doing.
"Hearts have won 26 games out of 30 and nine on the bounce. That's incredible.
"Our players might look on a bit enviously and think they'd have liked that to be us who were running out as champions. Hopefully they will see it that the season can still be a success, we can still get promoted."
McCall also confirmed that the club had taken Montenegrin defender Milos Milovic and former Hamburg midfielder Josef Shirdel on trial, even though neither player can feature this season as the deadline for signing free agents was March 31.
Milovic, 19, nearly signed a deal with Aberdeen last month while 22-year old Shirdel trained with West Ham in February.
He added: "The two lads are in training with us but there is not much to it. They are in Britain right now so it is a chance for us to take a look at them and, if they do well, the club might take it forward later in the summer."
