Thornton to begin Rangers chairman role on Monday

Rangers will welcome a new chairman in the coming days

Fraser Thornton has been appointed Rangers chairman and will take up the post on Monday.

The club say Thornton "has held many senior leadership and board positions throughout his career, in both private and public companies".

"Having worked in the international drinks industry for the last 30 years, he offers a vast range of experience in stakeholder engagement; spanning political, commercial and public interest groups," Rangers added.

"He has extensive management experience across sales, brand marketing, strategy development and finance."

Thornton qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse in the early 1990s and subsequently worked overseas.

The Glasgow native was also a council member of the Scotch Whisky Association from 2006-21.

John Gilligan stepped in as interim Rangers chairman after John Bennett relinquished the role on health grounds in mid-September.

And Gilligan said of Thornton: "As a lifelong supporter and season ticket holder, he has a deep knowledge of the club, which together with a highly successful executive track record and an impressive range of non-executive experience makes him an excellent fit for this role.

"We look forward to welcoming him and our CEO Patrick Stewart to their new roles on Monday.

"My time as interim chair of our club has been a wonderful and emotional experience. My sincere thanks goes to the board for their trust in me and for their support during this time."

On the park, Philippe Clement's Rangers team take on Celtic in Sunday's Scottish League Cup final (15:30 GMT) and are third in the Premiership. In the SWPL, Jo Potter's Rangers side are top of the table and visit Glasgow City on Sunday (12:10).