The one thing Rangers fans desperately want more than badly needed investment in the club is investment from a white knight they can trust.
Having seen a succession of charlatans get involved at Ibrox over the years with the aim of lining their own pockets, anyone who shows interest in the club is met with deep suspicion. It was exactly the case with US-based businesswoman Kyle Fox who eventually gave up in her bid. But what if rather than Whyte and Green, there was someone who was a true blue. And who genuinely had millions at their disposal? Who was ready and willing to invest in the club they love? It all sounds too good to be true. But maybe not.
Scotch whisky tycoon Billy Walker has revealed in an interview with the Rangers Review that he would be willing to invest and he ticks ALL of the boxes for the type of person the supporters and the board would love to get on board. Think Jim McColl wealth and background but more willing. Let Record Sport introduce you to the man who could pump some of his fortune into Ibrox.
Who is Billy Walker?
Aged 79, Walker was born in 1945 and was raised in Dumbarton. The down is renowned for producing whisky and he developed a keen interest in whisky from a young age. After obtaining his BSc Honours Degree in Chemistry from The University of Glasgow in 1967, he started his journey to learn the art of whisky making which led to more than half a century in the industry and is one of the most famous names in the Scotch whisky business.
But what did as he done in the industry?
Where do you start? He made his name as a whisky revivalist who brought new life to once-forgotten distilleries. But for him it all started in 1972 when Hiram Walker & Sons, the owners of Ballantine’s blend, hired him as an employee and trained him in all aspects of whisky production. He went on to have spells with major names such as Ballantine’s, Inver House, and Burn Stewart before he went his own way with the purchase of the BenRiach Distillery in Speyside in 2002 which he and his partners sold to American giants Brown-Forman for an eye-watering £285m in 2016 and purchased the Glenallachie distillery in Speyside a year later. In 2020 he was inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame.
Where does his interest in Rangers come from?
Like most dyed-in-the-wool football fans, from a very early age. In an interview with the Rangers Review, he spoke of his love for the club (including how he was fortunate to have former Light Blues left back Johnny Little as his gym teacher) and how it all started with his first game against Hearts in 1950 and memories of travelling on the Dumbarton Rangers Supporters bus. He has been a fan for 74 years and still has a season ticket with his son in the Govan Stand.
How realistic is that he will invest in Rangers?
Well, the very fact he has gone public makes it seem very likely but he has made it clear he wouldn’t like to be the principal investor. He also spoke in glowing terms of current interim chairman John Gilligan who worked in the drinks industry and had three years in charge of Tennent Caledonian Breweries.
Walker said: “I wouldn’t be against investing in the club. John Gilligan is an excellent man, he’s a top businessman. Any time there is a call to arms, John has been prepared to step up. But sure, I’m a Rangers fan, if the environment’s right, probably yes why not? But if I was investing I would want to have a say about the direction of where the club is going.”
But Philippe Clement doesn’t have to worry yet
Walker said: “I feel a little bit sorry for the manager in a sense that I think he’s built a team that is probably relatively comfortable playing in a European environment but Scottish football is different. You need to build a team equipped for Scottish football and take it from there. I think the team is missing some Scottish warriors I was talking to my son about it last week and said, ‘What would you do now for a Stuart McCall or an Ian Ferguson?’ We have to win the battle early on and then let the most skilful players impact the game. I think we’re missing that a wee bit.”