Dave King has strongly condemned the abuse directed towards Rangers captain James Tavernier in the aftermath of the Old Firm defeat to Celtic.
And the former chairman insists current Ibrox chief John Bennett is ‘devastated’ by the malaise that Rangers find themselves in on and off the park this season.
Tensions amongst a simmering support have threatened to boil over following the 3-0 loss that Philippe Clement’s side suffered at Parkhead last weekend. Rangers are five points adrift in the Premiership title race and have missed out on Champions League football following the defeat to Dynamo Kyiv last month.Chairman Bennett and Clement have come in for criticism in recent weeks but Tavernier bore the brunt of the abuse after the derby defeat. The skipper was confronted by a furious fan as the players left Ibrox last Sunday, while Clement was also involved in heated scenes.
King knows better than most the nature of the Rangers support after leading the boardroom coup in 2015 and serving as chairman for several seasons. And he has called out those who have directed their anger at key Ibrox figures and insisted fans must show their loyalty during these difficult moments.
“It is incredibly disappointing to hear that a small minority of supporters are letting their anger temporarily overcome them to the point of directing personal abuse at our players,” King said in a statement to the Rangers Review.
