Who is Billy Walker? Diehard Rangers scotch whisky giant who made £285m sale could be toast of Ibrox
The 79-year-old revealed his willingness to invest in his boyhood heroes
Billy Walker of GlenAllachie
Billy Walker of GlenAllachie (Image: GlenAllachie)
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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.
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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.
READ MORE: Whisky tycoon ready to invest in his beloved Rangers as John Gilligan and board told the non negotiable rules
READ MORE: World media reacts as Rangers trigger astonishing head loss in Romania after Steaua’s ‘B team’ sent to the slaughter
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.
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How realistic is that he will invest in Rangers?
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